Gregory the Great, on 1Sam 13:7

“And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Galaad. And when Saul was yet in Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly afraid.”

“13. If indeed we first wish to understand this according to the letter, these Hebrews are understood to have been both terrified with fear and to have fled to their enemies. For not long after, in Jonathan's open victory, it is written: 'The Hebrews who had been with the Philistines yesterday and the day before and had gone up with them into the camp turned back to be with Israel, who were with Saul and Jonathan' (1 Sam. 14:21). But what is signified by this event, except what we observe happening daily in the holy Church: that the life of the good is safe and most cautious, while that of the negligent is reckless impatience? They are indeed weak yet bold, eager for the affairs of the world, but feeble for enduring the war of temptation. And if we examine our own affairs in this regard, very many such people are found in monasteries. They dwell indeed in the calm of the harbor, but they by no means consider the storms of the open sea and the whirlwinds of tempests. And when they esteem themselves to be acting as mighty men outside, they go out readily to the most grievous battles of temptations—powerless against strong adversaries. Improvident indeed in reason, weak in strength: just as they do not understand the deceits of cunning temptation, so also they do not escape the open snares of enticements. They therefore cross the Jordan, because they are bent toward committing the shameful deeds of the flesh. Jordan is indeed interpreted as "their descent." Those therefore who abandon justice fall from the high mountain of virtues. Because therefore each of the weak willingly desires the enticements of the world which they see, in their type the Hebrews are said not to have been carried across the Jordan, but to cross the Jordan. To cross over is indeed the act of one who wills it. Therefore those cross the Jordan who are turned toward carnal pleasures by voluntary and hasty deliberation. Moreover, those can be understood to cross the Jordan who newly begin to sin, but by sinning surpass the wickedness of other sinful men. For they would reach the level of their descent by stopping there, not by crossing beyond, if they committed evils equal to others and did not surpass them by daring. And because they find their equals even in a more wicked life, they are rightly said to arrive at the land of Gad and Gilead, across the Jordan. For they dwell as it were across the Jordan who through the habit of sinning become worse than the wicked. To raise up sinners from this descent of guilt, he had come of whom it is written: 'He came into all the region of the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins' (Luke 3:3). He who had come to preach repentance for all sins is declared to have come into all the regions of descent. There follows: (Verses 7–9.) 'And while Saul was still in Gilgal, all the people who followed him were terrified. He waited seven days according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people slipped away from him. Therefore Saul said: Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.'”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.