and Jonathan were lovely and
pleasant in their lives, and in death they were not divided."*

* 2 Sam. i. 17-27 (R.V.). This elegy is described as a
quotation from Jasher, the "Book of the Upright." Many modern
writers attribute its authorship to David himself; others
reject this view; all agree in regarding it as extremely
ancient. The title, "Song of the Bow," is based on the
possibly corrupt text of ver. 18.

The Philistines occupied in force the plain of Jezreel and the pass
which leads from it into the lowlands of Bethshan: the Israelites
abandoned the villages which they had occupied in these districts, and
the gap between the Hebrews of the north and those of the centre grew
wider. The remnants of Saul's army sought shelter on the eastern bank
of the Jordan, but found no leader to reorganise them. The reverse
sustained by the Israelitish champion seemed, moreover, to prove the
futility of trying to make a stand against the invader, and even the
useless-ness of the monarchy itself: why, they might have asked, burthen
ourselves with a master, and patiently bear with his exactions, if, when
put to the test, he fails to discharge the duties for the performance
of which he was chosen? And yet the advantages of a stable form of
government had been so manifest during the reign of Saul, that it never
for a moment occurred to his former subjects to revert to patriarchal
institutions: the question which troubled them was not whether they were
to have a king, but rather who was to fill the post. Saul had left a
considerable number of descendants behind him.* From these, Abner, the
ablest of his captains, chose Ishbaal, and set him on the throne to
reign under his guidance.**

* We know that he had three sons by his wife Ahinoam--
Jonathan, Ishbaal, and Malchi-shua; and two daughters, Merab
and Michal (1 Sam. xiv. 49, 50, where "Ishvi" should be read
"Ishbaal"). Jonathan left at least one son, Meribbaal (1
Chron. viii. 34, ix. 40, called Mephibosheth in 2 Sam. xxi.
7), and Merab had five sons by Adriel (2 Sam. xxi. 8). One
of Saul's concubines, Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had borne
him two sons, Armoni and Meribbaal (2 Sam. xxi. 8, where the
name Meribbaal is changed into Mephibosheth); Abinadab, who
fell with him in the fight at Mount Gilboa (1 Sam. xxxi. 2),
whose mother's name is not mentioned, was another son.

** Ishbaal was stil