. We do not know
how far his influence extended northwards; it probably stopped short at
the neighbourhood of Mount Tabor, and the Galileans either refused to
submit to his authority, or acknowledged it merely in theory. In the
south the clans of Judah and Simeon were not long in rallying round
him, and their neighbours the Kenites, with Caleb and Jerahmeel, soon
followed their example. These southerners, however, appear to have been
somewhat half-hearted in their allegiance to the Benjamite king: it was
not enough to have gained their adhesion--a stronger tie was needed to
attach them to the rest of the nation. Saul endeavoured to get rid of
the line of Canaanite cities which isolated them from Ephraim, but
he failed in the effort, we know not from what cause, and his attempt
produced no other result than to arouse against him the hatred of the
Gibeonite inhabitants.* He did his best to watch over the security of
his new subjects, and protected them against the Amalekites, who were
constantly harassing them.

* The fact is made known to us by an accidental mention of
it in 2 Sam. xxi. 1-11. The motive which induced Saul to
take arms against the Gibeonites is immediately apparent
when we realise the position occupied by Gideon between
Judah and the tribes of Central Canaan.

Their king, Agag, happening to fall into his hands, he killed him, and
destroyed several of their nomad bands, thus inspiring the remainder
with a salutary terror.* Subsequent tradition credited him with
victories gained over all the enemies of Israel--over Moab, Edom, and
even the Aramaeans of Zobah--it endowed him even with the projects
and conquests of David. At any rate, the constant incursions of the
Philistines could not have left him much time for fighting in the
north and east of his domains. Their defeat at Gibeah was by no means
a decisive one, and they quickly recovered from the blow; the conflict
with them lasted to the end of Saul's lifetime, and during the whole of
this period he never lost an opportunity of increasing his army.**

The monarchy was as yet in a very rudimentary state, without either
the pomp or accessories usually associated with royalty in the ancient
kingdoms of the East. Saul, as King of Israel, led much the same sort of
life as when he was merely a Benjamite chief. He preferred to reside at
Gibeah, in the house of his forefathers, with no further resources than
those yielded by the domain