Глава 19

The beginning of the open persecution of David by Saul. David's flight to Ramah, to the prophet Samuel. 1 Samuel 19:1. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants to kill David; but Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David very much. Having lost hope of destroying David secretly, Saul sheds the mask of his last self-control and openly declares to the courtiers his feelings and intentions regarding the son of Jesse. 1 Samuel 19:3. And I will go out and stand next to my father in the field where you will be, and I will talk about you to my father, and what I see I will tell you. "On the field", taking advantage of the king's complacency during a walk. 1 Samuel 19:6. And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, As the Lord liveth, David shall not die. 1 Samuel 19:7. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was with him as yesterday and the day before. Outwardly, Saul could not help but agree with Jonathan’s reasonable arguments, but in his heart, of course, he still remained averse to David. 1 Samuel 19:19. And they told Saul, saying, Behold, David is in Nabath, in Ramah. In Nawath, in Ramah (see note to 1 Samuel 10:5). “Nawaf” is usually translated as a proper name and was probably actually used as a proper name; but, by all indications, it contains a common noun concept corresponding to what we call “community”; Some interpreters translate the word “Nawaf” as “shepherd’s house, inn,” and the Chaldean translator as “house of learning.” Bearing in mind that there was a host of prophets in Nawaf, one can think that Nawaf was a hostel, nursery, “seminarium” of the sons of the prophets in Rama Samuil (Ya. Bogorodsky, “Jewish Kings”, pp. 92–93, note). 1 Samuel 19:20. And Saul sent servants to take David, and when they saw a host of prophets prophesying and Samuel ruling over them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s servants, and they began to prophesy. 1 Samuel 19:21. They reported this to Saul, and he sent other servants, but these also began to prophesy. Then Saul sent third servants, and these began to prophesy. 1 Samuel 19:22. [Being angry,] Saul himself went to Ramah, and came to the great spring that is in Sepha, and asked, saying: Where are Samuel and David? And they said: Behold, in Nawath, in Ramah. 1 Samuel 19:23. And he went there to Nawath in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he went and prophesied until he came to Nawath in Ramah. 1 Samuel 19:24. And he also took off his clothes, and prophesied before Samuel, and all that day and all that night he lay naked; Therefore they say: “Is Saul also a prophet?” "And they began to prophesy." See note. to 1 Samuel 10:5. There is nothing impossible in the assumption that those sent to take David wholeheartedly belonged to the unjustly persecuted conqueror of the Philistines and, perhaps, suffered a lot within themselves, fulfilling the duty of obedience to Saul. “And so they come to Rama. With a sense of reverence, mixed with fear, characteristic of a Jew, they approach the mysterious dwelling of the prophets, and an amazing sight is presented to their eyes: a multitude of men and young men, with a venerable old man at their head, in a solemn pose, with inspired gaze, in a powerful but consonant voice, singing sublime hymns glorifying the greatness and wonderful deeds of Jehovah. The deeply amazed warriors involuntarily stop, remember the business for which they came, and they are overcome by awe. With amazing clarity they see all the unnaturalness, all the sinfulness of the matter for which they came. With great excitement, they began to communicate their thoughts and feelings to each other, glorify the exploits and piety of David, and in the end they were so inspired that they began to echo, as best they could, the mighty choir of the prophets” (Ya. Bogorodsky, “Jewish Kings”, pp. 95–96). The charm of the host of prophets was so great that Saul himself did not escape it (vv. 23–24, cf. 1 Samuel 10:10–13). You might be interested in: