Text -- 1 Samuel 26:1-25 (NET)

David Spares Saul’s Life Again

26:1 The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hakilah near Jeshimon?” 26:2 So Saul arose and went down to the desert of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand select men of Israel, to look for David in the desert of Ziph. 26:3 Saul camped by the road on the hill of Hakilah near Jeshimon, but David was staying in the desert. When he realized that Saul had come to the desert to find him, 26:4 David sent scouts and verified that Saul had indeed arrived. 26:5 So David set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general in command of his army, were sleeping. Now Saul was lying in the entrenchment, and the army was camped all around him. 26:6 David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” Abishai replied, “I will go down with you.” 26:7 So David and Abishai approached the army at night and found Saul lying asleep in the entrenchment with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were lying all around him. 26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear right through him into the ground with one swift jab! A second jab won’t be necessary!” 26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one and remain guiltless?” 26:10 David went on to say, “As the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him down. Either his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. 26:11 But may the Lord prevent me from extending my hand against the Lord’s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul’s head and the jug of water, and let’s get out of here!” 26:12 So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got out of there. No one saw them or was aware of their presence or woke up. All of them were asleep, for the Lord had caused a deep sleep to fall on them. 26:13 Then David crossed to the other side and stood on the top of the hill some distance away; there was a considerable distance between them. 26:14 David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Won’t you answer, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you, that you have called to the king?” 26:15 David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? After all, who is like you in Israel? Why then haven’t you protected your lord the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your lord the king. 26:16 This failure on your part isn’t good! As surely as the Lord lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the Lord’s chosen one, are as good as dead! Now look where the king’s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!” 26:17 When Saul recognized David’s voice, he said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David replied, “Yes, it’s my voice, my lord the king.” 26:18 He went on to say, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done? 26:19 So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in an offering. But if men have instigated this, may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’ 26:20 Now don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge in the hill country.” 26:21 Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you, for you treated my life with value this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!” 26:22 David replied, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of your servants cross over and get it. 26:23 The Lord rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty. Even though today the Lord delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. 26:24 In the same way that I valued your life this day, may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all danger.” 26:25 Saul replied to David, “May you be rewarded, my son David! You will without question be successful!” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 1Sa 26:5

Probably Saul would have pursued David no more, had not these wretches set him on.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:6

David's sister. His father is not named either because he was now dead; or because he was an obscure person.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:7

That is, to Saul's host. It might seem a bold and strange attempt; but it may be considered: That David had a particular assurance that God would preserve him to the kingdom. That he had a special instinct from God, to this work; and possibly God might inform him, that he had cast them into a deep sleep, that he might have this second opportunity of manifesting his innocency towards Saul.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:9

_Though Saul be a tyrant, yet he is our Lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am his subject; and therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that thou shouldst do it.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:11

Which will shew where we have been, and what we could have done.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:13

That his person might be out of their reach, and yet his voice might be heard; which in a clear air, and in the silence of the night might be heard at a great distance.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:14

It is probable this was early in the morning.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:19

If the Lord hath by the evil spirit which he hath sent, or by his secret providence, directed thy rage against me for the punishment of thine, or my sins.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:19

Let us offer up a sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:19

From the land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where he hath established his presence and worship.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:19

This was the language of their actions. For by driving him from God's land, and the place of his worship, into foreign and idolatrous lands, they exposed him to the peril of being either ensnared by their counsels, or examples; or forced by their power to worship idols.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:20

Remember, if thou dost it, God the judge of all men seeth it, and will avenge it; though I will not avenge myself.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:21

_This second instance of David's tenderness wrought more upon Saul than the former. He owns himself melted and quite overcome by David's kindness to him. My soul was precious in thine eyes, which I thought had been odious. He acknowledges he had done very ill to persecute him: I have acted against God's law, I have sinned: and against my own interest, I have played the fool, in pursuing him as an enemy, who was indeed one of my best friends. And herein I have erred exceedingly, have wronged both thee and myself. Nothing can be more full and ingenuous than this confession: God surely now touched his heart. And he promises to persecute him no more: nor does it appear that he ever attempted it.

Wesley: 1Sa 26:25

_So strong was his conviction now, that he could not forbear blessing him, foretelling his success, applauding David, and condemning himself, even in the hearing of his own soldiers. And this, it seems, was their last interview. After this they saw each other no more.

JFB: 1Sa 26:1-2

This people seem to have thought it impossible for David to escape, and therefore recommended themselves to Saul, by giving him secret information (see on 1Sa 23:19). The knowledge of their treachery makes it appear strange that David should return to his former haunt in their neighborhood; but, perhaps he did it to be near Abigail's possessions, and under the impression that Saul had become mollified. But the king had relapsed into his old enmity. Though Gibeah, as its name imports, stood on an elevated position, and the desert of Ziph, which was in the hilly region of Judea, may have been higher than Gibeah, it was still necessary to descend in leaving the latter place; thence Saul (1Sa 26:2) "went down to the wilderness of Ziph."

JFB: 1Sa 26:4-5

Having obtained certain information of the locality, he seems, accompanied by his nephew (1Sa 26:6), to have hid himself, perhaps disguised, in a neighboring wood, or hill, on the skirts of the royal camp towards night, and waited to approach it under covert of the darkness.

JFB: 1Sa 26:5

Among the nomad people of the East, the encampments are usually made in a circular form. The circumference is lined by the baggage and the men, while the chief's station is in the center, whether he occupy a tent or not. His spear, stuck in the ground, indicates his position. Similar was the disposition of Saul's camp--in this hasty expedition he seems to have carried no tent, but to have slept on the ground. The whole troop was sunk in sleep around him.

JFB: 1Sa 26:8-12

This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind, and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times.

JFB: 1Sa 26:8-12

The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language, but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Though Saul's cruelty and perfidy and general want of right principle had sunk him to a low pitch of degradation, yet that was no reason for David's imitating him in doing wrong. Besides, he was the sovereign; David was a subject. Though God had rejected him from the kingdom, it was in every way the best and most dutiful course, instead of precipitating his fall by imbruing their hands in his blood and thereby contracting the guilt of a great crime, to wait the awards of that retributive providence which sooner or later would take him off by some sudden and mortal blow. He who, with impetuous haste was going to exterminate Nabal, meekly spared Saul. But Nabal refused to give a tribute to which justice and gratitude, no less than custom, entitled David. Saul was under the judicial infatuation of heaven. Thus David withheld the hand of Abishai; but, at the same time, he directed him to carry off some things which would show where they had been, and what they had done. Thus he obtained the best of victories over him, by heaping coals of fire on his head.

JFB: 1Sa 26:11

The Oriental spear had, and still has, a spike at the lower extremity, intended for the purpose of sticking the spear into the ground when the warrior is at rest. This common custom of Arab sheiks was also the practice of the Hebrew chiefs.

JFB: 1Sa 26:11

Literally, "at his head"; perhaps, Saul as a sovereign had the distinguished luxury of a bolster carried for him. A "cruse of water" is usually, in warm climates, kept near a person's couch, as a drink in the night time is found very refreshing. Saul's cruse would probably be of superior materials, or more richly ornamented than common ones, and therefore by its size or form be easily distinguished.

JFB: 1Sa 26:13-20

(See on Jdg 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine. Hostile parties can thus speak to each other, while completely beyond the reach of each other's attack. It results from the peculiar features of the country in many of the mountain districts.

JFB: 1Sa 26:15

The circumstance of David having penetrated to the center of the encampment, through the circular rows of the sleeping soldiers, constituted the point of this sarcastic taunt. This new evidence of David's moderation and magnanimous forbearance, together with his earnest and kindly expostulation, softened the obduracy of Saul's heart.

JFB: 1Sa 26:19

By the evil spirit He had sent, or by any spiritual offenses by which we have mutually displeased Him.

JFB: 1Sa 26:19

That is, let us conjointly offer a sacrifice for appeasing His wrath against us.

JFB: 1Sa 26:19

The prudence, meekness, and address of David in ascribing the king's enmity to the instigations of some malicious traducers, and not to the jealousy of Saul himself, is worthy of notice.

JFB: 1Sa 26:19

This was the drift of their conduct. By driving him from the land and ordinances of the true worship, into foreign and heathen countries, they were exposing him to all the seductions of idolatry.

JFB: 1Sa 26:20

People in the East, in hunting the partridge and other game birds, pursue them, till observing them becoming languid and fatigued after they have been put up two or three times, they rush upon the birds stealthily and knock them down with bludgeons [SHAW, Travels]. It was exactly in this manner that Saul was pursuing David. He drove him from time to time from his hiding-place, hoping to render him weary of his life, or obtain an opportunity of accomplishing his destruction.

JFB: 1Sa 26:25

Notwithstanding this sudden relenting of Saul, David placed no confidence in his professions or promises, but wisely kept at a distance and awaited the course of Providence.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:1

The Ziphites came - This is the second time that these enemies of David endeavored to throw him into the hands of Saul. See 1Sa 23:19.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:2

Three thousand chosen men - Though they knew that David was but six hundred strong, yet Saul thought it was not safe to pursue such an able general with a less force than that mentioned in the text; and, that he might the better depend on them, they were all elect or picked men out of the whole of his army.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:5

David arose - As David and his men knew the country, they had many advantages over Saul and his men; and no doubt could often watch them without being discovered

Clarke: 1Sa 26:5

Saul lay in the trench - The word במעגל bammaegal , which we translate in the trench, and in the margin in the midst of his carriages, is rendered by some in a ring of carriages, and by others in the circle, i.e., which was formed by his troops. Luther himself translates it wagenburg , a fortress formed of wagons or carriages

As עגל agal signifies any thing round, it may here refer to a round pavilion or tent made for Saul, or else to the form of his camp. The Arabs, to the present day, always form a circle in their encampments, and put their principal officers in the center.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:6

Abishai the son of Zeruiah - She was David’ s sister; and therefore Abishai and Joab were nephews to David.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:8

God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand - Here Abishai uses the same language as did David’ s men, when Saul came into the cave at En-gedi, (see 1Sa 24:4, etc.), and David uses the same language in reply.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:10

The Lord shall smite him - He shall die by a stroke of the Divine judgment; or his day shall come to die - he shall die a natural death; which in the course of things must be before mine, and thus I shall get rid of mine enemy; or he shall descend into the battle, and perish - he shall fall by the enemies of his country. These are the three ordinary ways by which man accomplishes, as a hireling, his day. Murder David could not consider to be lawful; this would have been taking the matter out of God’ s hand, and this David would not do.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:12

David took the spear and the cruse - The spear, we have already seen, was the emblem of power and regal dignity. But it is usual, in Arab camps, for every man to have his lance stuck in the ground beside him, that he may be ready for action in a moment. The cruse of water resembled, in some measure, the canteens of our soldiers. In such a climate, where water was always scarce, it was necessary for each man to carry a little with him, to refresh him on his march

Clarke: 1Sa 26:12

A deep sleep from the Lord - It is the same word which is used, Gen 2:21, to describe the sleep which God caused to fall upon Adam, when he formed Eve out of his side.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:15

Art not thou a valiant man? - This is a strong irony. Ye are worthy to die; ye are sons of death - ye deserve death for this neglect of your king. And had not Saul been so deeply affected with David’ s generosity in preserving his life, he had doubtless put Abner and his chief officers to death; though they were not to blame, as their apparent neglect was the effect of a supernatural sleep.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:19

Let him accept an offering - If God have stirred thee up against me, why, then, let him deliver my life into thy hand, and accept it as a sacrifice. But as the word is מנחה minchah , a gratitude-offering, perhaps the sense may be this: Let God accept a gratitude-offering from thee, for having purged the land of a worker of iniquity; for, were I not such, God would never stir thee up against me

Clarke: 1Sa 26:19

But if they be the children of men - If men have, by false representations, lies, and slanders, stirred thee up against an innocent man, then let them be cursed before the Lord. If I am guilty, I deserve to die; if not, those who seek my life should be destroyed

Clarke: 1Sa 26:19

Saying, Go, serve other gods - His being obliged to leave the tabernacle, and the place where the true worship of God was performed, and take refuge among idolaters, said in effect, Go, serve other gods.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:20

As when one doth hunt a partridge - It is worthy of remark that the Arabs, observing that partridges, being put up several times, soon become so weary as not to be able to fly; they in this manner hunt them upon the mountains, till at last they can knock them down with their clubs

It was in this manner that Saul hunted David, coming hastily upon him, and putting him up from time to time, in hopes that he should at length, by frequent repetitions of it, be able to destroy him. See Harmer.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:21

I have sinned - Perhaps the word חטאתי chatathi , "I have sinned,"should be read, I have erred, or, have been mistaken. I have taken thee to be a very different man from what I find thee to be. Taken literally it was strictly true. He often purposed the spilling of David’ s blood; and thus, again and again, sinned against his life.

Clarke: 1Sa 26:25

Thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. - The Hebrew is גם עשה תעשה וגם יכל תוכל gam asoh thaaseh , vegam yachol tuchal ; "Also in doing thou shalt do, and being able thou shalt be able; which the Targum translates, also in reigning thou shalt reign, and in prospering thou shalt prosper; which in all probability is the meaning

There is a vast deal of dignity in this speech of David, arising from a consciousness of his own innocence. He neither begs his life from Saul, nor offers one argument to prevail upon him to desist from his felonious attempts, but refers the whole matter to God, as the judge and vindicator of oppressed innocence. Saul himself is speechless, except in the simple acknowledgment of his sin; and in the behalf of their king not one of his officers has one word to say! It is strange that none of them offered now to injure the person of David; but they saw that he was most evidently under the guardian care of God, and that their master was apparently abandoned by him. Saul invites David to return, but David knew the uncertainty of Saul’ s character too well to trust himself in the power of this infatuated king. How foolish are the counsels of men against God! When he undertakes to save, who can destroy? And who can deliver out of his hands?

Defender: 1Sa 26:9

This warning of David's (in context applying specifically only to the potential slaying of Saul) has often been misused to justify letting pastors and teachers continue teaching false doctrine or practicing immorality. However, believers should not continue under the instruction of such teachers (2Jo 1:9-11; 2Ti 2:16-18; 2Ti 3:5)."

TSK: 1Sa 26:1

Ziphites : Jos 15:24, Jos 15:55

Doth not : 1Sa 26:3, 1Sa 23:19; Psa 54:1 *title

TSK: 1Sa 26:2

Saul arose : 1Sa 23:23-25, 1Sa 24:17; Psa 38:12, Psa 140:4-9

three thousand : 1Sa 24:2

TSK: 1Sa 26:3

Hachilah : 1Sa 26:1, 1Sa 23:19

TSK: 1Sa 26:4

Jos 2:1; Mat 10:16

TSK: 1Sa 26:5

Abner : 1Sa 9:1, 1Sa 14:50, 1Sa 14:51, 1Sa 17:55; 2Sa 2:8-12, 2Sa 3:7, 2Sa 3:8, 2Sa 3:27, 2Sa 3:33-38; 1Ch 9:39

trench : or, midst of his carriages, 1Sa 17:20; The word maugal never signifies a ditch or rampart, but a chariot or waggon way. Nor does it seem to denote a ring of carriages, as Buxtorf and others interpret the word; for it is not probable that Saul would encumber his army with baggage in so rapid a pursuit, nor that so mountainous a country was practicable for waggons. It appears simply to mean here, the circular encampment (from agal , ""round"") which these troops formed, in the midst of which, as being the place of honour, Saul reposed. An Arab camp, D’ Arvieux informs us, is always circular, when the disposition of the ground will permit, the prince being in the middle, and the troops at a respectful distance around him. Add to which, their lances are fixed near them in the ground all the day long, ready for action.

TSK: 1Sa 26:6

Hittite : Gen 10:15, Gen 15:20; 2Sa 11:6, 2Sa 11:21, 2Sa 11:24, 2Sa 12:9, 2Sa 23:39

to Abishai : 2Sa 2:18, 2Sa 16:9, 2Sa 16:10, 2Sa 18:5, 2Sa 23:18; 1Ch 2:16

Zeruiah : 1Ch 2:15, 1Ch 2:16

Who will go : 1Sa 14:6, 1Sa 14:7; Jdg 7:10, Jdg 7:11

TSK: 1Sa 26:7

sleeping : 1Th 5:2, 1Th 5:3

TSK: 1Sa 26:8

God : 1Sa 26:23, 1Sa 23:14, 1Sa 24:4, 1Sa 24:18, 1Sa 24:19; Jos 21:44; Jdg 1:4

delivered : Heb. shut up, 1Sa 24:18; Deu 32:30; Psa 31:8; Rom 11:32 *marg. Gal 3:22, Gal 3:23

the second time : Nah 1:9

TSK: 1Sa 26:9

who can stretch : 1Sa 24:6, 1Sa 24:7; 2Sa 1:14, 2Sa 1:16; Psa 105:15

TSK: 1Sa 26:10

the Lord liveth : 1Sa 24:15, 1Sa 25:26, 1Sa 25:38; Psa 94:1, Psa 94:2, Psa 94:23; Luk 18:7; Rom 12:19; Rev 18:8

his day : Gen 47:29; Deu 31:14; Job 7:1, Job 14:5, Job 14:14; Psa 37:10, Psa 37:13; Ecc 3:2; Heb 9:27

he shall descend : 1Sa 31:6; Deu 32:35

TSK: 1Sa 26:11

that I should : 1Sa 24:6, 1Sa 24:12; 2Sa 1:14, 2Sa 1:16

TSK: 1Sa 26:12

So David : 1Sa 26:7, 1Sa 24:4

a deep sleep : Gen 2:21, Gen 15:12; Est 6:1; Isa 29:10

TSK: 1Sa 26:13

the top : 1Sa 24:8; Jdg 9:7; David, by retiring to a place of safety before he called to Abner, seems to have manifested more distrust of Saul than he had done on a former occasion. Yet he desired that Saul and all Israel should be informed of his conduct at this time. Abner and his soldiers, by neglecting to guard Saul when he slept, had exposed his life, and merited to be treated as his enemies, though he confided in them as friends; for, although their sound sleep was undoubtedly supernatural, yet there might be a neglect of placing sentinels, arising from contempt of David’ s small company. Saul also deemed David his enemy, though he had before spared and protected his life.

TSK: 1Sa 26:15

there came : 1Sa 26:8

TSK: 1Sa 26:16

worthy to die : Heb. the sons of death, 1Sa 20:31; 2Sa 12:5, 2Sa 19:28; Psa 79:11, Psa 102:20 *marg. Eph 2:3

Lord’ s : 1Sa 26:9, 1Sa 26:11, 1Sa 24:6

TSK: 1Sa 26:17

Is this thy : 1Sa 24:8, 1Sa 24:16

TSK: 1Sa 26:18

Wherefore : 1Sa 24:9, 1Sa 24:11-14; Psa 7:3-5, Psa 35:7, Psa 69:4

what have I : 1Sa 17:29; Joh 8:46, Joh 10:32, Joh 18:23

TSK: 1Sa 26:19

let my lord : 1Sa 25:24; Gen 44:18

stirred : 1Sa 16:14-23, 1Sa 18:10; 2Sa 16:11, 2Sa 24:1; 1Ki 22:22; 1Ch 21:1

accept : Heb. smell, Gen 8:21; Lev 26:31; Psa 119:1-8

cursed : Pro 6:16-19, Pro 30:10; Gal 1:8, Gal 1:9, Gal 5:12; 2Ti 4:14

they have driven : Deu 4:27, Deu 4:28; Jos 22:25-27; Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2, Psa 120:5; Isa 60:5; Rom 14:15

abiding : Heb. cleaving

the inheritance : 2Sa 14:16, 2Sa 20:19

TSK: 1Sa 26:20

let not my : 1Sa 2:9, 1Sa 25:29

the king : 1Sa 24:14; Mat 26:47, Mat 26:55

a flea : Parosh , (in Arabic borghooth , Syriac, poorthano ,) the well known little contemptible and troublesome insect, the flea, seems to be so called from its agility in leaping and skipping, from para , ""free,""and raash , ""to leap, bound.""David, by comparing himself to this insect, seems to import, that while it would cost Saul much pains to catch him, he would obtain but very little advantage from it.

a partridge : Korai certainly denotes the partridge, which is called in Arabic, kiraa . It seems to be so called from the cry or cur which it utters when calling its young.

TSK: 1Sa 26:21

I have sinned : 1Sa 15:24, 1Sa 15:30, 1Sa 24:17; Exo 9:27; Num 22:34; Mat 27:4

I will no : 1Sa 27:4

my soul : 1Sa 26:24, 1Sa 18:30; Psa 49:8, Psa 116:15

TSK: 1Sa 26:23

render : 1Ki 8:32; Neh 13:14; Psa 7:8, Psa 7:9, Psa 18:20-26

I would not : 1Sa 26:9, 1Sa 26:11, 1Sa 24:6, 1Sa 24:7

TSK: 1Sa 26:24

as thy life : Psa 18:25; Mat 5:7, Mat 7:2

let him deliver : Gen 48:16; Psa 18:1 *title Psa 18:48, Psa 34:17, Psa 34:18, Psa 144:2; Act 14:22; 2Co 1:9, 2Co 1:10; 2Th 3:2; Rev 7:14

TSK: 1Sa 26:25

Blessed : 1Sa 24:19; Num 24:9, Num 24:10

prevail : Gen 32:28; Isa 54:17; Hos 12:4; Rom 8:35, Rom 8:37

So David : 1Sa 24:22; Pro 26:25

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Sa 26:1

The incident related in this chapter of the meeting between Saul and David bears a strong general resemblance to that recorded in 1 Sam. 24, and is of a nature unlikely to have occurred more than once. Existing discrepancies are explained by the supposition that one narrative relates fully some incidents on which the other is silent. On the whole the most probable conclusion is that the two narratives relate to one and the same event. (Compare the two narratives of the Creation, Gen. 1; Gen 2:4 ff; the two narratives of David’ s war, 2 Sam. 8; and 2 Sam. 10; and those of the death of Ahaziah, 2Ki 9:27 ff; and 2Ch 22:9.)

Barnes: 1Sa 26:6

Ahimelech the Hittite - Only mentioned here. Uriah was also a Hittite.

Abishai - He was son of Zeruiah, David’ s sister, but probably about the same age as David. He because very famous as a warrior 2Sa 23:18, but was implicated with his brother Joab in the murder of Abner in retaliation for the death of their brother Asahel 2Sa 3:30.

Barnes: 1Sa 26:15

This incidental testimony to Abner’ s great eminence as a warrior is fully borne out by David’ s dirge at Abner’ s death 2Sa 3:31-34, 2Sa 3:38, as well as by his whole history. At the same time David’ s bantering tone in regard to Abner, coupled with what he says in 1Sa 26:19, makes it proable that David attributed Saul’ s persecution of him in some degree to Abner. Abner would be likely to dread a rival in the young conqueror of Judah (compare 2Sa 2:8).

Barnes: 1Sa 26:19

If the Lord have stirred thee up - The meaning is clear from the preceding history. "An evil spirit from God troubling him"was the beginning of the persecution. And this evil spirit was sent in punishment of Saul’ s sin 1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:14. If the continued persecution was merely the consequence of this evil spirit continuing to vex Saul, David advises Saul to seek God’ s pardon, and, as a consequence, the removal of the evil spirit, by offering a sacrifice. But if the persecution was the consequence of the false accusations of slanderers, then "cursed"be his enemies who, by their actions, drove David out from the only land where Yahweh was worshipped, and forced him to take refuge in the country of pagan and idolaters (compare Deu 4:27; Deu 28:36).

Poole: 1Sa 26:3

i.e. He understood by information, probably from his dear friend Jonathan.

Poole: 1Sa 26:5

Came to the place where Saul had pitched came near to the skirts of Saul’ s camp; which he might easily discover from some neighboring hill or wood, and yet not be discerned himself. And it is probable he came thither disguised, and towards night.

Saul lay in the trench encompassed with his carriages for better security. Compare 1Sa 17:20 .

Poole: 1Sa 26:6

Ahimelech the Hittite so called, either because he was one of that nation, but converted to the Jewish religion; compare 2Sa 11:3 15:18 ; or from his habitation amongst, or some relation, to some of that people.

Zeriah David’ s sister: see 1Ch 2:16 . His father is not named, either because he was now dead, or because he was an obscure person.

Poole: 1Sa 26:7

To the people i. e. to Saul’ s host and camp. It might seem a bold and strange attempt; but many things are to be considered:

1. That heroical persons have oft attempted things of no less difficulty and danger than this was; as many credible historians relate.

2. That David did and might easily perceive that they were all fast asleep.

3. That David had a particular assurance that God would preserve him to the kingdom.

4. That he had a special instinct from God to this work; and possibly God might inform him that he had cast them into a dead sleep, that he might have this second opportunity of manifesting his innocency towards Saul, and the justice of his cause.

Poole: 1Sa 26:8

I will nail him to the ground at one blow, that I shall not need a second stroke.

Poole: 1Sa 26:9

Though Saul be a cruel tyrant, and rejected by God, yet he is our sovereign lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am but a private person, and his subject; and therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that thou shouldst do it.

Poole: 1Sa 26:10

The Lord shall smite him by some sudden and mortal stroke.

Or his day shall come to die according to the course of nature.

Poole: 1Sa 26:11

Take thou now the spear which will show where we have been, and what we could have done.

The cruse of water might be put there, either to wash himself, in case of any accidental pollution, which oft happened in the night; or to refresh him, and quench his thirst in that hot climate and season; or for divers other uses.

Poole: 1Sa 26:12

Sent upon them by the Lord, for David’ s advantage.

Poole: 1Sa 26:13

That his person might be out of their reach, and yet his voice might be heard; which in a clear air, and in the silence of the night, might be heard at a great distance.

Poole: 1Sa 26:14

Or,

with or beside the king i.e. so near to him, so as to disturb the king.

Poole: 1Sa 26:15

Who is like to thee for courage and conduct? and therefore thy fault herein is the greater.

Poole: 1Sa 26:16

This thing is not good i.e. it is very bad, a great crime. A figure called meiosis , as Pro 18:5 19:2 .

Poole: 1Sa 26:17

My son David as thou wast my son by marriage, so thou hast expressed the care and affection of a son to me now a second time.

Poole: 1Sa 26:19

If the Lord have stirred thee up against me if the Lord have by the evil spirit which he hath sent, or by his secret providence, directed thy rage against me for the punishment of thine or my sins.

Let him accept an offering let us offer up a sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us.

If they be the children of men who by their crafty insinuations and calumnies have incensed thee against me. He showeth his prudence, and reverence, and meekness; that he accuseth not the king, but translateth the fault wholly upon his evil ministers; as the Israelites do in the like case, Exo 5:16 .

From abiding in the inheritance of the Lord from the land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where he hath established his presence and worship.

Saying, Go, serve other gods: this was the language of their actions; for by driving him from God’ s land, and the place of his worship, into foreign and idolatrous lands, they exposed him to the peril of being either insnared by their counsels or examples, or forced by their threats and power to worship idols.

Poole: 1Sa 26:20

Let not my blood fall to the earth do not attempt to spill my innocent blood like water upon the ground.

Before the face of the Lord remember, if thou dost it, God the judge of all men seeth it, and will avenge it of thee, though I will not avenge myself.

A flea hard to be taken, and not worth catching; a mean and contemptible person.

In the mountains where his advantage doth no way compensate his labour.

Poole: 1Sa 26:21

He not only confesseth, but aggravateth his fault, because his conscience was fully convinced, though his heart was not changed.

Poole: 1Sa 26:23

I desire that God would deal no otherwise with me than I have dealt with thee.

Poole: 1Sa 26:25

David went on his way knowing Saul’ s unstable and deceitful heart, he would not trust to any of his professions or promises, but kept out of his reach.

Haydock: 1Sa 26:1

Ziph. Having declared themselves so decidedly against David, they apprehended the utmost danger if he should ascend the throne. ---

Hill. Hebrew, "Gabaa," as the Vulgate leaves it, ver. 3. It lay to the right hand of Ziph, (chap. xxiii. 19,) or "of Jesimon." (Septuagint)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:4

Certainly, or in a place strongly secured by nature. Septuagint, "well armed."

Haydock: 1Sa 26:5

Tent, or covered chariot, such as the Scythians use in their marches, (Justin i.) or in a "royal tent." Septuagint Greek: lampene, (Pollux.; Menochius) "richly ornamented," (Lucifer of Cagliari) "in the midst" (Aquila) of his troops. (Calmet) ---

David might see all was quiet from an eminence, or he might be informed by his spies. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:6

Hethite. He had probably embraced the Jewish religion. ---

Abisai was the son of Sarvia, David's sister, and made a great figure at court. (Calmet) ---

David was directed by God to manifest his clemency (Menochius) and reverence for Saul in this perilous attempt. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:8

My. Hebrew, "the spear," which was fixed in the ground at Saul's pillow. Protestants, "let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth, at once, and I will not smite him a second time." (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:9

Guiltless. Saul was still his king, how wicked soever, and this title rendered his person inviolable. The eastern nations are very seldom guilty of rebellion, or of murdering their kings; a thing of which we find so many examples in the Roman, English, and French histories. (Calmet) ---

A private man could not lay violent hands upon the king without a crime; and therefore David represses Abisai, and commits his cause to God, chap. xxiv. 13. (Menochius) ---

He will not permit any one to destroy the life of the king, though he was already anointed to succeed him. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:10

To die a natural death. Thus those who are slain, are said to die before their day, Psalm liv. 28. Jesus was not taken, because his hour was not yet come, John ii. 4., and vii. 30. (Calmet) ---

David waits with patience, that God might take off his adversary by sickness, old age, or the sword. (Menochius) -- He will not ascend the throne before the time appointed, and he will not kill Saul, except it be in battle, in his own defence. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:12

Water, for refreshment, or for purifications. ---

Lord. It is not necessary to have recourse to a miracle, (Calmet) though it must have been by a special providence that all continued in such a deep sleep, (Haydock) to give David an opportunity of manifesting his innocence. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:15

Israel. This was a cutting irony. (Calmet) ---

Salien attributes to it the enmity which Abner bore to David for above seven years. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:16

Death; i.e., you deserve to die. Such negligence was punishable with death, according to the Roman laws; & qui excubias. (Grotius)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:19

Sacrifice, that he may be appeased; (Jonathan; Vatable) or rather, I am willing to fall a victim, (Menochius) and pray that thy sacrifice may be acceptable, and all thy designs against me succeed, Psalm xix. 4. ---

They are. The opposition of this sentence to the preceding seems to require "let them be," &c. What in effect did not those deserve who wished to make David adore false gods? (Calmet) ---

Lord in the land of Israel. ---

Gods. They said so, at least by their actions. (Menochius) ---

All other countries were in a manner abandoned to idol-worship, so that a person could not dwell in them, without the most imminent danger. See 2 Kings xiv. 16., and Psalm lxxxiii. 12. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:20

Before, the contrary to the decrees of the Lord, (Haydock) who will be my avenger. ---

Hunted, ( persequiur ) is here used in a passive sense; (Calmet) or it may be rendered, "as a partridge pursues" what it feeds upon. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:21

Precious, and treated as such, with care and respect. See 4 Kings i. 14., Psalm xlviii. 9., and Isaias xliii. 4. ---

Ignorant. Yet Saul was inexcusable, 2 Kings xxiv. 10, &c.

Haydock: 1Sa 26:22

It. He would not keep the spear, lest it might seem disrespectful.

Haydock: 1Sa 26:24

Set by. Literally, "magnified," or deemed very precious. (Haydock) ---

Distress. These were the last words which David addressed to Saul; and they seem to have made a deep impression upon him. But as no dependance could be placed on Saul's most solemn promises, David resolved, by God's advice, to retire to the country of Geth. (Salien, the year of the world 2978)

Haydock: 1Sa 26:25

Prevail, and mount the throne. ---

Place, Gabaa. (Menochius)

Gill: 1Sa 26:1

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah,.... Of Benjamin, called sometimes Gibeah of Saul, because it was the place of his birth and residence; hither Saul had returned after his last interview with David; whether, notwithstanding what had passed between him and David, he had privately encouraged the Ziphites to watch David, and give him information of him where he was, and when it was a proper opportunity to seize him; or whether the Ziphites were so officious as of themselves to acquaint him with it, is not certain; the latter is probable, since having attempted to betray David, they might fear, that should he come to the throne, he would remember it, and therefore they might be desirous of having him cut off by the hand of Saul:

saying, doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? the same place where he was when the Ziphites before gave information of him, 1Sa 23:10; here he might choose to be, supposing that the Ziphites now would not meditate anything against him, since Saul had declared he would be king after him, and had made him swear that he would not cut off his posterity; and as he thought it his wisdom to provide against the worst, knowing the inconstancy of Saul, he might judge this the most proper place of safety, and from whence he could, on occasion, easily retreat into the wilderness; and it may be also, because it was near to Abigail's estate and possessions, which were now a good resource for him.

Gill: 1Sa 26:2

Then Saul arose,.... Immediately, glad of an opportunity to seize on David, having the same disposition towards him as ever; and perhaps had repented he had not laid hold on him when he followed him out of the cave:

and went down to the wilderness of Ziph: or towards it:

having three thousand chosen men of Israel; young men, so called, because usually chosen for business, and for war particularly, rather than old men; the same number he took with him when he sought him at Engedi, 1Sa 24:2,

to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph; where or whereabouts he was informed by the Ziphites he was.

Gill: 1Sa 26:3

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way,.... To the wilderness; the very same place where the Ziphites suggested David was:

but David abode in the wilderness; not in the hill of Hachilah, but in the wilderness of Ziph itself:

and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness; he understood, by some information he had, that Saul had set out from Gibeah, and was coming to seek for him in the wilderness of Ziph; perhaps Jonathan had given him intelligence; however, he was not quite certain, as appears by what follows.

Gill: 1Sa 26:4

David therefore sent out spies,.... To observe if he was coming or come, and where he was, that he might not be surprised by him; for though David knew the Lord was and would be his protection, he thought proper to be upon his guard, and to make use of means for his safety:

and understood that Saul was come in very deed; that he was most certainly come, and come to some certain place; which he himself went to reconnoitre, as in 1Sa 26:5.

Gill: 1Sa 26:5

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched,.... Came near it, within sight of it; so that he could take a view of it with his naked eye, and observe where and in what manner he was encamped:

and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner,

the captain of his host; where he and his general had their quarters in the camp:

and Saul lay in the trench; or circuit; not in the foss or ditch thrown up, in which an army sometimes lies entrenched; but this is to be understood either of the camp itself, so called, as Ben Gersom, Abarbinel, and Ben Melech think, because it lay in a circular form, that all comers to it on every side might be seen; or else a sort of fortress all around the camp, made of carriages joined together; and as the word signifies a carriage, cart or chariot, it may design the chariot in which Saul slept, as kings have been used to do when not in their houses; and to this the Septuagint agrees, which uses a word that Procopius Gazaeus says signifies one kind of a chariot, and is used of a chariot drawn by mules, in the Greek version of Isa 66:20; Grotius observes, kings used to sleep in chariots where there were no houses; See Gill on 1Sa 17:20; though he rather seems to have slept, "sub die", in the open air:

and the people pitched round about him; both for the sake of honour, and for his greater security; this shows it could not be the loss he laid in, for then they could not pitch around him.

Gill: 1Sa 26:6

Then answered David,.... Or addressed himself to the two following persons:

and said to Ahimelech the Hittite; who was either an Hittite by birth, but was become a proselyte, or he was an Israelite that had dwelt among the Hittites, and so had this name given him; the former seems most probable; some say ^k this was Uriah the Hittite:

and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab; Zeruiah was the sister of David, 1Ch 2:15; and these were two sons of hers, who very probably joined David at the cave of Adullam, 1Sa 22:1,

saying, who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? that is, which of you two?

and Abishai said, I will go down with thee; the other being timorous, or Abishai being most forward spoke first.

Gill: 1Sa 26:7

So David and Abishai came to the people by night,.... Josephus ^l wrongly says, that he took with him both Abishai and Ahimelech; he chose to have but one, for the greater secrecy. This was a bold enterprise, for two men to go into a camp of three thousand men, though it was in the night; when though they might suppose the greater part of them were asleep, yet they could not well suppose this of all, and especially of the guards or sentinels; but no doubt David was moved to this, not merely by the dint of his natural courage, but by the Spirit of God, by whom he might be assured of protection, and that Saul and the people were cast into a deep sleep by the Lord, as they were, 1Sa 26:12; and this the Lord moved him to, that he might have an opportunity a second time to convince Saul of his innocence, and that he had no design upon his life:

and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench; See Gill on 1Sa 26:5,

and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster; ready to take up and defend himself, should he be surprised; or this was his sceptre, which he always carried about with him, as an ensign of royalty, and by which very probably David knew which was Saul's tent or couch, where he slept:

but Abner and the people lay round about him; as in 1Sa 26:5.

Gill: 1Sa 26:8

Then said Abishai to David,.... Seeing Saul fast asleep, and a spear so near him:

God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: or at this time, properly it was night:

now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear; with Saul's own spear, which was stuck in the ground at his bolster. He remembered that David would not put forth his hand to stay him before, when he had an opportunity; and since now another offered, he did not move it to him to do it, but begged leave to do it himself; which he might think would be granted, since there was such a remarkable hand of Providence in it, which seemed to direct to such a step:

even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time; signifying, that he would give such a home blow or thrust, that the spear should pierce through him, and fasten him to the ground, that there would be no need to repeat it.

Gill: 1Sa 26:9

And David said to Abishai, destroy him not,.... He laid his commands upon him not to hurt him:

for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? since Saul was king, and appointed to that office by the Lord, and was anointed by his order for it, and invested with it by him, his person was sacred, and not to be touched; nor could his life be taken away by any without being guilty of a very great crime indeed, which it might be justly expected the Lord would resent and punish.

Gill: 1Sa 26:10

And David said furthermore,.... In order to make Abishai easy, and prevent his doing what he proposed:

as the Lord liveth; which was the form of an oath, made to assure Abishai of the truth of what follows, and therefore he need not be hasty to put Saul to death, since it would not be long before he should die, in one or other of the three following ways: either

the Lord shall smite him; suddenly, which the Jews call cutting off, or death by the hand of heaven, by the immediate hand of God:

or his day shall come to die; the time appointed for him to die a natural death, of some disease common to men:

or he shall descend into battle, and perish; which was commonly reckoned death, casual or accidental, and in which last way Saul did die, 1Sa 31:3.

Gill: 1Sa 26:11

The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed,.... Or suffer any about him to do it; he speaks of it with the utmost detestation and abhorrence:

but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster; not to smite him with, as he desired, but to carry off, and was no other than his sceptre; See Gill on 1Sa 20:33,

and the cruse of water; which stood in the same place, as appears by 1Sa 26:12. Some take this to be a pot to make water in; others an hourglass, to know the time of night, in which not sand, but water, flowed for that purpose: but rather this was for his refreshment should he be hot and thirsty in the night, or to purify him from any nocturnal pollution that might happen; for, according to Clemens of Alexandria ^m, it was a custom of the Jews often to purify themselves in bed: though Fortunatus Scacchus ⁿ thinks Saul had this pot or cup for a religious use; which he had with him, and with it gave thanks to God, the author of all good, whenever he sat down to a meal; such as the golden cup Philip king of Macedon always had under his pillow when he slept ^o:

and let us go; and do nothing more; which would be sufficient to convince they had been there, and to show what was in their power to do, had they been so inclined.

Gill: 1Sa 26:12

So David took the spear, and the cruse of water, from Saul's bolster,.... Abishai either refusing to take them, since he might not take away his life; or it may be rather David thought better of it, and took them himself, lest Abishai should be tempted, when so near to Saul, and his spear in his hand, and should thrust him with it; though David may be said to take them by the hands of Abishai:

and they gat them away; with the above things along with them:

and no man saw it, nor knew it; saw them in the camp, or knew what they did:

neither awaked; at their talking together, at the motion of their feet, and taking away the spear and cruse:

for they were all asleep; which was very extraordinary, that among three thousand men none should be awake, not even the sentinels; which might seem impossible in a natural way, but it is accounted for by what follows:

because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them; or "a sleep of the Lord" ^p; a very great one, an uncommon one; so great trees, mountains, &c. are called trees and mountains of God; or, according to our supplement, it was from the Lord, he was the cause and author of it; he cast them into this sleep, or caused it to fall upon them, and locked them up in it, that they might not hear David and his servant when they came among them.

Gill: 1Sa 26:13

Then David went over to the other side,.... To a hill on the other side, opposite to Hachilah, where Saul lay encamped; or "passed over the passage" ^q, the valley that lay between the two hills, and perhaps passed over a brook that ran in the valley, which is not unusual; so Josephus ^r says, that he went over a brook and came to the top of a mountain:

and stood on the top of an hill afar off; he chose the top of an hill, that his voice might be heard at a distance, as it might in a clear air, and still night; and to be afar off, that he might the better make his escape, should an attempt be made to pursue him:

a great space being between them; a large valley lying between the two hills.

Gill: 1Sa 26:14

And David cried unto the people,.... To the army of Saul with a loud voice, that he might be heard:

and to Abner the son of Ner; particularly to him, because he was general of the army:

saying, answerest thou not, Abner? it seems he had called to him more than once, and he had returned no answer; perhaps not being thoroughly awake, or not knowing whose voice it was, and from whence it came:

then Abner answered and said, who art thou that criest to the king? but it does not appear that David called to the king, only to the people, and to Abner their general, and therefore may be better rendered, "by the king" ^s; that is, near him, or "before him" ^t, in his presence. Kimchi and Ben Melech explain it, upon the king, or over him; and the Targum is, at the head of the king; the meaning is, how he could act such a part as to call so loud within the king's hearing, as to disturb the king's rest, and awake him out of his sleep.

Gill: 1Sa 26:15

And David said to Abner, art not thou a valiant man?.... Or a man ^u, a man of great fame for courage and valour, a man of great authority, who had the next post in the army under Saul, but had not behaved like a man, worthy of his character and office:

and who is like to thee in Israel? none that bare so great a name, or was in so high an office, who therefore should have been careful to have acted according to both:

wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? took care to have set a guard about his person while he slept; which perhaps was neglected through a contempt of David and his men, as being in no fear of them:

for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord; that is, there had been one in the camp that night, who had entered there with that view to have destroyed him, had he an opportunity, and which did offer; this was true of Abishai, who no doubt went down with David into the camp with that intent, though David did not, and therefore he says, "one of the people", not more; for though two went in, only one with that view: David observes to them the danger the king was in, his carefulness of him to preserve his life, to whom only it was owing, and the negligence of Abner, and those under his command.

Gill: 1Sa 26:16

This thing is not good that thou hast done,.... Yea, it was very bad, a great fault, and very blameworthy, if he had neglected to set a watch over the king, whose business it was as a general; the words are expressed in a figure called "meiosis", in which less is said than was intended:

as the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed; if a watch was set, and these had fallen asleep, and neglected their duty, or had deserted their post; which to do was a capital crime, and deserving of death; wherefore he does not say this of Abner, but of the watch:

and now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster; which he then held up as proofs and evidences of the truth of what be said, that one had been in the camp and had carried off these, and who could as easily have destroyed the king as to have taken these away; and as he came hither with an intent to destroy him, would have done it, had he not been prevented by David; all which likewise plainly proved the negligence of Abner, in not setting a watch about his master, or the negligence of the watch that was set.

Gill: 1Sa 26:17

And Saul knew David's voice,.... Though Abner at first did not, as appears by his words, but Saul did, by being this time thoroughly awake through the discourse that passed between David and Abner:

and said, is this thy voice, my son David? the same question he put before, when he followed him out of the cave; see Gill on 1Sa 24:16,

and David said, it is my voice, my lord, O king; he not only owns him to be king, whom he sought not to depose, but his own liege lord and sovereign, whose commands he was ready to obey.

Gill: 1Sa 26:18

And he said, wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant?.... Suggesting that it was both below him to do it, and against his interest; for David was his servant, and he would gladly have continued in his service, and done his business, but he drove him from it, and pursued him as a traitor, when he had not been guilty of any offence to his knowledge: and therefore puts the following questions:

for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? what crime had he committed, that he was pursued after this manner, and his life sought for? what had he done worthy of death? having a clear conscience, he could boldly ask these questions.

Gill: 1Sa 26:19

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant,.... Whether David waited for an answer to his question is not certain; probably he did, and observing none returned, desired audience of what he had further to say:

if the Lord have stirred thee up against me; if he had put it into his heart to persecute him after this manner, for some sin he had committed against him, though not against Saul: did that appear to be the case:

let him accept an offering; my offering, as the Targum; or my prayer, as Jarchi; I would offer a sin offering according to the law, to make atonement for my offence, and might hope it would be accepted; or I would make my supplication to God, and entreat him to forgive mine iniquity, and so an issue be put to these troubles; or should it be a capital crime deserving of death he was guilty of, he was content to die, and satisfy for his fault in that way; or if both of them had sinned, in any respect, he proposed to join in an acceptable sacrifice to God, and so reconciliation be made, and matters adjusted in such a religious way; if it was the evil spirit from the Lord that had entered into Saul, or God had suffered a melancholy disorder to seize him, which had put him upon those measures, let an offering agreeable to the will of God be offered, or supplication made for the removal of it:

but if they be the children of men; that incited him to such violent methods, as Abner his general, or Doeg the Edomite, and others:

cursed be they before the Lord; an imprecation of the vengeance of God upon them:

for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord; meaning not from his own house and fatally, nor from the palace of Saul, but from the land of Canaan the Lord had given to his people Israel for an inheritance, and from the worship of God in it, which made it dear and precious to him; he knew if Saul went on pursuing him in this manner, he mast be obliged to quit the land, and go into a foreign country, as he quickly did; so the Targum renders it the inheritance of the people of the Lord: by being driven out of the land which was their inheritance, he should be deprived of their company and conversation, and of all social worship; the consideration of which was cutting to him, and caused the above imprecation from him on those who were concerned in it, and who in effect by their actions were

saying, go, serve other gods; for by being forced to go into an idolatrous country, he would be in the way of temptation, and be liable to be corrupted by ill examples, and to be persuaded and enticed into idolatrous practices; and if he was kept from them it would be no thanks to them, they did all they could to lead him into them; and if he was preserved, it would be owing to the power and grace of God; the Targum is,"go David among the people that worship idols;''the Jews have a saying, that he that dwells without the land of Israel, it is as if he had no God and as if he served an idol ^q.

Gill: 1Sa 26:20

Now therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord,.... For should it be spilled, God, who is omniscient, will see it, and take notice of it; and being righteous, and to whom vengeance belongs, he will avenge it: some render it, "my blood shall not fall to the earth before the face of the Lord" ^r; I am continually under his eye and care, and he will protect and defend me; and in vain is it for thee to pursue after me; I shall never fall into thine hands, though I may be obliged to quit my country, and go into an idolatrous nation, against my will:

for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea; which leaps from place to place and is not easily taken: or this may denote what a mean, poor, weak, insignificant person David was; and how much it was below Saul to come out with an army of chosen men in pursuit of him; so the Targum,"the king of Israel is come out to seek one that is weak or feeble:"

as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains; as kings for their delight used to do, as Abarbinel observes; but this being a business of pleasure, and this a bird of worth, some other is thought to be here intended. Indeed the is represented as worth no more than an "obolus", or five farthings, though fifty drachmas or drachms were ordered to be paid for one ^s; the Septuagint renders the word an "owl": the word is "kore", and from the etymology of it one would think it was the raven or crow. Jarchi on Jer 17:11 takes it to be the cuckoo, though here the partridge as others; Bochart ^t will have it to be the woodcock, snipe, or snite ^u. Some choose to read the words,"as the kore or partridge on the mountains hunts;''which, it is said, hunts and seeks after the nests of other birds, and sits on their eggs ^v: see Jer 17:11; so Saul hunted after David, though he could not take him; several naturalists ^w observe, that the partridge is very difficult to be taken by the hunter.

Gill: 1Sa 26:21

Then said Saul, I have sinned,.... Which is more than he acknowledged before, and yet, it is to be feared he had no true sense of his sin, and real repentance for it; but, like Pharaoh, his guilty conscience for the present forced this confession from him; see Exo 9:27,

return, my son David: meaning to his own house, or rather to his palace, since he had disposed of his wife to another man:

for I will no more do thee harm: or seek to do it by pursuing him from place to place, as he had done, which had given him a great deal of trouble and fatigue:

because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day; and therefore spared, when he could have taken it away; which showed that his life was dear to him, of great worth and value in his account; and therefore he would neither take it away himself, nor suffer another to do it:

behold, I have played the fool, and erred exceedingly: in seeking after his life, and pursuing him again, when he had such a convincing proof of his sincerity and faithfulness, and of his cordial affection for him, when he only cut off the skirts of his garment in the cave, and spared his life.

Gill: 1Sa 26:22

And David answered and said, behold the king's spear!.... And which perhaps was his sceptre, and which David therefore would not keep, lest it should be thought or said that he had deprived him of an ensign of his royalty, and be interpreted as a token of his design to seize his crown and throne:

and let one of the young men come over and fetch it; for notwithstanding the acknowledgment Saul had made of his sin and folly, David did not choose to carry the spear to him; not caring to trust him, and put himself into his hands, lest the evil spirit should return and come upon him suddenly, and alter his disposition and carriage; nor would he send any of his men with it, whose lives were dear to him, lest they should be seized as traitors, but desires one of Saul's men might be sent for it.

Gill: 1Sa 26:23

The Lord render to every man his righteousness, and his faithfulness,.... Or recompense every man that deals justly and faithfully with others, as he had done with Saul; or the Lord, who is just and faithful to his promises, reward the men that act the good and upright part; and this was a prayer of faith; for David doubted not that, though Saul might fail, yet God could not:

for the Lord delivered thee into my hand this day; or, "into an hand" ^x into the hand of Abishai, who had it in his power to slay him, when he went and took the spear that was at his bolster, and would have done it, but David suffered him not:

but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed; nor suffer another to stretch forth his hand against him; so careful and tender was he of his life.

Gill: 1Sa 26:24

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes,.... Or "magnified" ^y; and made great account of, as being the life of the king of Israel, and the Lord's anointed, and so spared:

so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord; he does not say in the eyes of Saul, as it should have been by way of retaliation, and as it might have been expected he would have said; but he had no dependence on Saul, nor expected justice to be done him by him; but he prays that his life might be precious in the sight of Lord, and taken care of, and protected by him, as he believed it would:

and let him deliver me out of all tribulation; for as yet he did not think himself quite out of it, notwithstanding all that Saul had said, but believed the Lord would deliver him in due time; from him alone he looked for it, and on him he depended.

Gill: 1Sa 26:25

Then Saul said to David, blessed be thou, my son David,.... He desired God to bless him, and pronounced him blessed himself, believing he would be a happy and prosperous man:

thou shall both do great things; he had done great things already, in slaying Goliath, obtaining victories over the Philistines, and escaping the hands of Saul, and keeping out of them with so small a force; and he should do greater things yet:

and also shalt still prevail; against Saul and all his enemies; the Targum is,"even in reigning thou shalt reign, and even in prospering thou shalt prosper;''he believed he would be king, so he had said before, 1Sa 24:20,

so David went on his way: to the wilderness again very probably, putting no trust and confidence in Saul, knowing how fickle and unstable he was:

and Saul returned to his place; to Gibeah, where his palace was.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:1

¹ tn Heb “upon the face of.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:3

¹ tn Heb “after.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:4

¹ tn Heb “and David sent scouts and he knew that Saul had certainly come.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:8

¹ tn Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.

² tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:9

¹ tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23).

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:16

¹ tn Heb “Not good [is] this thing which you have done.”

² tn Heb “you are sons of death.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:18

¹ tn Heb “What in my hand [is] evil?”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:19

¹ tn Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.

² tn Heb “but if the sons of men.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:20

¹ tn Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge.

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:21

¹ tn Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.”

² tn Heb “and I have erred very greatly.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:23

¹ tn Heb “and the Lord returns to the man his righteousness and his faithfulness.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:24

¹ tn Heb “your life was great this day in my eyes.”

