§. 109. And thus, in Israel itself, the chief business of their judges and
first kings seems to have been to be captains in war and leaders of their
armies, which (besides what is signified by "going out and in before the
people," which was, to march forth to war and home again at the heads of
their forces) appears plainly in the story of Jephtha. The Ammonites making war
upon Israel, the Gileadites, in fear, send to Jephtha, a bastard of their
family, whom they had cast off, and article with him, if he will assist them
against the Ammonites, to make him their ruler, which they do in these words:
"And the people made him head and captain over them" (Judges 11. 11),
which was, as it seems, all one as to be judge. "And he judged
Israel" (Judges 12. 7) — that is, was their captain-general —
"six years." So when Jotham upbraids the Shechemites with the
obligation they had to Gideon, who had been their judge and ruler, he tells
them: "He fought for you, and adventured his life for, and delivered you
out of the hands of Midian" (Judges 9. 17). Nothing mentioned of him but
what he did as a general, and, indeed, that is all is found in his history, or
in any of the rest of the judges. And Abimelech particularly is called king,
though at most he was but their general. And when, being weary of the
ill-conduct of Samuel's sons, the children of Israel desired a king, "like
all the nations, to judge them, and to go out before them, and to fight their
battles" (1 Sam. 8. 20), God, granting their desire, says to Samuel,
"I will send thee a man, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my
people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hands of the
Philistines" (ch. 9. 16). As if the only business of a king had been to
lead out their armies and fight in their defence; and, accordingly, at his
inauguration, pouring a vial of oil upon him, declares to Saul that "the
Lord had anointed him to be captain over his inheritance" (ch. 10. 1). And
therefore those who, after Saul being solemnly chosen and saluted king by the
tribes at Mispah, were unwilling to have him their king, make no other
objection but this, "How shall this man save us?" (ch. 10. 27), as if
they should have said: "This man is unfit to be our king, not having skill
and conduct enough in war to be able to defend us." And when God resolved
to transfer the government to David, it is in these words: "But now thy
kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart,
and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people" (ch. 13.
14.). As if the whole kingly authority were nothing else but to be their
general; and therefore the tribes who had stuck to Saul's family, and opposed
David's reign, when they came to Hebron with terms of submission to him, they
tell him, amongst other arguments, they had to submit to him as to their king,
that he was, in effect, their king in Saul's time, and therefore they had no
reason but to receive him as their king now. "Also," say they,
"in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out
and broughtest in Israel, and the Lord said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my
people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel."
