And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, &c.— Commentators have justly observed from hence, that the hanging of these carcases for so long a time in the open air, could not be in consequence of any command from David, because it was an open violation of the law of God, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 which commanded that the carcases of all those who were hanged should not remain even one night upon the tree; and the reason of the law, namely, lest the land be defiled, held strong in the present case, inasmuch as the stench of so many carcases for so long a time in a malignant drought, and at the hottest season of the year, might have added a pestilence to the famine; a danger, which it is impossible to imagine that David would deliberately devise both against his people and himself, and consequently demonstrates itself imposed upon him by a superior power; confuting all the little cavils of mean men against the conduct of David upon this occasion; cavils, which are further confuted by the account of Rizpah's memorable maternal affection for these unhappy victims; which when David heard, did he resent this conduct, which might have been a natural means of propagating a pestilence? He rather emulated it; for he immediately went (2 Samuel 21:12.) to Jabesh Gilead, and caused the bones of Saul and Jonathan to be removed from thence, and deposited, together with the bones of Saul's seven sons now interred, in the sepulchre of Kish; himself attending them in person to the grave, as if Rizpah's kindness to the remains of these unhappy victims reproached his own neglect of doing honour to those of so excellent a man, and so valuable a friend as Jonathan. By a passage in La Roque's Travels through Syria, says the author of the Observations, it appears, that if the usual rains have failed in the spring, it is of great benefit to have a copious shower, though very late; for he tells us, that when he arrived at Sidon in the end of June, it had not rained there for many months, and that the earth was so extremely dry, that the cotton-plants and mulberry-trees, which make the principal riches of that country, were in a sad condition; and all other things suffered in proportion, so that a famine was feared, which is generally followed by a pestilence. However, after public prayers for rain had been put up by all the sects that lived there, he adds, the rain descended in great abundance, continuing all that day and part of the night. He does not exactly specify the day; but it could not be before the end of June, new style; for he did not arrive at Sidon till then; and it could not be so late as the usual time of the descent of the autumnal rains, for the cotton is ripe in September, till the middle of which month those rains seldom fall; often later; and this rain is supposed to be of great service to the growing cotton; consequently this account refers not to autumnal showers, but a late spring rain, which probably happened soon after his arrival, or about the beginning of July, old style; and though the harvest must have been over at Sidon by the time that this gentleman arrived there, and they had nothing to hope or fear as to that; yet, as the people of those countries depend so much on garden-stuff, the inspissated juice of grapes, olives, &c. they might notwithstanding be apprehensive of a scarcity; which they might hope this late rain would prevent. For the like reasons, such a rain must have been extremely acceptable in the days of David; the more so, if it came much earlier, though we must believe it to have been after all expectations of it in the common way were over: and such a one, I suppose, was granted. Dr. Delaney, indeed, tells us, that the Rabbins suppose the descendants of Saul to have hanged from March, from the very first days of barley harvest, till the following October; and he seems to approve their sentiments. Dr. Shaw mentions this affair but cursorily; however, he appears to have imagined that they hanged till the rainy season came in course. But surely we may much better suppose that it was such a rain as La Roque speaks of, or one rather earlier. Dr. Delaney founds his opinion on a supposition, that the bodies which were hanged up before the Lord, hung till the flesh was wasted from the bones, which he thinks is affirmed in the 13th verse. But no such thing appears to me to be there affirmed. The bodies of Saul and his sons, it is certain, hanged but a very little while on the wall of Beth-shan before the men of Jabesh Gilead removed them, which yet are called bones. 1 Samuel 31:13. The seven sons of Saul therefore might hang a very little time in the days of king David. And if it should be imagined, that the flesh of Saul was consumed by fire, (2 Samuel 21:12 of that chapter,) and that so the word bones came to be used in the account of their interment; can any reason be assigned why we should not suppose that these bodies were treated in the same manner? Besides, it appears, that the word bones frequently means the same thing with corpse, which circumstance also totally invalidates this way of reasoning. See Genesis 1:25-26. Exodus 13:19. 1 Kings 13:31.—Such a late spring rain as is above mentioned would have been attended, as the rain at Sidon was, with many advantages; and coming after all hope of common rain was over, and presently following the death of these persons, would be a much more merciful management of Providence, and a much nobler proof that the execution was the appointment of God, and not a political stratagem of David, than the passing of six months over without any rain at all, and then its falling only in the common course of things. This explanation also throws light on the last clause of the history, And after that, God was entreated for the land. Dr. Delaney seems to suppose, that the performing of these funeral rites was requisite to the appearing of God: but could that be the meaning of the clause? Were the ignominy of a death which the law of Moses pronounced accursed, and the honour of a royal funeral, both necessary mediums of appeasing the Almighty? Is it not a much easier interpretation of this clause, that the rain which dropped on these bodies was a great mercy to the country; and the return of the rains in due quantities afterwards in their season, proved that God had been entreated for the land? See the Observations, p. 31. Dr. Delaney observes, that the 65th Psalm was written upon this occasion, the five last verses of which, says he, are the most rapturous, truly poetic, and natural image of joy, that fancy can form. On reading them we shall discern, that when the divine poet had seen these desirable and refreshing showers falling from heaven, and the Jordan overflowing his banks, all the consequent blessings were that moment present to his quick poetic sight, and he paints them accordingly.
REFLECTIONS.—1. The bodies, contrary to the law of Moses, were left hanging on the tree. The case was extraordinary; and as it was a national crime, thus to violate the solemn oath made to the Gibeonites, it was, no doubt, by Divine command enjoined for the expiation of it, till the long withheld rain should be sent. 2. Thus was the Son of God crucified for sins not his own, suffering for the curse which lay upon our sinful souls; and having by an ignominious death expiated our guilt, the wrath of God was appealed, and he was taken down from the tree.