1 Kings 22:2
And all that were in distress and oppressed with debt, and under affliction of mind gathered themselves unto him: and he became their prince, and there were with him about four hundred men.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et convenerunt ad eum omnes qui erant in angustia constituti, et oppressi ære alieno, et amaro animo : et factus est eorum princeps, fueruntque cum eo quasi quadringenti viri.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ συνήγοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶς ἐν ἀνάγκῃ καὶ πᾶς ὑπόχρεως καὶ πᾶς κατώδυνος ψυχῇ, καὶ ἦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἡγούμενος· καὶ ἦσαν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὡς τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֣וּ אֵ֠לָיו כָּל אִ֨ישׁ מָצ֜וֹק וְכָל אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר ל֤וֹ נֹשֶׁא֙ וְכָל אִ֣ישׁ מַר נֶ֔פֶשׁ וַיְהִ֥י עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לְשָׂ֑ר וַיִּהְי֣וּ עִמּ֔וֹ כְּאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִֽישׁ
Haydock's commentary
Men. His title to the crown was incontestable, so that he might justly make war, particularly in his own defence, and receive those who flocked to him to screen themselves from the persecution of Saul, and from their debtors, whom they would thus enable themselves to repay in time, by the plunder which they would take from the enemy. David maintained the strictest discipline, and withheld his men from making any disturbance, always manifesting the greatest respect for the person of the king. (Calmet)
The soldiers of Jephte were of the same description as these of David, Judges xi. 3. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Athanasius Defence of His Flight. (Apologia de Fuga.), If it is wrong to flee, it is worse to persecute
But although they have done all this, yet they are not ashamed of the evils they have already contrived against me, but proceed now to accuse me, because I have been able to escape their murderous hands. Nay, they bitterly bewail themselves, that they have not effectually put me out of the way; and so they pretend to reproach me with cowardice, not perceiving that by thus murmuring against me, they rather turn the blame upon themselves. For if it be a bad thing to flee, it is much worse to persecute; for the one party hides himself to escape death, the other persecutes with a desire to kill; and it is written in the Scriptures that we ought to flee; but he that seeks to destroy transgresses the law, nay, and is himself the occasion of the other’s flight. If then they reproach me with my flight, let them be more ashamed of their own persecution. …