But the children of Belial said
Wicked, dissolute, lawless persons; men without a yoke, as the
word signifies, who did not care to be under the yoke of
government, at least not under the yoke of Saul; and these might
be men of wealth, and of larger tribes, and better families than
Saul was of, and therefore envied him, and thought themselves
better for government than he was; and in a jeering scornful
manner said,
how shall this man save us?
whose family is so mean, and whose tribe is so small, that they
can give but little assistance to deliver us out of the hands of
our enemies, the Philistines and Ammonites; intimating, that a
king ought to have been of a rich family, and a large tribe, and
a prince in it, whose interest and influence were great, not only
in his own tribe, but in others, which would enable him to engage
in war with an enemy, and protect the people; but what, as if
they should say, can be expected from "this man?", this mean
contemptible man, of no birth nor fortune, brought up in an
obscure manner, and altogether inexpert in things civil and
military?
and they despised him;
on account of the above things, not only in their hearts, but
spared not to speak out, and use opprobrious language, and with
which their actions and conduct agreed:
and brought him no presents;
as others did, and as it was usual when a king came to the
throne; nor were any visits made unto him, in token of their
subjection to him, and complacency in him, and by way of
congratulation of him, see ( 1 Kings 4:21
) ( 2 Chronicles
17:5 ) the Targum is, they did not salute him, or ask of his
welfare:
but he held his peace,
or "was as one that is deaf and dumb" F15; took
no notice of what they said, as if he was deaf and heard it not,
and was as silent as if he had been a dumb man, which showed his
wisdom and prudence; for had he taken notice of them, he must
have punished them, and he judged it more advisable to use lenity
and mildness, and not begin his reign with contention and
bloodshed.