et full of predictions of prosperity most pleasant
to hear from such lips; not rebuke, yet setting in the strongest light
how unworthy of God's anointed personal vengeance was; not servile, but
yet recognising in delicate touches his absolute power over her; not
abject, and yet full of supplication,--the quick response of David's
frank nature and susceptible heart, which sweeps away all his wrath; the
budding germ of love, which makes him break into benedictions on her and
her wisdom, and thankfulness that he had been kept back from "hurting
_thee_," and the dramatic close in their happy union,--all make up one
of the most charming of the many wonderful idyls of Scripture, all
fragrant with the breath of love, and fresh with undying youth. The
story lives--alas! how much longer do words endure than the poor earthly
affections which they record!

After a second betrayal by the men of Ziph, and a second meeting with
Saul--their last--in which the doomed man parts from him with blessing
and predictions of victory on his unwilling lips, David seems to have
been driven to desperation by his endless skulking in dens and caves,
and to have seen no hope of continuing much longer to maintain himself
on the frontier and to elude Saul's vigilance. Possibly others than
Nabal grudged to pay him for the volunteer police which he kept up on
behalf of the pastoral districts exposed to the wild desert tribes. At
all events he once more made a plunge into Philistine territory, and
offers himself and his men to the service of the King of Gath. On the
offer being accepted, the little town of Ziklag was allotted to them,
and became their home for a year and four months.

To this period of comparative security one psalm has been supposed to
belong--the xxxi., which, in tone and in certain expressions,
corresponds very well with the circumstances. There are many
similarities in it with the others of the same period which we have
already considered--such, for instance, as the figure of God his rock
(ver. 3), the net which his enemies have laid for him (ver. 4), the
allusions to their calumnies and slanders (vers. 13, 18), his safe
concealment in God (ver. 20: compare xxvii. 5; lvii. 1; xvii. 8, etc.),
and the close verbal resemblance of ver. 24 with the closing words of
psalm xxvii. The reference, however, which has been taken as pointing to
David's position in Ziklag is that contained in the somewhat remarkable
words (ver. 21): "Blessed be t