Jabez (III)

III. JABEZ, a City in the Half-tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan. The Scripture calls it generally Jabesh-Gilead, because it lay in Gilead, at the foot of the Mountains which go by this name. Eusebius¹ places it six miles from Pella towards Gerasa; and consequently it must be eastward of the sea of Tiberias. The city of Jabesh-Gilead was sacked by the Israelites, because it refused to join its arms with theirs in the war undertaken against the Tribe of Benjamin, upon the score of the great outrage which Judg. xxi. 8. The year is uncertain.the Levite’s wife suffered in the city of Gibeah. Some years after, Naash King of the Ammonites,1 Sam. xi. 1, &c. In the year of the World 2909, before J. C. 1091, before the Vulgar Æra 1094. b 1 Sam. xxxi. 11, 12, &c. In the year of the World 2949, before J. C. 1051, before the Vulgar Æra 1055. laying siege to Jabez, the inhabitants desired him to accept of their surrender upon conditions: but the answer which this Prince gave them, was, that they were to expect no other terms than to have their right eyes pulled out. The inhabitants hereupon desired a truce of seven days, promising to give up the city upon what conditions he pleased, if in this time they were not relieved. But Saul being informed of the extremities, which they were reduced to, came speedily to their assistance, cut in pieces Naash’s army, and delivered them. They continued ever after to shew great gratitude to Saul and his family, and upon the death of this Prince, they carried off his and his son’s bodies, which the Philistins had hung upon the walls of Bethsan, and buried them honourably in a wood near their city b.

You have here some remarks upon the siege of this place, and the speedy succour brought to its inhabitants by Saul.

Observations on the siege of Jabesh, and the defeat of the Ammonites, 1 Sam. xi. 1——11. Joseph. Antiq. l. 6. c. 6.☞ What appears to me most surprizing, not to say almost impossible, in this war, is, that Saul should be able to get together so numerous and formidable an army in less than eight days time; for upon a review of it at Besech, he found it to consist of three hundred thousand Israelites, and thirty thousand of the Tribe of Judah. Josephus enlarges this number in a very extraordinary manner, upon what foundation I cannot tell. He reckons seven hundred thousand Israelites, and seventy thousand men of the Tribe of Judah: without doubt there is a mistake in his computation; wherefore we must keep to the sacred Writer’s account of the matter. Nor can I easily believe that this could be done without a miracle. For the Tribes could not have had intelligence upon one and the same day, considering their distance from one another, and it was very difficult to make them all appear at the same time at the place of general rendezvous, in a readiness to march and fight the enemy. I know very well that they were a well-disciplined people, marching in haste to the succour of their brethren, who were shut up in Jabesh; but whatever expedition the most remote might use, I do not see how naturally they could come time enough: yet they arrive at the appointed time and place, and Saul inspired by God, puts himself at the head of them, and marches directly against the enemy, whom he surprizes in their camp.

I shall speak elsewhere of Samaria, which Benhadad invested with a very numerous army; the conditions proposed by the King of Syria to Ahab King of Israel and his people, seem altogether unreasonable, sufficient to carry the besieged to the utmost extremities, and induce them to kill themselves, rather than submit to them: but the proposal made here to the inhabitants of Jabesh, by Naash King of the Ammonites, is still worse. He having attacked 1 Sam. xi. 1.the city, all the inhabitants declared, that if he would accept of their surrender upon articles, they were willing to become subject to him. To which he replies, On this condition Ibid. vs. 2.will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. The condition is cruel, and shocking to nature; notwithstanding the besieged seem to submit to it, and answer him; Give us Ibid. vs. 3.seven days respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel, and then if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. Which was granted them.

The messengers therefore sent express by the city, departed; and coming to Gibeah, where Saul dwelt, they reported to the people the sad condition of their brethren, the inhabitants of Jabesh; and all the people were so affected with the relation, as to shed tears. Saul returned about the same time out of the field following his herd, and said, What aileth the people that they weep thus? And they told him what message they had received from the inhabitants of Jabesh. Hereupon the Spirit of God came immediately upon Saul, and his anger was kindled greatly against the cruel Naash King of the Ammonites, who was not content with subduing the inhabitants of Jabesh, but proposed likewise to make them a reproach to all Israel. Then Saul took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, So shall it be done unto his oxen, who shall not take the field, and follow Saul and Samuel. There was not a moment to be lost in succouring those of Jabesh; there were but six days remaining: wherefore Saul thought on this expedient in order to touch the compassion of the Tribes, and excite them to hasten immediately to the assistance of their brethren. Then the fear of the Lord fell on all the people, the proposal made by Naash struck them with horror; and they all appeared at the place assigned, as if they had been but one man.

Saul having drawn his army together, and reviewed it at Besech, marched without doubt all night, in order to arrive at Jabesh by the time he had promised, having sent word to the inhabitants of the city by messengers dispatched for this purpose, that they should be relieved the next day when the sun was in full force. The people of Jabesh received this news, as may be well imagined, with great joy, and sent word to the Ammonites, in terms to this effect; To-morrow morning we will come out unto you, and you shall treat us as you please. The Commentator observes with reason, that they did not falsify: for the next day they were to make a vigorous sally, and go out unto them, but with sword in hand, while their brethren were to fall upon the camp of the Ammonites. This was indeed a stratagem; for upon these ambiguous expressions, the enemies kept themselves less upon their guard, supposing that the inhabitants of the town had lost all hope of being succoured.

Ibid. vs. 11.The next day being come, Saul divided his army into three bodies, and by break of day fell upon the camp of the Ammonites. He surprized, in all probability, this great army of the Ammonites, and attacked their camp in three different places of the circumvallation, in order to find them employment every where. This surprize intirely confounded them; for the Scripture does not say that they made the least resistance. It is not to be questioned, but that the people of the town immediately sallied out upon the enemy, as well to keep their word, as to assist their brethren in cutting them to pieces.

The Hebrews were very well acquainted with the art of war; we see every where in Scripture, that it was their method to fight in separate bodies, and drawn up very deep. It appears here that they formed three strong phalanx’s, which were to be divided by little distances, in order to serve for a retreat to the wounded, and to carry orders; the Tribes likewise were separated by intervals, and distinguished by their colours.

I do not understand why Dom Calmet should affirm, that it might be the fourth day of the truce which was granted to the inhabitants of Jabesh, when they were delivered. I have already shewn, that this was impossible, and I believe, that at the soonest it was not till the seventh day, or even at the first dawn of the eighth. He says farther in his Comment on the 11th verse of the same chapter, “ That he does “ not observe, that either the Hebrews or “ their neighbours fortified their camp, “ but only placed sentries at the avenues.”

Hist. de l’Anci. Test. in quarto, tom. 1. p. 582.He certainly did not consider well what he said; for in his History of the Old Testament, speaking of the war between Benhadad and Ahab, he says, “ That it was “ the custom to inclose besieged towns with “ ditches, and redoubts, in order to reduce “ the besieged by famine.”

Josh. xi. 1, 2, 3, &c.Besides, it is certain, that Moses made intrenchments about his camp; and not only lines of circumvallation, but those too of contravallation were in use among the Jews and their neighbours. The Reader may see, if he pleases, the Comment on Polybius, where he will find a Treatise concerning the way of attacking and defending places among the Ancients, in which there are several examples of lines drawn quite round besieged places.

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