Sam viii. 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, ix. 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, x. 1. And therefore those, who
after Saul's being solemnly chosen and saluted king by the tribes
at Mispah, were unwilling to have him their king, made no other
objection but this, How shall this man save us? v. 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, xiii. 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.
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