² tn Heb “may my life be great in the eyes of the Lord.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 26:25

¹ tn Heb “blessed.”

² tn Heb “you will certainly do and also you will certainly be able.” The infinitive absolutes placed before the finite verbal forms lend emphasis to the statement.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:2

Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand ^{( a )} chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

^{( a )} That is, of the most skilful and valiant soldiers.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:6

Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the ^{( b )} Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to ^{( c )} Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

^{( b )} Who was a stranger, and not an Israelite.

^{( c )} Who afterward was David's chief captain.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:8

Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not [smite] him the ^{( d )} second time.

^{( d )} Meaning, he would make him sure at one stroke.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:9

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand ^{( e )} against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?

^{( e )} That is, in his own private cause: for Jehu slew two kings at God's appointment, (2Ki 9:24).

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:15

And David said to Abner, [Art] not thou a [valiant] ^{( f )} man? and who [is] like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

^{( f )} Esteemed most valiant and fit to save the king?

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:17

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, [Is] this thy voice, ^{( g )} my son David? And David said, [It is] my voice, my lord, O king.

^{( g )} By this it appears, that the hypocrite persecuted David against his own conscience and contrary to his promise.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:19

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him ^{( h )} accept an offering: but if [they be] the children of men, cursed [be] they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve ^{( i )} other gods.

^{( h )} Let his anger toward us be pacified by a sacrifice.

^{( i )} As much as lay in them, they compelled him to idolatry because they forced him to flee to the idolaters.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:21

Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was ^{( k )} precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

^{( k )} Because you saved my life this day.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:23

The LORD render to every man his ^{( l )} righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into [my] hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.

^{( l )} Thus he protests his innocency toward Saul, not defending his justice in the sight of God, in whose presence none is righteous, (Psa 14:3, Psa 130:3).

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 26:25

Then Saul said to David, Blessed [be] thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great [things], and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his ^{( m )} place.

^{( m )} To Gibeah of Benjamin.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Sa 26:1-25

1 Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, comes to Hachilah against David.

4 David coming into the trench stays Abishai from killing Saul, but takes his spear and cruse.

13 David reproves Abner;

17 and exhorts Saul.

21 Saul acknowledges his sin.

Maclaren: 1Sa 26:5-12

1 Samuel 26:5-12; 21-25

It is fashionable at present to regard this incident and the other instance of David's sparing Saul, when in his power, as two versions of one event. But it is not improbable that the hunted outlaw should twice have taken refuge in the same place, or that his hiding-place should have been twice betrayed. He had but a small choice of safe retreats, and the Ziphites had motive for a second betrayal in the fact of the first, and of its failure to secure David's capture. The whole cast of the two incidents is so different that it is impossible to see how the one could have been evolved from the other, and either they are both true, or they are both unhistorical, or, at best, are both the product of fancy working on, and arbitrarily filling up, a very meager skeleton of fact. Many of the advocates of the identity of the incident at the bottom of the two accounts would accept the latter explanation; we take the former.

Saul had three thousand men with him; David had left his little troop in the wilderness,' and seems to have come with only his two companions, Ahimelech and his own nephew, Abishai, to reconnoitre. He sees, from some height, the camp, with the transport wagons making a kind of barricade in the center--just as camps are still arranged in South Africa and elsewhere,--and Saul established therein as in a rude fortification. A bold thought flashes into his mind as he looks. Perhaps he remembered Gideon's daring visit to the camp of Midian. He will go down, and not only into the camp, but to Saul,' through the ranks and over the barrier. What to do he does not say, but the two fierce fighters beside him think of only one thing as sufficient motive for such an adventure. Abishai volunteers to go with him; no doubt Ahimelech would have been ready also, but two were enough, and three would only have increased risk. So they lay close hid till night fell, and then stole down through the sleeping ranks with silent movements, like a couple of Indians on the war-trail, climbed the barricade, and stood at last where Saul lay, with his spear, as the emblem of kingship, stuck upright at his head, and a cruse of water for slaking thirst, if he awoke, beside him. Those who should have been his guards lay sleeping round him, for a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.' What a vivid, strange picture it is, and how characteristic of the careless discipline of unscientific Eastern warfare!

The tigerish lust for blood awoke in Abishai. Whatever sad, pitying, half-tender thoughts stirred in David as he looked at the mighty form of Saul, with limbs relaxed in slumber, and perhaps some of the gloom and evil passions charmed out of his face, his nephew's only thought was, What a fair mark i what an easy blow!' He was brutally eager to strike once, and truculently sure that his arm would make sure that once would be enough. He was religious too, after a strange fierce fashion. God--significantly he does not say' Jehovah'; his religion was only the vague belief in a deity--had delivered Saul into David's hands, and it would be a kind of sin not to kill him. How many bloody tragedies that same unnatural alliance of religion and murderous hate has varnished over! Very beautifully does David's spirit contrast with this. Abishai represents the natural impulse of us all--to strike at our enemies when we can, to meet hate with hate, and do to another the evil that he would do to us.

David here, though he could be fierce and cruel enough sometimes, and had plenty of the devil in him, listens to his nobler self, which listens to God, and, at a time when everything tempted him to avenge himself, resists and overcomes. He is here a saint after the New Testament pattern. Abishai had, in effect, said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.' David's finely-tuned ear heard, long before they were spoken on earth, the great Christian words, I say unto you, Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you.' He knew that Saul had been rejected,' but he was Jehovah's anointed,' and the unction which had rested on that sleeping head lingered still. It was not for David to be the executor of God's retribution. He left himself and his cause in Jehovah's hands, and no doubt it was with sorrow and pitying love, not altogether quenched by Saul's mad hate, that he foresaw that the life which he spared now was certain one day to be smitten. We may well learn the lesson of this story, and apply it to the small antagonisms and comparatively harmless enmities which may beset our more quiet lives. David in Saul's laager,' Stephen outside the wall, alike lead up our thoughts to Jesus' prayer, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.'

The carrying off of the spear and the cruse was a touch of almost humor, and it, with the ironical taunt flung across the valley to Abner, gives relief to the strain of emotion in the story. Saul's burst of passionate remorse is morbid, paroxysmal, like his fits of fury, and is sure to foam itself away. The man had no self-control. He had let wild, ungoverned moods master him, and was truly possessed.' One passion indulged had pushed him over the precipice into insanity, or something like it. Let us take care not to let any passion, emotion, or mood get the upper hand. That way madness lies.' He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, without walls.'

And let us not confound remorse with repentance. The sorrow of the world worketh death.' Saul groveled in agony that day, but to-morrow he was raging again with more than the old frenzy of hate. Many a man says, I have played the fool,' and yet goes on playing it again when the paroxysm of remorse has stormed itself out. David's answer was by no means effusive, for he had learned how little Saul's regrets were to be trusted. He takes no notice of the honeyed words of invitation to return, and will not this time venture to take back the spear and cruse, as he had done, on the previous occasion, the skirt of Saul's robe. He solemnly appeals to Jehovah's righteous judgment to determine his and Saul's respective righteousness and faithfulness.' He is silent as to what that judgment may have in reserve for Saul, but for himself he is calmly conscious that, in the matter of sparing Saul's life, he has done right, and expects that God will deliver him' out of all tribulation.' That is not self-righteous boasting, although it does not exactly smack of the Christian spirit; but it is faith clinging to the confidence that God is not unrighteous to forget' his servant's obedience, and that the innocent will not always be the oppressor's victim.

What a strange, bewildered, self-contradictory chaos of belief and intention is revealed in poor, miserable Saul's parting words! He blesses the man whom he is hunting to slay. He knows that all his wild efforts to destroy him are foredoomed to failure, and that David shall surely prevail'; and yet he cannot give up fighting against the inevitable,--that is, against God. How many of us are doing the very same thing--rushing on in a course of life which we know, when we are sane, to be dead against God's will, and therefore doomed to utter collapse some day!

MHCC: 1Sa 26:1-12

How soon do unholy hearts lose the good impressions convictions have made upon them! How helpless were Saul and all his men! All as though disarmed and chained, yet nothing is done to them; they are only asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! David still resolved to wait till God thought fit to avenge him on Saul. He will by no means force his way to the promised crown by any wrong methods. The temptation was very strong; but if he yielded, he would sin against God, therefore he resisted the temptation, and trusted God with the event.

MHCC: 1Sa 26:13-20

David reasoned seriously and affectionately with Saul. Those who forbid our attendance on God's ordinances, do what they can to estrange us from God, and to make us heathens. We are to reckon that which exposes us to sin the greatest injury that can be done us. If the Lord stirred thee up against me, either in displeasure to me, taking this way to punish me for my sins against him, or in displeasure to thee, if it be the effect of that evil spirit from the Lord which troubles thee; let Him accept an offering from us both. Let us join in seeking peace, and to be reconciled with God by sacrifice.

MHCC: 1Sa 26:21-25

Saul repeated his good words and good wishes. But he showed no evidence of true repentance towards God. David and Saul parted to meet no more. No reconciliation among men is firm, which is not founded in an cemented by peace with God through Jesus Christ. In sinning against God, men play the fool, and err exceedingly. Many obtain a passing view of these truths, who hate and close their eyes against the light. Fair professions do not entitle those to confidence who have long sinned against the light, yet the confessions of obstinate sinners may satisfy us that we are in the right way, and encourage us to persevere, expecting our recompence from the Lord alone.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 26:1-5

Here, 1. Saul gets information of David's movements and acts offensively. The Ziphites came to him and told him where David now was, in the same place where he was when they formerly betrayed him, 1Sa 23:19. Perhaps (though it is not mentioned) Saul had given them intimation, under-hand, that he continued his design against David, and would be glad of their assistance. If not, they were very officious to Saul, aware of what would please him, and very malicious against David, to whom they despaired of ever reconciling themselves, and therefore they stirred up Saul (who needed no such spur) against him, 1Sa 26:1. For aught we know, Saul would have continued in the same good mind that he was in (1Sa 24:17), and would not have given David this fresh trouble, if the Ziphites had not put him on. See what need we have to pray to God that, since we have so much of the tinner of corruption in our own hearts, the sparks of temptation may be kept far from us, lest, if they come together, we be set on fire of hell. Saul readily caught at the information, and went down with an army of 3000 men to the place where David hid himself, 1Sa 26:2. How soon do unsanctified hearts lose the good impressions which their convictions have made upon them and return with the dog to their vomit!

2. David gets information of Saul's movements and acts defensively. He did not march out to meet and fight him; he sought only his own safety, not Saul's ruin; therefore he abode in the wilderness (1Sa 26:3), putting thereby a great force upon himself, and curbing the bravery of his own spirit by a silent retirement, showing more true valour than he could have done by an irregular resistance. (1.) He had spies who informed him of Saul's descent, that he had come in very deed (1Sa 26:4.); for he would not believe that Saul would deal so basely with him till he had the utmost evidence of it. (2.) He observed with his own eyes how Saul was encamped, 1Sa 26:5. He came towards the place where Saul and his men had pitched their tents, so near as to be able, undiscovered, to take a view of their entrenchments, probably in the dusk of the evening.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 26:6-12

Here is, I. David's bold adventure into Saul's camp in the night, accompanied only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He proposed it to him and to another of his confidants (1Sa 26:6), but the other either declined it as too dangerous an enterprise, or at least was content that Abishai, who was forward to it, should run the risk of it rather than himself. Whether David was prompted to do this by his own courage, or by an extraordinary impression upon his spirits, or by the oracle, does not appear; but, like Gideon, he ventured through the guards, with a special assurance of the divine protection.

II. The posture he found the camp in Saul lay sleeping in the trench, or, as some read it, in his chariot, and in the midst of his carriages, with his spear stuck in the ground by him, to be ready if his quarters should by beaten up (1Sa 26:7); and all the soldiers, even those that were appointed to stand sentinel, were fast asleep, 1Sa 26:12. Thus were their eyes closed and their hands bound, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them; something extraordinary there was in it that they should all be asleep together, and so fast asleep that David and Abishai walked and talked among them, and yet none of them stirred. Sleep, when God gives it to his beloved, is their rest and refreshment; but he can, when he pleases, make it to his enemies their imprisonment. Thus are the stout-hearted spoiled; they have slept their sleep, and none of the men of might have found their hands, at thy rebuke, O God of Jacob! Psa 76:5, Psa 76:6. It was a deep sleep from the Lord, who has the command of the powers of nature, and makes them to serve his purposes as he pleases. Whom God will disable, or destroy, he binds up with a spirit of slumber, Rom 11:8. How helpless do Saul and all his forces lie, all, in effect, disarmed and chained! and yet nothing is done to them; they are only rocked asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! Let all his friends therefore trust him and all his enemies fear him.

III. Abishai's request to David for a commission to dispatch Saul with the spear that stuck at his bolster, which (now that he lay so fair) he undertook to do at one blow, 1Sa 26:8. He would not urge David to kill him himself, because he had declined doing this before when he had a similar opportunity; but he begged earnestly that David would give him leave to do it, pleading that he was his enemy, not only cruel and implacable, but false and perfidious, whom no reason would rule nor kindness work upon, and that God had now delivered him into his hand, and did in effect bid him strike. The last advantage he had of this kind was indeed but accidental, when Saul happened to be in the cave with him at the same time. But in this there was something extraordinary; the deep sleep that had fallen on Saul and all his guards was manifestly from the Lord, so that it was a special providence which gave him this opportunity; he ought not therefore to let it slip.

IV. David's generous refusal to suffer any harm to be done to Saul, and in it a resolute adherence to his principles of loyalty, 1Sa 26:9. David charged Abishai not to destroy him, would not only not do it himself, but not permit another to do it. And he gave two reasons for it: - 1. It would be a sinful affront to God's ordinance. Saul was the Lord's anointed, king of Israel by the special appointment and nomination of the God of Israel, the power that was, and to resist him was to resist the ordinance of God, Rom 13:2. No man could do it and be guiltless. The thing he feared was guilt and his concern respected his innocence more than his safety. 2. It would be a sinful anticipation of God's providence. God had sufficiently shown him, in Nabal's case, that, if he left it to him to avenge him, he would do it in due time. Encouraged therefore by his experience in that instance, he resolves to wait till God shall think fit to avenge him on Saul, and he will by no means avenge himself (1Sa 26:10): " The Lord shall smite him, as he did Nabal, with some sudden stroke, or he shall die in battle (as it proved he did soon after), or, if not, his day shall come to die a natural death, and I will contentedly wait till then, rather than force my way to the promised crown by any indirect methods."The temptation indeed was very strong; but, if he should yield, he would sin against God, and therefore he will resist the temptation with the utmost resolution (1Sa 26:11): " The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed; no, I will never do it, nor suffer it to be done."Thus bravely does he prefer his conscience to his interest and trusts God with the issue.

V. The improvement he made of this opportunity for the further evidence of his own integrity. He and Abishai carried away the spear and cruse of water which Saul had by his bed-side (1Sa 26:12), and, which was very strange, none of all the guards were aware of it. If a physician had given them the strongest opiate or stupifying dose, they could not have been faster locked up with sleep. Saul's spear which he had by him for defence, and his cup of water which he had for his refreshment, were both stolen from him while he slept. Thus do we lose our strength and our comfort when we are careless, and secure, and off our watch.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 26:13-20

David having got safely from Saul's camp himself, and having brought with him proofs sufficient that he had been there, posts himself conveniently, so that they might hear him and yet not reach him (1Sa 26:13), and then begins to reason with them upon what had passed.

I. He reasons ironically with Abner, and keenly banters him. David knew well that it was from the mighty power of God that Abner and the rest of the guards were cast into so deep a sleep, and that God's immediate hand was in it; but he reproaches Abner as unworthy to be captain of the lifeguards, since he could sleep when the king his master lay so much exposed. By this it appears that the hand of God locked them up in this deep sleep that, as soon as ever David had got out of danger, a very little thing awakened them, even David's voice at a great distance roused them, 1Sa 26:14. Abner got up (we may suppose it early in a summer's morning) and enquired who called, and disturbed the king's repose. "It is I,"says David, and then he upbraids him with his sleeping when he should have been upon his guard. Perhaps Abner, looking upon David as a despicable enemy and one that there was no danger from, had neglected to set a watch; however, he himself ought to have been more wakeful. David, to put him into confusion, told him, 1. That he had lost his honour (1Sa 26:15): " Art not thou a man? (so the word is), a man in office, that art bound, by the duty of thy place, to inspect the soldiery? Art not thou in reputation for a valiant man? So thou wouldst be esteemed, a man of such courage and conduct that there is none like thee; but now thou art shamed for ever. Thou a general! Thou, a sluggard!"2. That he deserved to lose his head (1Sa 26:16): " You are all worthy to die, by martial law, for being off your guard, when you had the king himself asleep in the midst of you. Ecce signum - Behold this token. See where the king's spear is, in the hand of him whom the king himself is pleased to count his enemy. Those that took away this might as easily and safely have taken away his life. Now see who are the king's best friends, you that neglected him and left him exposed or I that protected him when he was exposed. You pursue me as worthy to die, and irritate Saul against me; but who is worthy to die now?"Note, Sometimes those that unjustly condemn others are justly left to fall into condemnation themselves.

II. He reasons seriously and affectionately with Saul. By this time he was so well awake as to hear what was said, and to discern who said it (1Sa 26:17): Is this thy voice, my son David? In the same manner he had expressed his relentings, 1Sa 24:16. He had given his wife to another and yet calls him son, thirsted after his blood and yet is glad to hear his voice. Those are bad indeed that have never any convictions of good, nor ever sincerely utter good expressions. And now David has as fair an opportunity of reaching Saul's conscience as he had just now of taking away his life. This he lays hold on, though not of that, and enters into a close argument with him, concerning the trouble he still continued to give him, endeavouring to persuade him to let fall the prosecution and be reconciled.

