1 Samuel 29:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel— As we are informed in the foregoing chapter, 1 Samuel 29:4 that the Philistines were come to Shunem, the verbs in this verse should be read in the past tense, had gathered,—had pitched:—David's departure from the army of the Philistines being prior to Saul's consulting the woman at Endor. The archbishop of Tyre tells us, that the Christian kings of Jerusalem used to assemble their forces at a fountain betwixt Nazareth and Sephoris, which was greatly celebrated on that account. This being looked upon to be nearly the centre of their kingdom, they could from thence consequently march to any place where their presence was wanted. He mentions also another fountain, near a town called Little Gerinum, which, he says, was the ancient Jezreel. Near this fountain Saladine pitched his camp for the benefit of its waters, while Baldwin king of Jerusalem had, as usual, assembled his army at the first mentioned place. This solicitude, in the princes of these sultry climes, to pitch near fountains; this mention of one by Jezreel, and this custom of assembling their armies in the centre of their kingdom, all serve to illustrate the present passage, which speaks of the encampment of Israel at a fountain, considerably distant from the proper country of the Philistines, just before the fatal battle which concluded the reign of Saul. If the Philistines had extended their territories at this time to mount Carmel; if they were wont to make their irruptions into the land of Israel that way, in that age; or if Saul had received intelligence of such a design at this time; these circumstances, or any of them, would farther explain the propriety of this pitching by the fountain of Jezreel: but what William of Tyre says about the managements of the Christian kings of Jerusalem of his days, and of their predecessors, is alone a more clear illustration of this passage than commentators have furnished us with. Observations, p. 335.