World English Bible · The united kingdom
1 Samuel 24
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When had returned from following the , he was told, "Behold, is in of ." Then took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. He came to the sheep pens by , where there was a cave; and went in to relieve himself. Now and his men were staying in the innermost parts of the cave. men said to him, "Behold, the day of which said to you, 'Behold, I will your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then arose and the of robe secretly. Afterward, struck him because he had . He said to his men, " forbid that I should do this thing to my , , to stretch out my hand against him, since he is ." So checked his men with these words, and didn't allow them to rise against . rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after , saying, "My the king!" When looked behind him, bowed with to the earth, and showed respect. said to , "Why do you listen to men's words, saying, 'Behold, seeks to harm you'? Behold, today your eyes have seen how had you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my , for he is .' Moreover, , behold, yes, see the of your robe in my hand; for in that I the of your robe and didn't kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor in my hand. I have not against you, though you hunt for my life to take it. May judge between me and you, and may me of you; but my hand will not be on you. As the of the ancients says, 'Out of comes wickedness;' but my hand will not be on you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dog? A flea? May therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and me out of your hand." It came to pass, when had finished speaking these words to , that said, "Is that your voice, my son ?" lifted up his voice and wept. He said to , "You are more than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you. You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when had me up into your hand, you didn't kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may reward you good for that which you have done to me today. Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that of Israel will be established in your hand. now therefore to me by that you will not my after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of house." to . went home, but and his men went up to the .
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The world at this moment · The united kingdom, 1050 BC to 931 BC ›
Saul, David, and Solomon. A rare window when both Egypt and Mesopotamia are weak, which is how a small kingdom in the corridor between them could briefly become a regional power.
- The power vacuum
- This is the whole political explanation for the united kingdom. Egypt is fragmented, Assyria is recovering but still local, the Hittites are gone, and nobody is in a position to object to a strong state in the corridor. It lasts about a century, and Israel's golden age fits exactly inside it.
- Phoenicia
- Tyre under Hiram is the commercial power of the coast, and supplies the cedar, the craftsmen, and the shipping for Solomon's building programme. The alliance is trade, not charity: Israel had grain and a land route, Tyre had timber and ships.
- Egypt
- Weak enough that a pharaoh gives a daughter in marriage to an Israelite king, which is the opposite of Egyptian practice in stronger centuries. Late in the era it recovers under a new house, and Shishak will invade within five years of Solomon's death.
- Further afield
- Greece is still in its dark age but beginning to recover, and will adopt the Phoenician alphabet within a century or two. Carthage is founded by settlers from Tyre by tradition in 814 BC. In the Americas the Olmec centre shifts to La Venta.