1. He complains of the very melancholy condition he was brought into by the enmity of Saul against him. Two things he laments: - (1.) That he was driven from his master and from his business: " My lord pursues after his servant, 1Sa 26:18. How gladly would I serve thee as formerly if my service might be accepted! but, instead of being owned as a servant, I am pursued as a rebel, and my lord is my enemy, and he whom I would follow with respect compels me to flee from him."(2.) That he was driven from his God and from his religion; and this was a much greater grievance than the former (1Sa 26:19): "They have driven me out from the inheritance of the Lord, have made Canaan too hot for me, at least the inhabited parts of it, have forced me into the deserts and mountains, and will, ere long, oblige me entirely to quit the country."And that which troubled him was not so much that he was driven out from his own inheritance as that he was driven out from the inheritance of the Lord, the holy land. It should be more comfortable to us to think of God's title to our estates and his interest in them then of our own, and that with them we may honour him then that with them we may maintain ourselves. Nor was it so much his trouble that he was constrained to live among strangers as that he was constrained to live among the worshippers of strange gods and was thereby thrust into temptation to join with them in their idolatrous worship. His enemies did, in effect, send him to go and serve other gods, and perhaps he had heard that some of them had spoken to that purport of him. Those that forbid our attendance on God's ordinances do what in them lies to estrange us from God and to make us heathens. If David had not been a man of extraordinary grace, and firmness to his religion, the ill usage he met with from his own prince and people, who were Israelites and worshippers of the true God, would have prejudiced him against the religion they professed and have driven him to communicate with idolaters. "If these be Israelites,"he might have said, "let me live and die with Philistines;"and no thanks to them that their conduct had not that effect. We are to reckon that the greatest injury that can be done us which exposes us to sin. Of those who thus led David into temptation he here says, Cursed be they before the Lord. Those fall under a curse that thrust out those whom God receives, and send those to the devil who are dear to God.

2. He insists upon his own innocency: What have I done or what evil is in my hand? 1Sa 26:18. He had the testimony of his conscience for him that he had never done nor ever designed any mischief to the person, honour, or government, of his prince, nor to any of the interests of his country. He had lately had Saul's own testimony concerning him (1Sa 24:17): Thou art more righteous than I. It was very unreasonable and wicked for Saul to pursue him as a criminal, when he could not charge him with any crime.

3. He endeavours to convince Saul that his pursuit of him is not only wrong, but mean, and much below him: " The king of Israel, whose dignity is great, and who has so much other work to do, has come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains, "1Sa 26:20 - a poor game for the king of Israel to pursue. He compares himself to a partridge, a vert innocent harmless bird, which, when attempts are made upon its life, flies if it can, but makes no resistance. And would Saul bring the flower of his army into the field only to hunt one poor partridge? What a disparagement was this to his honour! What a stain would it be on his memory to trample upon so weak and patient as well as so innocent an enemy! Jam 5:6, You have killed the just, and he doth not resist you.

4. He desires that the core of the controversy may be searched into and some proper method taken to bring it to an end, 1Sa 26:19. Saul himself could not say that justice put him on thus to persecute David, or that he was obliged to do it for the public safety. David was not willing to say (though it was very true) that Saul's own envy and malice put him on to do it; and therefore he concludes it must be attributed either to the righteous judgment of God or to the unrighteous designs of evil men. Now, (1.) " If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, either in displeasure to me (taking this way to punish me for my sins against him, though, as to thee, I am guiltless) or in displeasure to thee, if it be the effect of that evil spirit from the Lord which troubles thee, let him accept an offering from us both - let us join in making our peace with God, reconciling ourselves to him, which may be done, by sacrifice; and then I hope the sin will be pardoned, whatever it is, and the trouble, which is so great a vexation both to thee and me, will come to an end."See the right method of peace-making; let us first make God our friend by Christ the great Sacrifice, and then all other enmities shall be slain, Eph 2:16; Pro 16:7. But, (2.) "If thou art incited to it by wicked men, that incense thee against me, cursed be they before the Lord, "that is, they are very wicked people, and it is fit that they should be abandoned as such, and excluded from the king's court and councils. He decently lays the blame upon the evil counsellors who advised the king to that which was dishonourable and dishonest, and insists upon it that they be removed from about him and forbidden his presence, as men cursed before the Lord, and then he hoped he should gain his petition, which is (1Sa 26:20), " Let not my blood fall to the earth, as thou threatenest, for it is before the face of the Lord, who will take cognizance of the wrong and avenge it."Thus pathetically does David plead with Saul for his life, and, in order to that, for his favourable opinion of him.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 26:21-25

Here is, I. Saul's penitent confession of his fault and folly in persecuting David and his promise to do so no more. This second instance of David's respect to him wrought more upon him than the former, and extorted from him better acknowledgements, 1Sa 26:21. 1. He owns himself melted and quite overcome by David's kindness to him: " My soul was precious in thy eyes this day, which, I thought, had been odious!"2. He acknowledges he has done very wrong to persecute him, that he has therein acted against God's law ( I have sinned ), and against his own interest ( I have played the fool ), in pursuing him as an enemy who would have been one of his best friends, if he could but have thought so. "Herein (says he) I have erred exceedingly, and wronged both thee and myself."Note, Those that sin play the fool and err exceedingly, those especially that hate and persecute God's people, Job 19:28. 3. He invites him to court again: Return, my son David. Those that have understanding will see it to be their interest to have those about them that behave themselves wisely, as David did, and have God with them. 4. He promises him that he will not persecute him as he has done, but protect him: I will no more do thee harm. We have reason to think, according to the mind he was now in, that he meant as he said, and yet neither his confession nor his promise of amendment came from a principle of true repentance.

II. David's improvement of Saul's convictions and confessions and the evidence he had to produce of his own sincerity. He desired that one of the footmen might fetch the spear (1Sa 26:22), and then (1Sa 26:23), 1. He appeals to God as judge of the controversy: The Lord render to every man his righteousness. David, by faith, is sure that he will do it because he infallibly knows the true characters of all persons and actions and is inflexibly just to render to every man according to his work, and, by prayer, he desires he would do it. Herein he does, in effect, pray against Saul, who had dealt unrighteously and unfaithfully with him ( Give them according to their deeds, Psa 28:4); but he principally intends it as a prayer for himself, that God would protect him in his righteousness and faithfulness, and also reward him, since Saul so ill requited him. 2. He reminds Saul again of the proof he had now given of his respect to him from a principle of loyalty: I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed, intimating to Saul that the anointing oil was his protection, for which he was indebted to the Lord and ought to express his gratitude to him (had he been a common person David would not have been so tender of him), perhaps with this further implication, that Saul knew, or had reason to think, David was the Lord's anointed too, and therefore, by the same rule, Saul ought to be as tender of David's life as David had been of his. 3. Not relying much upon Saul's promises, he puts himself under God's protection and begs his favour (1Sa 26:24): " Let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, how light soever thou makest of it."Thus, for his kindness to Saul, he takes God to be his paymaster, which those may with a holy confidence do that do well and suffer for it.

III. Saul's prediction of David's advancement. He commends him (1Sa 26:25): Blessed be thou, my son David. So strong was the conviction Saul was now under of David's honesty that he was not ashamed to condemn himself and applaud David, even in the hearing of his own soldiers, who could not but blush to think that they had come out so furiously against a man whom their master, when he meets him, caresses thus. He foretels his victories, and his elevation at last: Thou shalt do great things. Note, Those who make conscience of doing that which is truly good may come, by the divine assistance, to do that which is truly great. He adds, " Thou shalt also still prevail, more and more,"he means against himself, but is loth to speak that out. The princely qualities which appeared in David - his generosity in sparing Saul, his military authority in reprimanding Abner for sleeping, his care of the public good, and the signal tokens of God's presence with him - convinced Saul that he would certainly be advanced to the throne at last, according to the prophecies concerning him.

Lastly, A palliative cure being thus made of the wound, they parted friends. Saul returned to Gibeah re infectâ - without accomplishing his design, and ashamed of the expedition he had made; but David could not take his word so far as to return with him. Those that have once been false are not easily trusted another time. Therefore David went on his way. And, after this parting, it does not appear that ever Saul and David saw one another again.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 26:1-12

The repetition not only of the treachery of the Ziphites, but also of thesparing of Saul by David, furnishes no proof in itself that the accountcontained in this chapter is only another legend of the occurrences alreadyrelated in 1 Samuel 23:19-24:22. As the pursuit of David by Saul lasted forseveral years, in so small a district as the desert of Judah, there is nothingstrange in the repetition of the same scenes. And the assertion made byThenius, that "Saul would have been a moral monster, which he evidentlywas not, if he had pursued David with quiet deliberation, and through themedium of the same persons, and had sought his life again, after his ownlife had been so magnanimously spared by him,"not only betrays asuperficial acquaintance with the human heart, but is also founded uponthe mere assertion, for which there is no proof, that Saul was evidently noso; and it is proved to be worthless by the fact, that after the first occasionon which his life was so magnanimously spared by David, he did not leaveoff seeking him up and down in the land, and that David was obliged toseek refuge with the Philistines in consequence, as may be seen from 1Sa 27:1-12, which Thenius himself assigns to the same source as 1 Samuel 24. The agreement between the two accounts reduces it entirely to outwardand unessential things. It consists chiefly in the fact that the Ziphites cametwice to Saul at Gibeah, and informed him that David was stopping intheir neighbourhood, in the hill Hachilah , and also that Saul went out twicein pursuit of David with 3000 men. But the three thousand were thestanding body of men that Saul had raised from the very beginning of hisreign out of the whole number of those who were capable of bearing arms,for the purpose of carrying on his smaller wars (1Sa 13:2); and the hillof Hachilah appears to have been a place in the desert of Judah peculiarlywell adapted for the site of an encampment. On the other hand, all thedetails, as well as the final results of the two occurrences, differ entirelyfrom one another. When David was betrayed the first time, he drew backinto the desert of Maon before the advance of Saul; and being completelysurrounded by Saul upon one of the mountains there, was only saved frombeing taken prisoner by the circumstance that Saul was compelledsuddenly to relinquish the pursuit of David on account of the report thatthe Philistines had invaded the land (1Sa 23:25-28). But on the second occasion Saul encamped upon the hill of Hachilah,whilst David had drawn back into the adjoining desert, from which hecrept secretly into Saul's encampment, and might, if he had chosen, haveput his enemy to death (1Sa 26:3.). There is quite as much differencein the minuter details connected with the sparing of Saul. On the firstoccasion, Saul entered a cave in the desert of Engedi, whilst David and hismen were concealed in the interior of the cave, without having the smallestsuspicion that they were anywhere near (1Sa 24:2-4). The second timeDavid went with Abishai into the encampment of Saul upon the hill ofHachilah, while the king and all his men were sleeping (1Sa 26:3, 1Sa 26:5). It istrue that on both occasions David's men told him that God had given hisenemy into his hand; but the first time they added, Do to him whatseemeth good in thy sight; and David cut off the lappet of Saul's coat,whereupon his conscience smote him, and he said, "Far be it from me tolay my hand upon the Lord's anointed"(1Sa 24:5-8). In the second instance, on the contrary, when David saw Saul in thedistance lying by the carriage rampart and the army sleeping round him, hecalled to two of his heroes, Ahimelech and Abishai, to go with him into thecamp of the sleeping foe, and then went thither with Abishai, whothereupon said to him, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand: letme alone, that I may pierce him with the spear."But David rejected thisproposal, and merely took away the spear and water-bowl that were atSaul's head (1Sa 26:6-12). And lastly, notwithstanding the fact that thewords of David and replies of Saul agree in certain general thoughts, yetthey differ entirely in the main. On the first occasion David showed theking that his life had been in his power, and yet he had spared him, todispel the delusion that he was seeking his life (1Sa 24:10-16). On thesecond occasion he asked the king why he was pursuing him, and called tohim to desist from his pursuit (1Sa 26:18.). But Saul was so affectedthe first time that he wept aloud, and openly declared that David wouldobtain the kingdom; and asked him to promise on oath, that when he did,he would not destroy his family (1Sa 24:17-22). The second time, on the contrary, he only declared that he had sinned andacted foolishly, and would to David no more harm, and that David wouldundertake and prevail; but he neither shed tears, nor brought himself tospeak of David's ascending the throne, so that he was evidently muchmore hardened than before (1Sa 26:21-25). These decided differencesprove clearly enough that the incident described in this chapter is not thesame as the similar one mentioned in 1 Samuel 23 and 24, but belongs to a laterdate, when Saul's enmity and hardness had increased.

1Sa 26:1-2

The second betrayal of David by the Ziphites occurred afterDavid had married Abigail at Carmel, and when he had already returned tothe desert of Judah. On 1Sa 26:1 and 1Sa 26:2 compare the explanations of 1Sa 23:19 and 1Sa 24:3. Instead of " before (in the face of) Jeshimon "(i.e., thewilderness), we find the situation defined more precisely in 1Sa 23:19,as " to the right (i.e., on the south) of the wilderness "(Jeshimon).

1Sa 26:3-4

When David saw (i.e., perceived) in the desert that Saul wascoming behind him, he sent out spies, and learned from them that hecertainly had come ( אל־נכון , for a certainty, as in 1Sa 23:23).

1Sa 26:5-7

Upon the receipt of this information, David rose up with twoattendants (mentioned in 1Sa 26:6) to reconnoitre the camp of Saul. When hesaw the place where Saul and his general Abner were lying - Saul was lying by the waggon rampart , and the fighting men were encamped round abouthim - he said to Ahimelech and Abishai, " Who will go down with me intothe camp to Saul? "Whereupon Abishai declared himself ready to do so;and they both went by night, and found Saul sleeping with all the people. Ahimelech the Hittite is never mentioned again; but Abishai the son ofZeruiah, David's sister (1Ch 2:16), and a brother of Joab, wasafterwards a celebrated general of David, as was also his brother Joab (2Sa 16:9; 2Sa 18:2; 2Sa 21:17). Saul's spear was pressed (stuck) into the ground athis head , as a sign that the king was sleeping there, for the spear servedSaul as a sceptre (cf. 1Sa 18:10).

1Sa 26:8-11

When Abishai exclaimed, " God hath delivered thine enemyinto thy hand: now will I pierce him with the spear into the ground with astroke, and will give no second "(sc., stroke: the Vulgate rendering givesthe sense exactly: et secundo non opus erit, there will be no necessity for asecond), David replied, "Destroy him not; for who hath stretched out hishand against the anointed of the Lord, and remained unhurt?" נקּה , as in Exo 21:19; Num 5:31. He then continued (in 1Sa 26:10, 1Sa 26:11): "Astruly as Jehovah liveth, unless Jehovah smite him (i.e., carry him off witha stroke; cf. 1Sa 25:38), or his day cometh that he dies (i.e., or he dies anatural death; 'his day' denoting the day of death, as in Job 14:6; Job 15:32), orhe goes into battle and is carried off, far be it from me with Jehovah( מיהוה , as in 1Sa 24:7) to stretch forth my hand againstJehovah's anointed."The apodosis to 1Sa 26:10 commences with חלילה , "far be it,"or "the Lord forbid,"in 1Sa 26:11. "Take now the spearwhich is at his head, and the pitcher, and let us go."

1Sa 26:12

They departed with these trophies, without any one waking upand seeing them, because they were all asleep, as a deep sleep from theLord had fallen upon them. שׁאוּל מראשׁתי standsfor שׁ ממראשׁתי , "from the head of Saul,"with מ dropped. Theexpression "a deep sleep of Jehovah," i.e., a deep sleep sent or inflicted byJehovah, points to the fact that the Lord favoured David's enterprise.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 26:13-20

" And David went over to the other side, and placed himself upon the topof the mountain afar off (the space between them was great), and cried tothe people ,"etc. Saul had probably encamped with his fighting men on theslope of the ill Hachilah, so that a valley separated him from the oppositehill, from which David had no doubt reconnoitred the camp and then gonedown to it (1Sa 26:6), and to which he returned after the deed wasaccomplished. The statement that this mountain was far off, so that therewas a great space between David and Saul, not only favours the accuracyof the historical tradition, but shows that David reckoned far less nowupon any change in the state of Saul's mind than he had done before, whenhe followed Saul without hesitation from the cave and called after him (1Sa 24:9), and that in fact he rather feared lest Saul should endeavour toget him into his power as soon as he woke from his sleep.

1Sa 26:14

David called out to Abner, whose duty it was as general todefend the life of his king. And Abner replied, " Who art thou, who criestout to the king? "i.e., offendest the king by thy shouting, and disturbesthis rest.

1Sa 26:15-16

David in return taunted Abner with having watched the kingcarelessly, and made himself chargeable with his death. "For one of thepeople came to destroy thy lord the king." As a proof of this, he thenshowed him the spear and pitcher that he had taken away with him. ראה is to be repeated in thought before את־צפּחת : " look where theking's spear is; and (look) at the pitcher at his head ,"sc., where it is. Thesereproaches that were cast at Abner were intended to show to Saul, whomight at any rate possibly hear, and in fact did hear, that David was themost faithful defender of his life, more faithful than his closest and mostzealous servants.

