Bede : But if he also hides himself in the ground, etc. The ground is the fruitful mind of the chosen ones through works of faith; which, when visited and drenched by God and multiplied, the most proud investigator boasts of searching it, because not only in the openness of work or confession but also in the very secret of faith and intimate love, he may be able to take Christ from His worshippers. But if, he says, he shall even hide himself in the ground, I will search him out among the thousands of Judah. As if he openly says: But if the people of Christians shall, by our reducing them to such a few or to such poverty, come to the point where, having taken away the confidence of preaching, the solemnities of celebrating, publicly gathering meetings, and at least professing they are Christians, they scarcely dare worship Christ as if hidden in the very recesses of their hearts, there and from thence little by little, with the abundant company of persecutors as well as explorers, I will strive to exterminate Him. For I have innumerable Judahites, that is, bands of divine praise or confession, by which I may easily quench the rash undertakings of all those who think otherwise. This can also be taken simply, because sometimes Christians have been dragged out from crypts and hiding places to be led to death for Christ. — Commentary on Samuel