And when he saw [that], he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which [belongeth] to Judah, and left his servant there.
Ver. 3. That he arose and went for his life.] But better he had stood to his task as a prophet, and answered as Chrysostom did when Eudoxia the Empress threatened him, Go tell her, said he, nil nisi peccatum timeo, I fear nothing but sin; or as Basil did when Valens, the Arian Emperor, sent him word he would be the death of him, I would he would, said he; a I shall but go to heaven the sooner. Sed non est omnium placide ferre offensiones et contemnere furores magnatum, saith one; - But it is not so easy a matter to bear the displeasure and slight the rage of great ones. Luther had his fits of fear, though ordinarily he could say, Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et furor, I care neither for the Pope's favour nor fury. Elijah, who so lately confronted Ahab, and cut off his Baalites, now trembleth at the threats of a wicked woman, factus seipso imbecillior. Gregory doubteth not to say, that because he began to be tickled with high conceits of himself for the great acts which he had done, he was suffered thus to fear, and to fall beneath himself, for his humiliation. The like we see in Peter, scared by a silly wench; to show us how weak even as water we are, when left never so little to ourselves.
And left his servant there.] Heb., His boy, as not willing to expose him to the wants of the wilderness, et ut ipse solus secretius fugeret et lateret, and for privacy's sake.
a Eιθε γενοιτο μοι