1Sa 26:17-19

When Saul heard David's voice (for he could hardly have seenDavid, as the occurrence took place before daybreak, at the latest when theday began to dawn), and David had made himself known to the king inreply to his inquiry, David said, " Why doth my lord pursue his servant?for what have I done, and what evil is in my hand? "He then gave him thewell-meant advice, to seek reconciliation for his wrath against him, and notto bring upon himself the guilt of allowing David to find his death in aforeign land. The words, "and now let my lord the king hear the saying ofhis servant," serve to indicate that what follows is important, and worthyof laying to heart. In his words, David supposes two cases as conceivablecauses of Saul's hostility:(1) if Jehovah hath stirred thee up against me; (2) if men have done so. Inthe first case, he proposes as the best means of overcoming thisinstigation, that He (Jehovah) should smell an offering. The Hiphil ירח only means to smell, not to cause to smell. The subject is Jehovah. Smelling a sacrifice is an anthropomorphic term, used to denote the divinesatisfaction (cf. Gen 8:21). The meaning of the words, "let Jehovah smellsacrifice," is therefore, "let Saul appease the wrath of God by thepresentation of acceptable sacrifices."What sacrifices they are whichplease God, is shown in Psa 51:18-19; and it is certainly not by accidentmerely that David uses the word minchah , the technical expression in thelaw for the bloodless sacrifice, which sets forth the sanctification of life ingood works. The thought to which David gives utterance here, namely,that God instigates a man to evil actions, is met with in other passages ofthe Old Testament. It not only lies at the foundation of the words ofDavid in Psa 51:6 (cf. Hengstenberg on Psalms ), but is also clearlyexpressed in 2Sa 24:1, where Jehovah instigates David to number thepeople, and where this instigation is described as a manifestation of theanger of God against Israel; and in 2Sa 16:10., where David says, withregard to Shimei, that God had bade him curse him. These passages also show that God only instigates those who have sinnedagainst Him to evil deeds; and therefore that the instigation consists in thefact that God impels sinners to manifest the wickedness of their hearts indeeds, or furnishes the opportunity and occasion for the unfolding andpractical manifestation of the evil desire of the heart, that the sinner mayeither be brought to the knowledge of his more evil ways and also torepentance, through the evil deed and its consequences, or, if the heartshould be hardened still more by the evil deed, that it may become ripe forthe judgment of death. The instigation of a sinner to evil is simply onepeculiar way in which God, as a general rule, punishes sins throughsinners; for God only instigates to evil actions such as have drawn downthe wrath of God upon themselves in consequence of their sin. WhenDavid supposes the fact that Jehovah has instigated Saul against him, heacknowledges, implicitly at least, that he himself is a sinner, whom theLord may be intending to punish, though without lessening Saul's wrongby this indirect confession.

The second supposition is: " if, however, children of men "(sc., haveinstigated thee against me); in which case " let them be cursed before theLord; for they drive me now (this day) that I dare not attach myself to theinheritance of Jehovah (i.e., the people of God), saying, Go, serve othergods ."The meaning is this: They have carried it so far now, that I amobliged to separate from the people of God, to fly from the land of theLord, and, because far away from His sanctuary, to serve other gods. Theidea implied in the closing words was, that Jehovah could only beworshipped in Canaan, at the sanctuary consecrated to Him, because itwas only there that He manifested himself to His people, and revealed Hisface or gracious presence (vid., Psa 42:2-3; Psa 84:11; Psa 143:6.). "We are not tounderstand that the enemies of David were actually accustomed to usethese very words, but David was thinking of deeds rather than words"(Calvin).

1Sa 26:20

"And now let not my blood fall to the earth far away from theface of the Lord," i.e., do not carry it so far as to compel me to perish in aforeign land. " For the king of Israel has gone out to seek a single flea (vid.,1Sa 24:15), as one hunts a partridge upon the mountains ."This lastcomparison does not of course refer to the first, so that "the object ofcomparison is compared again with something else,"as Thenius supposes,but it refers rather to the whole of the previous clause. The king of Israel ispursuing something very trivial, and altogether unworthy of his pursuit,just as if one were hunting a partridge upon the mountains. "No one wouldthink it worth his while to hunt a single partridge that had flown to themountains, when they may be found in coveys in the fields"(Winer, Bibl. R. W. ii. p. 307). This comparison, therefore, does not presuppose that קרא must be a bird living upon the mountains, as Theniusmaintains, so as to justify his altering the text according to the Septuagint. These words of David were perfectly well adapted to sharpen Saul'sconscience, and induce him to desist from his enmity, if he still had an earfor the voice of truth.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 26:21-25

Moreover, Saul could not help confessing, "I have sinned: return, my sonDavid; I will do thee harm no more, because my life was precious in thineeyes that day." A good intention, which he never carried out. "He declaredthat he would never do any more what he had already so often promisednot to do again; and yet he did not fail to do it again and again. He oughtrather to have taken refuge with God, and appealed to Him for grace, thathe might not fall into such sins again; yea, he should have entreated Davidhimself to pray for him"( Berleb. Bible ). He adds still further, "Behold, Ihave acted foolishly, and have gone sore astray;" but yet he persists in thisfolly. "There is no sinner so hardened, but that God gives him now andthen some rays of light, which show him all his error. But, alas! when theyare awakened by such divine movings, it is only for a few moments; andsuch impulses are no sooner past, than they fall back again immediatelyinto their former life, and forget all that they have promised."

1Sa 26:22-23

David then bade the king send a servant to fetch back thespear and pitcher, and reminded him again of the recompense of God:" Jehovah will recompense His righteousness and His faithfulness to theman into whose hand Jehovah hath given thee to-day; and (for) I wouldnot stretch out my hand against the anointed of the Lord ."

1Sa 26:24-25

"Behold, as thy soul has been greatly esteemed in my eyesto-day, so will my soul be greatly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah, thatHe will save me out of all tribulation." These words do not contain any"sounding of his own praises"(Thenius), but are merely the testimony ofa good conscience before God in the presence of an enemy, who is indeedobliged to confess his wrong-doing, but who no longer feels oracknowledges his need of forgiveness. For even Saul's reply to these wordsin 1Sa 26:25 ("Blessed art thou, my son David: thou wilt undertake, and alsoprevail:" תּוּכל יכל , lit. to vanquish, i.e., to carry outwhat one undertakes) does not express any genuine goodwill towardsDavid, but only an acknowledgment, forced upon him by this freshexperience of David's magnanimity, that God was blessing all hisundertakings, so that he would prevail. Saul had no more thoughts of anyreal reconciliation with David. "David went his way, and Saul turned to hisplace"(cf. Num 24:25). Thus they parted, and never saw each other again. There is nothing said about Saul returning to his house, as there was whenhis life was first spared (1Sa 24:22). On the contrary, he does not seemto have given up pursuing David; for, according to 1Sa 27:1-12, David wasobliged to take refuge in a foreign land, and carry out what he haddescribed in 1Sa 26:19 as his greatest calamity.

Constable: 1Sa 16:1--31:13

IV. SAUL AND DAVID 1 Sam. 16--31

The basic theme in Samuel, that blessing, and in particular fertility of all kinds, follows from faithful commitment to God's revealed will, continues in this section. However another major motif now becomes more prominent. We might call it the theme of the Lord's anointed.

"The theological thread running through Samuel and Kings is God's choice of a leader to represent Him as He implements His covenants with Israel."¹⁶⁸

Saul had been God's anointed vice-regent, but with Saul's rejection David began to move into that position. These chapters record the gradual transition and slow transformation of the nation as the Israelites and others increasingly realized that David was now God's anointed. Saul remained the Lord's anointed as long as he lived. Part of the reason David succeeded was he recognized this and related to Saul accordingly. However, David too was God's anointed though God was still preparing him to take leadership and mount the throne. While the hero of this last half of 1 Samuel is David, Saul is also prominent. Saul declined as the old anointed as David arose as the new anointed.

"There will be many twists in the story of David's progress towards the throne, and not a few crisis-points, yet all is told in the knowledge that God can put his men where he wants them to be, whether the route is direct, or ever so circuitous."¹⁶⁹

Chronology of David's Life170
Event	Date	Age	Reference
Birth	1041	0	2 Sam. 5:4-5
Anointing by Samuel	1029	12	1 Sam. 16:1-13
Defeat of Goliath	1024	17	1 Sam. 17
Exile from Saul	1020-1011	21-30	1 Sam. 21-31
Anointing as King over Judah	1011	30	2 Sam. 2:1-4
Anointing as King over all Israel	1004	37	2 Sam. 5:1-3
Philistines Wars	1004	37	2 Sam. 5:17-25
Conquest of Jerusalem	1004	37	2 Sam. 5:6-10
Mephibosheth's Move to Jerusalem	996	45	2 Sam. 9:1-13
The Three Year Famine	996-993	45-48	2 Sam. 21:1-14
The Ammonite Wars	993-990	48-51	2 Sam. 10-12
Adultery and Murder	992	49	2 Sam. 11
Birth of Solomon	991	50	2 Sam. 12:24-25
Rape of Tamar	987	54	2 Sam. 13:1-22
Death of Amnon	985	56	2 Sam. 13:23-36
Exile of Absalom	985-982	56-59	2 Sam. 13:37-39
Absalom's Return to Jerusalem	982-980	59-61	2 Sam. 14:21-24
Construction of Palace	980-978	61-63	1 Chron. 15:1
Construction of Tabernacle	977	64	1 Chron. 15:1
Move of Ark to Jerusalem	977	64	2 Sam. 6:12-19
Absalom's Rebellion and David's Exile	976	65	2 Sam. 15-18
Rebellion of Sheba	976	65	2 Sam. 20:1-22
The Census	975	66	2 Sam. 24:1-17
Purchase of Temple Site	973	68	2 Sam. 24:18-25
The Davidic Covenant	973	68	2 Sam. 7
Co-regency with Solomon	973-971	68-70	1 Chron. 23:1
Rebellion of Adonijah	972	69	1 Kings 1:5-37
Coronation of Solomon	971	70	1 Chron. 29:22-23
Death	971	70	1 Kings 2:10-11

Constable: 1Sa 21:1--30:31

C. David in Exile chs. 21-30

In chapters 21-30 we see David's forces growing stronger and stronger while Saul's forces get weaker and weaker. This is a further demonstration of the fertility theme. However these chapters also develop the motif of the proper response to Yahweh's anointed.

Interesting, too, are the parallels between David's experiences as the Lord's anointed and Jesus Christ's as the Lord's anointed. Rejection preceded acceptance, and suffering preceded reigning in both cases. God blessed both of these servants personally, and they became a blessing to others because of their commitment to Yahweh and His Law.

"The true servant of God must willingly suffer affliction with the full assurance that God is performing His purposes. Positions of prominence and prestige are not to be sought and worked for. Rather, the leader who desires Christ's blessing must wait patiently on Him for advancement and promotion to opportunities of greater service."²²⁶

Several of the Psalms have their backgrounds in these chapters (Ps. 18; 34; 52; 54; 56; 57; 63; 124; 138; 142; and possibly others).

Constable: 1Sa 23:1--26:25

3. David's goodness to two fools ch. 24-26

". . . chapters 24-26 form a discrete literary unit within 1 Samuel. Chapters 24 and 26 are virtually mirror images of each other, beginning with Saul's receiving a report about David's latest hiding place (24:1; 26:1), focusing on David's refusal to lift a hand against Saul, the Lord's anointed' (24:6, 10; 26:11), and concluding with the words of a remorseful Saul and his returning home from his pursuit of David (24:17-22; 26:21, 25). The two chapters form a frame around the central chapter 25, where the churlish Nabal functions as an alter ego of the rejected Saul. In addition, divine protection that keeps David from shedding innocent blood runs as a unifying thread through all three chapters."²³⁷

Saul, who had disregarded God's Law, became a deadly threat to David (23:19-28). However, David, who regarded God's Law, became a source of life to Saul (23:29-24:22) and to others in Israel (ch. 25).

In the previous section, Saul sought the opportunity to take David's life. In this one (23:29-24:22), given the opportunity to take Saul's life, David spared him.

Constable: 1Sa 26:1-25

David's second sparing of Saul's life ch. 26

Again the scene shifts to Saul (cf. ch. 24). The writer contrasted his improper attitudes and behavior and their consequences with David's proper attitudes and behavior and their consequences. There are many similarities between this chapter and chapter 24, which records David's sparing of Saul's life in the cave of Adullam. Perhaps the most significant difference is that in chapter 24 David was on the defensive whereas in chapter 26 he was on the offensive. Chapter 26 is the third and final episode in the mini-section on David's treatment of two fools: Saul and Nabal. A prominent theme in this pericope is David's learning to trust God to repay his enemies rather than taking vengeance himself.

The general structure of the chapter is chiastic.

"A. Saul searches for David, who then responds (vv. 1-5).

B. David keeps his man Abishai from killing Saul (vv. 6-12).

B'. David rebukes Saul's man Abner for not protecting Saul (vv. 13-16).

A'. Saul talks to David, who then responds (vv. 17-25)."²⁶²

Constable: 1Sa 26:1-5

Saul's encampment near the hill of Hachilah 26:1-5

The Ziphites betrayed David a second time (cf. 23:19). David was again hiding by the hill of Hachilah (23:19). When Saul came down from Gibeah with his 3,000 (or three military units of) soldiers, he camped near the main road. David had only 600 men (23:13; 25:13). David evidently stayed on the other side of the hill (v. 3). Perhaps he went up on the hill at night to survey Saul's encampment and there spotted Saul and Abner in the middle of the camp (v. 5). Saul should have been very secure surrounded as he was by his men, but really he was very vulnerable (cf. v. 12).

Constable: 1Sa 26:6-12

Abishai's offer to kill Saul 26:6-12

Ahimelech the Hittite may have been a foreign mercenary (cf. Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam. 11:3). The writer may have mentioned him to show the extent of David's appeal. Abishai was David's nephew, one of the sons of his sister Zeruiah (cf. 1 Chron. 2:15-16). Joab, who later became David's commander-in-chief, was Abishai's brother.

Saul had used his spear to attack David three times (cf. 18:10; 19:9-10; 20:33). It was, therefore, an instrument of death. It was also the symbol of Saul's rule similar to a scepter (cf. 22:6). Abishai's viewpoint was carnal. He concluded that because God had given David the upper hand he should use it to do away with his rival (v. 8; cf. 24:4). David had used similar words when he promised to kill Goliath (cf. 17:46) as had Saul in describing how he would kill David with his spear (cf. 18:11).

David believed, however, that since God had anointed Saul it was not his place to do him harm (v. 9; cf. 24:6-7). His reply to Abishai begins (v. 9) and ends (v. 11) with the reason David would not permit Abishai to kill Saul: he was the Lord's anointed. In the middle of this reply David mentioned alternative ways by which God might terminate Saul's life (v. 10). He might die from some physical affliction as Nabal had (cf. 25:38), or of natural causes, or in battle (cf. ch. 31). David reminded Abishai that God could deal with Saul without their help.

David's reason for entering Saul's camp was not to kill him but to teach him a lesson. By taking Saul's spear David would teach the king that he had the power of death but chose to spare Saul's life rather than taking it. This symbolic act also communicated that the right to rule would be David's eventually. By taking his water jug, a life-giving vessel since life in the Judean wilderness depended on drinking water, David taught him that he had the power to take Saul's life. Perhaps the jug of water also symbolized that refreshment and blessing would also be David's portion from the Lord. It was really the Lord who defended David by making Saul and all of his men sleep soundly (v. 12).

Constable: 1Sa 26:13-16

David's rebuke of Abner 26:13-16

David crossed a ravine to put some distance between himself and Saul. David addressed Abner because he was responsible for leaving the Lord's anointed unprotected. The person who came to destroy Saul was Abishai (v. 15; cf. v. 8). David, rather than Saul's bodyguard Abner, was responsible for sparing his life. Abner deserved to die for his failure in duty, but David spared his life, too. David more faithfully defended Saul's life than even Saul's most trusted servant.

Constable: 1Sa 26:17-20

David's appeal to Saul 26:17-20

Evidently the realization that David or Abishai again could have killed him but did not led Saul to respond to David tenderly calling him his son (v. 17; cf. vv. 21, 25). Indeed, David had behaved as a loyal son toward Saul. David, however, did not now address Saul as his father, as he had previously (cf. 24:11). He had come to view Saul less affectionately since he continued to hound David without cause after repeated promises to stop doing so. Moreover Saul was no longer David's father-in-law (cf. 25:44).

David said that if violation of the Mosaic Law had prompted Saul to hunt him down he was ready to offer the sacrifice the Law prescribed to atone for it (v. 19). However if David's enemies had stirred up Saul's hostility without cause, David prayed that God would judge them for that. Saul's attacks had resulted in David's separation from the Lord's inheritance (i.e., the blessings God had given Israel, especially rest in the Promised Land) since he had to live as a fugitive. David's enemies had in effect encouraged him to abandon Yahweh by driving him out of his home territory (v. 19).²⁶³ The common conception in the ancient Near East was that gods ruled areas. Evidently some people were saying that because David had departed from his area the Lord would not protect him. David appeared to be seeking the protection of other gods by living in areas that they supposedly controlled (e.g., Philistia and Moab).²⁶⁴ This looked like David was violating the first commandment (Exod. 20:3). Nevertheless David wanted to live and die in the center of God's will and presence (v. 20).

