And when he had brought him down, behold, [they were] spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
Ver. 16. And when he had brought him down.] For he knew by some means where they would rendezvous; and there they were spread abroad at random. Security ushereth in destruction, as it did not many years since at Verona in Italy. The story is this Nicolaus Picinninus, fighting against the Venetians, and being beaten by them, rallied his forces, and suddenly set upon Verona, fearing nothing less than a beaten enemy, and took it. But whilst his soldiers were plundering, and pleasing themselves in their so-soon-gotten victory, they were easily overcome again by Francis Sfortia coming unexpectedly upon them. So that that city was twice together taken by the same means, securitate et negligentia utrisque exitiali, saith the historian; that is, by security and negligence, destructive to both parties. a
Eating and drinking, and dancing.] Or, Keeping holiday. So Abraham found and routed Chedorlaomer and his army: Gen 14:15 Ahab, the Syrians: 1Ki 20:16 Tomyris, the Persians: the Turks, twenty thousand Dutchmen in Joppa, drinking themselves drunk upon Martin's day, their arch-saint. b In the fight at Bannockburn, in Scotland, c where the English were, under Edward II, overthrown, in the English camp wassail A salutation used when presenting a cup of wine to a guest, or drinking the health of a person, the reply being drink-hail. and drink-hail The customary courteous reply to a pledge in drinking in early English times. The cup was offered with the salutation wæs hail ‘health or good luck to you' (see wassail), to which the reply was drink hail, ‘drink good health or good luck'. were thundered extraordinarily, as accounting themselves sure of the victory. d Far otherwise the Bruce's army, which by his commandment spent the evening in making humble confession of their sins, and so to fit themselves on the morrow to receive the sacrament, &c.
a Balth., Exner. Val. Max., Christ., p. 379.
b Justin.
c Full., Holy War.
d Speed, 671.