David again compared himself to a mere flea, essentially harmless but annoying to Saul (v. 20; cf. 24:14). He was making a word play on Abner's question, "Who are you who calls (Heb. qarata) to the king?" (v. 14) by referring to himself as a "partridge" (v. 20, Heb. haqqore, lit. caller-bird). The partridge darts from one bush to another when a hunter pursues it, as David had been doing, though it tires fairly quickly and then can be caught easily.²⁶⁵ David's point in comparing himself to a partridge and a flea was that Saul's search for such an insignificant person as David was beneath his dignity.

Constable: 1Sa 26:21-25

David's trust in God 26:21-25

Saul again confessed that he had sinned, as he had done when he had sacrificed at Gilgal (v. 21; cf. 15:24, 30) and when David had spared his life in the cave (24:17). Nevertheless he seems to have failed again to follow through with genuine repentance (cf. 27:1). He also admitted that he had played the fool (similar to Nabal) and had committed a serious error.²⁶⁶ The writer did not record Saul as having gone this far in admitting his faults in the preceding chapters.

David returned Saul's spear to him (v. 22) and with it the symbol of the right to rule. Perhaps David did not return the jug of water to remind Saul that he still had the power to end Saul's life. He was confident God would repay each of them eventually, and he determined to wait for Him to do so (v. 23). David acknowledged that Yahweh was his real deliverer (v. 24).²⁶⁷ Saul could have overwhelmed David's smaller band of followers. Instead he departed with a prophetic declaration of David's final success (v. 25; cf. 24:20). The text does not record another meeting of David and Saul before Saul died.

The main lesson of chapter 26 appears in verse 23: "the Lord will repay" (cf. Prov. 20:22; 24:29; Rom. 12:17, 19). The Lord Jesus Christ is our greatest example of one who trusted the Father to vindicate Him (cf. Luke 23:46). Our vindication does not always come in this lifetime, as David's did. Sometimes it comes after death, as Jesus' did. Another great revelation is God's patience with Saul. God gave him many opportunities to repent and to experience God's blessing within the sphere of his judgment (cf. 15:26), but Saul did not repent.

David had borne witness twice to Saul's guilt before God (chs. 24 and 26; cf. Num. 35:30). God proceeded to put him to death not long after this (ch. 31). David became God's instrument in passing judgment on Saul for his sin and so became a blessing to all Israel.

Guzik: 1Sa 26:1-25

1 Samuel 26 - David Spares Saul's Life Again

A. David's second opportunity to kill Saul.

1. (1-4) The Ziphites betray David again.

Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?" Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

a. Now the Ziphites came to Saul: The Ziphites - the people of the city of Ziph - had betrayed David's whereabouts to Saul before (1 Samuel 23:19-23). Now, they try to gain King Saul's favor again by helping Saul find David again.

b. Saul went, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David. This means Saul has gone back on his previous repentance shown in 1 Samuel 24:16-21. At that time, David had opportunity to kill Saul, but did not take it. When David boldly demonstrated this to Saul, the king was greatly moved emotionally, and publicly repented for his murderous intentions toward David. Saul's repentance was deep, sincere, and emotional - but it didn't last very long.

i. Three thousand chosen men reminds us that Saul had a great numerical advantage. 3,000 against 600 is a significant advantage.

c. David therefore sent out spies: David, as wise and capable commander, constantly monitors the movements of Saul. David knows where Saul is, but Saul does not know where David is.

2. (5-8) David's second opportunity to kill Saul.

So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!"

a. Now Saul lay within the camp: The King James Version says that Saul lay within the trench. The translation is pretty literal from the Hebrew, but gives the wrong idea. The idea is that the perimeter of Israeli army camp was marked by the tracks of their wagons, and it was within the perimeter of the camp that Saul slept. Saul lay within the camp is a good translation of the idea.

b. So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped: The last time David and Saul met, David was simply hiding from Saul, and Saul happened upon the place where David hid. This time, David actively seeks Saul out.

i. So David arose means that David himself went. He could have sent any of his 600 men to do this job, and from a military sense, it made more sense to send someone else. Why should David take on such a dangerous mission? The fact that David did this shows his boldness and courage; the outcome of it all shows God was leading him in it.

c. David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army: As the entire army sleeps, Saul sleeps near the commander of his army. Then David, with a trusted assistant (Abishai the son of Zeruiah), secretly creeps down to where Saul and Abner sleep. With Saul's spear stuck in the ground by his head, and all asleep, Saul is completely vulnerable.

d. Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day": Here, David receives the same advice as on the previous occasion he had to kill Saul (1 Samuel 24:4). Each time, David's associates pointed out that this circumstance was not an accident, God designed it - and the design was for David to take righteous vengeance upon Saul.

i. Abishai even makes it easy for David: Please let me strike at once with the spear. David would not raise his hand against Saul; Abishai would do it, and not feel bad about it in the slightest way. David could say to himself and everyone else, "I did not kill Saul."

ii. Abishai also weaves into the matter an element of poetic justice: the spear used to kill Saul would be the king's own spear, stuck in the ground by his head. The spear that was thrown at David in attempted murder before (1 Samuel 18:10-11 and 19:9-10), would now be used as the instrument of the LORD's righteous judgment! It all might have seemed to be perfectly given from the hand of God!

3. (9-12) David's response to the opportunity to kill Saul.

And David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?" David said furthermore, "As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go." So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul's head, and they got away; and no man saw it or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

a. Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless: It wasn't that David thought Saul was right. David knew more than anyone that Saul was deeply in sin. But David knew that even a sinning Saul was still the anointed king over Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). That would only change when God changed it; David would not stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed. He knew he would be guilty before God if he did.

i. We might think that at this time, David had more righteous reason than ever to kill Saul. Now, Saul had gone back on a previous promise to leave David alone. Many of us, if we were in David's position, would have said "I showed love and let him off once before. I'm full of love, but I'm not stupid. Saul had his chance and he blew it; this time, this opportunity is from God!"

ii. But love, at least in the eyes of the world, will sometimes act in what the world considers to be a stupid way. Jesus said that we should forgive, and forgive, and forgive again (Matthew 18:21-22).

iii. In addition, Saul's sin against David did not make him less the anointed king of Israel. Though this was a trial that required supernatural endurance and love from David, it still would have been sin for him to kill Saul.

iv. "Though Saul be a cruel tyrant, and rejected by God, yet he is our sovereign lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am but a private person, and his subject; and therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that you shouldst do it." (Poole <biblio.htm>)

b. The LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish: David knew that it wasn't "hard" for God to kill Saul. The LORD was more than able to kill Saul at any time He chose. Every breath Saul took was a gift from God. God could have allowed any wicked man to kill Saul at any time. When it came to striking down an anointed king of Israel, God did not need the services of a godly, righteous man like David!

i. "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord (Romans 12:17-21). If vengeance belongs to God, it does not belong to us, so we are to love our enemies and never repay evil with evil.

ii. We might even say that since Saul deserved it, it was the "right thing" to kill Saul. But if it was the "right thing," this was the "wrong way." Often when we have a right thing in front of us, we will be tempted to pursue it in a wrong way.

iii. David's greater Son, Jesus, showed us how to refuse to pursue the right thing the wrong way. Jesus rejected Satan's shortcut to the cross (Luke 4:5-8). Jesus never did miracles just to promote Himself (John 6:30-33). Jesus went the way of the cross instead. Jesus shows us that God's way may be more difficult - but it is always better.

iv. David knew to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Our job is to seek first the kingdom of God, and He will bring things to pass as we do.

c. David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul's head: David would not kill Saul, but he did take the spear and the jug of water as evidence that he had the opportunity to kill Saul. Probably, David noticed that a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them all, and knew there was a reason for it.

B. David confronts Saul again with the evidence of his mercy.

1. (13-16) David chides Abner, Saul's body guard.

Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Do you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner answered and said, "Who are you, calling out to the king?" So David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head."

a. Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? In this vivid scene, David implies that he cares more for Saul's life than Abner does.

b. See where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head: This dramatic evidence - like the evidence of the corner of Saul's robe in 1 Samuel 24:11 - was undeniable proof that David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but did not do it.

2. (17-20) David calls out to Saul.

Then Saul knew David's voice, and said, "Is that your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." And he said, "Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

a. David speaks to Saul with genuine humility (my lord, O king . . . my lord . . . please let my lord . . . his servant). Since David was so right, and Saul was so wrong, it would have been easy for David to project a superior attitude towards Saul, but he didn't.

b. What have I done, or what evil is in my hand? David first asked Saul to consider the facts, and to clearly think about what he was doing.

c. If the LORD has stirred you up against me . . . if it is the children of men: Next, David made easier for Saul to repent. David knew very well that the LORD or other men had not stirred up Saul, but rather it came from Saul's own bitterness, carnality, and jealousy. But he offers these suggestions to Saul, to given him an easier way to repent. He can admit that his actions against David were wrong, without admitting that they originated with himself.

d. They have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, "Go, serve other gods." Here, David reveals his own heart's struggle under the pressure from Saul's relentless persecution. What hurts David the most is that he can't go to the house of God, and openly be with the people of God, and live his life after the LORD as he longs to. The pressure of all this tempts David to consider leaving Israel all together and going among people who worship other gods.

e. Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: David concludes his appeal to Saul with a simple request. "Saul, please don't kill me!"

i. "There is a vast deal of dignity in this speech of David, arising from a consciousness of his own innocence. He neither begs his life from Saul, nor offers one argument to prevail upon him to desist from his felonious attempts, but refers the whole matter to God, as the judge and vindicator of oppressed innocence." (Clarke <Clarke.htm>)

f. As when one hunts a partridge in the mountains: "It is worthy of remark that the Arabs, observing that partridges, being put up several times, soon become so weary as not to be able to fly; they in this manner hunt them upon the mountains, till at last they can knock them down with their clubs. It was in this manner that Saul hunted David, coming hastily upon him, and putting him up from time to time, in hopes that he should at length, by frequent repetitions of it, be able to destroy him." (Clarke <Clarke.htm>)

3. (21) Saul apologizes to David.

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly."

a. I have sinned: The last time Saul was in this situation, he was overcome with emotion. His feelings seemed right, but his life was not changed (1 Samuel 24:16-21). This time, there is something cold and mechanical about Saul's words. It feels that the words are right, but this time, the feelings aren't even there.

i. On another occasion, Saul "repented" with the right words but no depth of heart. In 1 Samuel 15:24-25 and 15:30, Saul said the words, "I have sinned," yet he was still far more concerned about his image before the people than the condition of his heart and life before God.

ii. Sometimes we know the right words to say - we know what sound spiritual and right - but our hearts really aren't there. When we sense this in others, we are to love them, deciding to think the best and forgive them (as Jesus described in Luke 17:3-4). When we sense this in ourselves, we should be honest, then pray mightily that our heart would come into the same right place as our words!

iii. "Good motions that fall into wicked hearts, are like some sparks that fall from the flint and steel into wet tinder; lightsome for the time, but soon out." (Trapp <Trapp.htm>)

b. For I will harm you no more . . . Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly: This is a time when we really wish we could see and hear what happened, so we can see the expression on Saul's face, and the tone and intonation of his words. It seems - both from the "feel" of the verse and Saul's subsequent actions - that Saul isn't repentant; rather, he simply has a bitter realization that David has got the better of him once again. His words in 1 Samuel 26:25 express this also: You shall both do great things and also still prevail.

i. "The Apostle makes a great distinction, and rightly, between the sorrow of the world and the sorrow of a godly repentance which needeth not to be repented of. Certainly Saul's confession of sin belonged to the former; while the cry of the latter comes out in Psalm 51, extorted from David by the crimes after the years." (Meyer <Meyer.htm>)

c. Morgan on I have played the fool: "In these words we have a perfect autobiography. In them the complete life-story of this man is told . . . There had been given to him the Spirit of God, the friendship of Samuel, and the devotion of men whose hearts God had touched. He had so acted that the Spirit departed from him; Samuel had been unable to help him; and the hearts of the people had been turned away from him. The whole secret was that he had leaned to his own understanding, had failed to obey, and so had become the evil-tempered man he was, mastered by hatred, and fighting against God."

4. (22-25) David explains to Saul why he did not kill him.

And David answered and said, "Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation." Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

a. May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness: David trusts in the God who blesses the righteous and the faithful. David knew the truth of Hebrews 6:10 before it was written: For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name.

i. David understood the principle Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7:2: With the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you. David wanted the "extra big scoop" of God's mercy given for himself, so David gave Saul the "extra big scoop" of mercy. That generous measure of mercy will be a great blessing to David later in his life.

b. So let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD: David wanted to fulfill his calling, to be the next king of Israel. But he wanted both the throne and the blessing of God. He refused to take the throne through murder or rebellion. He would wait until it came to him God's way. In this, David trusted that God would protect him when he did eventually come to reign over Israel.

i. David knew that if he wanted God's support when he became king, he must support Saul now.

ii. David held on to this principle, and when he became king, he recognized that his righteousness was rewarded. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks. (Psalm 18:20-27)

c. David went on his way: Saul invited David to return (1 Samuel 26:21), but David did not take the invitation. He would wait and see if the repentant words Saul spoke showed a genuine repentance in his life. But as David goes on his way, he is faced with the temptation he spoke of in 1 Samuel 26:19 - the temptation to flee Israel all together and live among the ungodly.

i. "Knowing Saul's unstable and deceitful heart, he would not trust to any of his professions or promises, but kept out of his reach." (Poole <biblio.htm>)

ii. "Since now there is nothing more to be said, David and Saul part, never to see each other again." (Youngblood)

© 2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on 1Ch 29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the statements in 1Sa 2:26; 1Sa 3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while some think, from 1Sa 6:18; 1Sa 12:5; 1Sa 27:6, that its composition must be referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1Sa 13:14 in Act 13:22, and 2Sa 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms.

JFB: 1 Samuel (Outline)

• OF ELKANAH AND HIS TWO WIVES. (1Sa 1:1-8)
• HANNAH'S PRAYER. (1Sa 1:9-18)
• SAMUEL BORN. (1Sa 1:20)
• HANNAH'S SONG IN THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (1Sa 2:1-11)
• THE SIN OF ELI'S SONS. (1Sa 2:12-17)
• SAMUEL'S MINISTRY. (1Sa 2:18-26)
• A PROPHECY AGAINST ELI'S HOUSE. (1Sa 2:27-35)
• THE LORD APPEARS TO SAMUEL IN A VISION. (1Sa 3:1-10)
• ISRAEL OVERCOME BY THE PHILISTINES. (1Sa 4:1-11)
• ELI HEARING THE TIDINGS. (1Sa 4:12-22)
• THE PHILISTINES BRING THE ARK INTO THE HOUSE OF DAGON. (1Sa 5:1-2)
• DAGON FALLS DOWN. (1Sa 5:3-5)
• THE PHILISTINES ARE SMITTEN WITH EMERODS. (1Sa 5:6-12)
• THE PHILISTINES COUNSEL HOW TO SEND BACK THE ARK. (1Sa 6:1-9)
• THE ARK AT KIRJATH-JEARIM. (1Sa 7:1-2)
• THE ISRAELITES, THROUGH SAMUEL'S INFLUENCE, SOLEMNLY REPENT AT MIZPEH. (1Sa 7:3-6)
• WHILE SAMUEL PRAYS, THE PHILISTINES ARE DISCOMFITED. (1Sa 7:7-14)
• OCCASIONED BY THE ILL-GOVERNMENT OF SAMUEL'S SONS, THE ISRAELITES ASK A KING. (1Sa. 8:1-18)
• SAUL, DESPAIRING TO FIND HIS FATHER'S ASSES, COMES TO SAMUEL. (1Sa 9:1-14)
• GOD REVEALS TO SAMUEL SAUL'S COMING, AND HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE KINGDOM. (1Sa 9:15-27)
• SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL, AND CONFIRMS HIM BY THE PREDICTION OF THREE SIGNS. (1Sa. 10:1-27)
• NAHASH OFFERS THEM OF JABESH-GILEAD A REPROACHFUL CONDITION. (1Sa 11:1-4)
• THEY SEND TO SAUL, AND ARE DELIVERED. (1Sa 11:5-11)
• SAUL CONFIRMED KING. (1Sa 11:12-15)
• SAMUEL TESTIFIES HIS INTEGRITY. (1Sa 12:1-5)
• HE TERRIFIES THEM WITH THUNDER IN HARVEST-TIME. (1Sa 12:17-25)
• SAUL'S SELECTED BAND. (1Sa 13:1-2)
• HE CALLS THE HEBREWS TO GILGAL AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. (1Sa 13:3-4)
• THE PHILISTINES' GREAT HOST. (1Sa 13:5)
• THE ISRAELITES' DISTRESS. (1Sa 13:6-8)
• SAUL, WEARY OF WAITING FOR SAMUEL, SACRIFICES. (1Sa 13:9-16)
• JONATHAN MIRACULOUSLY SMITES THE PHILISTINES' GARRISON. (1Sa 14:1-14)
• SAUL SENT TO DESTROY AMALEK. (1Sa 15:1-6)
• HE SPARES AGAG AND THE BEST OF THE SPOIL. (1Sa 15:7-9)
• GOD REJECTS HIS FOR DISOBEDIENCE. (1Sa 15:10-11)
• SAMUEL SENT BY GOD TO BETHLEHEM. (1Sa 16:1-10)
• HE ANOINTS DAVID. (1Sa 16:11-14)
• THE ISRAELITES AND PHILISTINES BEING READY TO BATTLE. (1Sa 17:1-3)
• GOLIATH CHALLENGES A COMBAT. (1Sa 17:4-11)
• DAVID ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE, AND SLAYS HIM. (1Sa. 17:12-58)
• JONATHAN LOVES DAVID. (1Sa 18:1-4)
• SAUL ENVIES HIS PRAISE. (1Sa 18:5-9)
• SEEKS TO KILL HIM. (1Sa 18:10-12)
• FEARS HIM FOR HIS GOOD SUCCESS. (1Sa 18:13-16)
• HE OFFERS HIM HIS DAUGHTER FOR A SNARE. (1Sa 18:17-21)
• JONATHAN DISCLOSES HIS FATHER'S PURPOSE TO KILL DAVID. (1Sa 19:1-7)
• SAUL'S MALICIOUS RAGE BREAKS OUT AGAINST DAVID. (1Sa 19:8-17)
• DAVID FLEES TO SAMUEL. (1Sa 19:18-23)
• SAUL PROPHESIES. (1Sa 19:24)
• DAVID CONSULTS WITH JONATHAN FOR HIS SAFETY. (1Sa 20:1-10)
• THEIR COVENANT RENEWED BY OATH. (1Sa 20:11-23)
• SAUL, MISSING DAVID, SEEKS TO KILL JONAHAN. (1Sa. 20:24-40)
• JONATHAN AND DAVID LOVINGLY PART. (1Sa 20:41-42)
• DAVID, AT NOB, OBTAINS OF AHIMELECH HALLOWED BREAD. (1Sa 21:1-7)
• HE TAKES GOLIATH'S SWORD. (1Sa 21:9)
• AT GATH HE FEIGNS HIMSELF MAD. (1Sa 21:10-15)
• DAVID'S KINDRED AND OTHERS RESORT TO HIM AT ADULLAM. (1Sa 22:1-8)
• DOEG ACCUSES AHIMELECH. (1Sa 22:9-16)
• SAUL COMMANDS TO KILL THE PRIESTS. (1Sa 22:17-19)
• ABIATHAR ESCAPES AND FLEES AFTER DAVID. (1Sa 22:20-23)
• DAVID RESCUES KEILAH. (1Sa 23:1-6)
• SAUL'S COMING, AND TREACHERY OF THE KEILITES. (1Sa 23:7-13)
• DAVID ESCAPES TO ZIPH. (1Sa 23:14-18)
• SAUL PURSUES HIM. (1Sa 23:19-29)
• DAVID IN A CAVE AT ENGEDI CUTS OFF SAUL'S SKIRT, BUT SPARES HIS LIFE. (1Sa 24:1-7)
• HE URGES THEREBY HIS INNOCENCY. (1Sa 24:8-15)
• SAMUEL DIES. (1Sa 25:1-9)
• THE CHURLISH ANSWER PROVOKES HIM. (1Sa 25:10-13)
• ABIGAIL PACIFIES HIM. (1Sa. 25:14-35)
• NABAL'S DEATH. (1Sa 25:36-44)
• SAUL COMES TO THE HILL OF HACHILAH AGAINST DAVID. (1Sa 26:1-4)
• DAVID STAYS ABISHAI FROM KILLING SAUL, BUT TAKES HIS SPEAR AND CRUSE. (1Sa. 26:5-25)
• SAUL HEARING THAT DAVID WAS FLED TO GATH, SEEKS NO MORE FOR HIM. (1Sa 27:1-4)
• DAVID BEGS ZIKLAG OF ACHISH. (1Sa 27:5-12)
• ACHISH'S CONFIDENCE IN DAVID. (1Sa 28:1-6)
• SAUL SEEKS A WITCH, WHO, BEING ENCOURAGED BY HIM, RAISES UP SAMUEL. (1Sa. 28:7-25)
• DAVID MARCHING WITH THE PHILISTINES TO FIGHT WITH ISRAEL. (1Sa 29:1-5)
• THE AMALEKITES SPOIL ZIKLAG. (1Sa 30:1-5)
• BUT DAVID, ENCOURAGED BY GOD, PURSUES THEM. (1Sa 30:6-15)
• AND RECOVERS HIS TWO WIVES AND ALL THE SPOIL. (1Sa. 30:16-31)
• SAUL HAVING LOST HIS ARMY AT GILBOA, AND HIS SONS BEING SLAIN, HE AND HIS ARMOR-BEARER KILL THEMSELVES. (1Sa 31:1-7)
• THE PHILISTINES TRIUMPH OVER THEIR DEAD BODIES. (1Sa 31:8-10)
• THE MEN OF JABESH-GILEAD RECOVER THE BODIES AND BURY THEM AT JABESH. (1Sa 31:11-13)

TSK: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

The First Book of SAMUEL, otherwise called " The First Book of the KINGS."

TSK: 1 Samuel 26 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Sa 26:1, Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, comes to Hachilah against David; 1Sa 26:4, David coming into the trench stays Abishai from killing Saul, but takes his spear and cruse; 1Sa 26:13, David reproves Abner; 1Sa 26:17, and exhorts Saul; 1Sa 26:21, Saul acknowledges his sin.

Poole: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL OTHERWISE CALLED

THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS.

THE ARGUMENT.

IT is not certainly known who was the penman of this Book, or whether it was written by one or more hands; nor is it or any great importance; for since there are sufficient evidences that God was the chief author of it, it matters not who was the instrument. As when it appears that such a thing was really an act of parliament, or of the council-table, it is not considerable who was the clerk or which was the pen that wrote it. And this is the less material in such historical hooks, wherein there is but little which concerns the foundation of faith and good life, and therefore it was not necessary to name the writer of them. It may abundantly suffice that there were in these times divers prophets and holy men of God; as Samuel, and Nathan, and Gad, and David himself, who might each of them write some part of this and the following book. But if any man will out of perverseness doubt or deny that these wrote it, yet this I suppose no discreet and impartial man will deny, that it is wholly incredible that such books should be written in their times, and recommended to the church as a part of the Holy Scriptures, and so received by the succeeding generation, without their approbation, who had so great a power and authority in the church and commonwealth of Israel.

Poole: 1 Samuel 26 (Chapter Introduction)

SAMUEL CHAPTER 26

Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, cometh to Hachilah against David, 1Sa 26:1-3 ; who cometh with Abishai to Saul’ s camp; stayeth him from killing Saul, but taketh his spear and cruse, 1Sa 26:4-12 . He upbraideth Abner, 1Sa 26:16 ; exhorteth Saul, 1Sa 26:17-20 , who acknowledgeth his sin, 1Sa 26:21-25 .

Having once betrayed him before, they thought their case desperate with David; and therefore did more strenuously assist Saul in discovering him, in order to his ruin. Doth not David hide himself? he is returned to his former haunt; of which see 1Sa 23:19 . This place might be convenient for him, either for its nearness to Abigail’ s estate; or because he might think that Saul was mollified, and the Ziphites cautioned by the unsuccessfulness of their former attempt; or because he could from thence make good his retreat into other places, if need were.

MHCC: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

In this book we have an account of Eli, and the wickedness of his sons; also of Samuel, his character and actions. Then of the advancement of Saul to be the king of Israel, and his ill behaviour, until his death made way for David's succession to the throne, who was an eminent type of Christ. David's patience, modesty, constancy, persecution by open enemies and feigned friends, are a pattern and example to the church, and to every member of it. Many things in this book encourage the faith, hope, and patience of the suffering believer. It contains also many useful cautions and awful warnings.

MHCC: 1 Samuel 26 (Chapter Introduction)

(1Sa 26:1-12) Saul goes after David, who again spares Saul's life.

(1Sa 26:13-20) David exhorts Saul.

(1Sa 26:21-25) Saul acknowledges his sin.

Matthew Henry: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Samuel

This book, and that which follows it, bear the name of Samuel in the title, not because he was the penman of them (except of so much of them as fell within his own time, to the twenty-fifth chapter of the first book, in which we have an account of his death), but because the first book begins with a large account of him, his birth and childhood, his life and government; and the rest of these two volumes that are denominated from him contains the history of the reigns of Saul and David, who were both anointed by him. And, because the history of these two kings takes up the greatest part of these books, the Vulgar latin calls them the First and Second Books of the Kings, and the two that follow the Third and Fourth, which the titles in our English Bibles take notice of with an alias: otherwise called the First Book of the Kings, etc. The Septuagint calls them the first and second Book of the Kingdoms. It is needless to contend about it, but there is no occasion to vary from the Hebrew verity. These two books contain the history of the last two of the judges, Eli and Samuel, who were not, as the rest, men of war, but priests (and so much of them is an appendix to the book of Judges), and of the first two of the kings, Saul and David, and so much of them is an entrance upon the history of the kings. They contain a considerable part of the sacred history, are sometimes referred to in the New Testament, and often in the titles of David's Psalms, which, if placed in their order, would fall in these books. It is uncertain who was the penman of them; it is probable that Samuel wrote the history of his own time, and that, after him, some of the prophets that were with David (Nathan as likely as any) continued it. This first book gives us a full account of Eli's fall and Samuel's rise and good government, ch. 1-8. Of Samuel's resignation of the government and Saul's advancement and mal-administration, ch. 9-15. The choice of David, his struggles with Saul, Saul's ruin at last, and the opening of the way for David to the throne, ch. 16-31. And these things are written for our learning.

Matthew Henry: 1 Samuel 26 (Chapter Introduction)

David's troubles from Saul here begin again; and the clouds return after the rain, when one would have hoped the storm had blown over, and the sky had cleared upon that side; but after Saul had owned his fault in persecuting David, and acknowledged David's title to the crown, yet here he revives the persecution, so perfectly lost was he to all sense of honour and virtue. I. The Ziphites informed him where David was (1Sa 26:1), and thereupon he marched out with a considerable force in quest of him (1Sa 26:2, 1Sa 26:3). II. David gained intelligence of his motions (1Sa 26:4), and took a view of his camp (1Sa 26:5). III. He and one of his men ventured into his camp in the night and found him and all his guards fast asleep (1Sa 26:6, 1Sa 26:7). IV. David, though much urged to it by his companions, would not take away Saul's life, but only carried off his spear and his cruse of water (1Sa 26:8-12). V. He produced these as a further witness for him that he did not design any ill to Saul, and reasoned with him upon his conduct (1Sa 26:13-20). VI. Saul was hereby convinced of his error, and once more desisted from persecuting David (1Sa 26:21-25). The story is much like that which we had (ch. 24). In both David is delivered out of Saul's hand, and Saul out of David's.

Constable: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

First and Second Samuel were originally one book called the Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament (made ca. 250 B.C.) was the first to divide it into two books. The Septuagint translators titled these books 1 and 2 Kingdoms. That division has persisted ever since and has even been incorporated into subsequent editions of the Hebrew Bible (since A.D. 1517). The title "Samuel" was given by Jerome in his Latin translation, the Vulgate (ca. A.D. 400).

The Jews gave the name "Samuel" to it because Samuel is the first major character in the book. Samuel anointed both Saul and David, so in this respect he was superior to them both.

Date and Writer

Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) and some of it even after the division of the kingdom following Solomon's death (e.g., 1 Sam. 27:6). These features have made it difficult to date the book.

"Our guess is that the author was a high state official in frequent attendance at the court, enjoying the full confidence of David and his household, who served David throughout his reign in Jerusalem and also Solomon during the early years of his reign, and whose duties may have been connected with literary work."¹

Most conservative scholars prefer the view that Samuel may have written or been responsible for noting the record of earlier events in the book (chs. 1-24). Then some unidentifiable writer put it in its final form later, perhaps soon after Solomon's death.

Rationalistic critics of the book tend to believe it was the result of much more piecing together, and some of them date its final form as late as 500 B.C.²

Scope

The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.³ David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11; 5:5). This means he came to power in 1011 B.C. Saul also reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21) so he became king in 1051 B.C. We can estimate the date of Samuel's birth fairly certainly on the basis of chronological references in the text to have been about 1121 B.C.⁴ Thus the Book of Samuel covers about 1121-971 B.C., or about 150 years of history.

We should note that the first part of 1 Samuel overlaps historically with the end of the judges period that we find in the Book of Judges. Apparently Samson was born just a few years before Samuel. Samson's 20-year judgeship evidently began shortly before the battle of Aphek (1104 B.C.) at which time Eli died (1 Sam. 4:18). It ended not many years before the battle of Mizpah (1084 B.C.) when the Philistine domination of Israel ceased temporarily (1 Sam. 7:13). Samuel's ministry therefore probably ran concurrent with that of Samson until Samson died. Saul began to reign about 35 years after Samson died (i.e., 1051 B.C.). Samuel evidently lived about 30 years after that.⁵

Old Testament History
Events	Biblical References
Creation to Israel's move to Egypt	Genesis 1-50
The Exodus	Exodus 1-18
Israel at Mt. Sinai	Exodus 19--Numbers 10
The Wilderness Wanderings	Numbers 11-21
Israel on the Plains of Moab	Numbers 22--Joshua 2
The Conquest and Division of Canaan	Joshua 3-24
The Amphictyony	-Judges 1-1 Samuel 7
The Reign of Saul	1 Samuel 8-31; 1 Chronicles 10
The Reign of David	2 Samuel 1-24; 1 Chronicles 11-29
The Reign of Solomon	1 Kings 1-11; 2 Chronicles 1-9
The Divided Monarchy	-1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 10-31
The Surviving Kingdom of Judah	2 Kings 18-25; 2 Chronicles 32-36
The Return under Zerubbabel	Ezra 1-6
The Return under Ezra	Ezra 7-10
The Return under Nehemiah	Nehemiah 1-13

Message⁶

First and 2 Samuel are really one story. The translators divided them into two books for convenience, not because of subject matter.

First Samuel records Israel's transition from amphictyony to monarchy.

The key passage that explains this transition is 8:4-7. Two statements from this passage are especially significant.

The human desire that produced the transition expressed itself in verse 5: "Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." God had brought Israel into existence as a nation to be unlike all the nations (Exod. 19:5-6). The essence of its uniqueness was Yahweh's rule over it as King. God wanted Israel to be a demonstration for all the world to see how glorious it can be to live under the authority of God.

The real meaning of the people's request comes out in verse 7: ". . . they have rejected me from being king over them." During the period of the judges, religious apostasy spread and characterized Israel. The people refused to obey their King. It is this attitude that finds expression in verse 5. The people wanted to substitute the false for the true. This is the essence of sin, and it results in idolatry. Every idol is a witness to man's need of God. When people reject the true God they must put something in His place to meet that need. Human beings must have a god.

Israel turned from God as her King in 1 Samuel. She desired a king like the other nations. This book shows the immediate effects of that desire.

One of the great revelations of 1 Samuel is how from the human viewpoint God adapts to continue His reign.

This statement appears to contradict 8:7, but it does not. The people rejected Yahweh, but they did not dethrone Him. The first act is possible, the second is not. This is a major lesson of 1 Samuel. The great revelation of this book is not primarily its three central figures: Samuel, Saul, and David. It is Yahweh reigning by adapting to human situations and moving surely and steadily toward the fulfillment of His purposes. In spite of disobedience or obedience, failure or success, rebellious or loyal people, the reign of God moves on. We see this great lesson in the history of 1 Samuel's three central figures: Samuel, Saul, and David.

The writer introduced Samuel's story with his mother Hannah's experience with God. Hannah was a great woman of faith who lived in the judges period. Her faith became God's foothold for advance. Her song reveals a profound appreciation for Yahweh as the God who reigns over all (2:6-8, 10). The similarities between this prayer and Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1 are interesting and noteworthy.

Samuel was a prophet. In one sense he was the first of the prophets (Acts 3:24). Of course, Moses was a prophet and so was Abraham, but Samuel was the first of the order of prophets who mediated between God and the Israelites during the monarchy. The kings of Israel and Judah were never mediators between God and the people in the sense of speaking for God to the people. When the Israelites rejected Yahweh as their king, He withdrew from close communion and intimate fellowship with them. He never recognized their kings as standing between Himself and them to mediate His Word to the people. He chose their kings for them. He allowed their desire for a human king to work itself out in ultimate disaster through the centuries that followed. Yet He never spoke to the people through the king. He always spoke to them through the prophets. Samuel was the first of these. David, of course, was a king and a prophet. The role of the kings was to govern the people. The role of the prophets was to reveal God's will to them.

With Samuel the office of prophet in Israel emerges as that of Yahweh's authoritative representative to His people. Samuel became the king-maker finding and anointing both Saul and David. >From now on when God had a message for the people it normally did not come directly to the king but to the king and the people through the prophet. The prophet's office was always superior to that of Israel's kings. (You have the privilege of speaking for God to your generation. You have a high calling similar to that of Israel's prophets.) When Israel rejected Yahweh as her king, God chose Samuel, the child of a woman's simple faith, trained him in the tabernacle, and called him when he was only a boy. Then He gave him a message to deliver and sent him to anoint Saul as the king after the people's own heart, and David as the king after God's own heart. The prophets became God's mediators, His messengers, and the interpreters of His law. Thus Yahweh reigned though He adapted His methods of ruling by raising up the prophets. He called Samuel as the first of these mediators. During the monarchy God provided guidance through two offices rather than through one as He had done previously. The kings provided political leadership, and the prophets gave the people spiritual leadership. God had previously provided both types of leadership through single individuals namely Moses, Joshua, and the judges.

Saul's story is one of the most tragic in Scripture. It is unusually fascinating and has tremendous power in its appeal to our lives. When God placed Saul on Israel's throne He answered the prayer of His rebellious people in 8:5. God "gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them" (Ps. 106:15; NASB).

Saul was a revelation to the Israelites of what the possession of "a king like the nations" really meant. He had unusual physical strength, but he was fitful and he failed the people. He had mental acumen, but he was moody and eventually turned into a madman. He was sluggish and dull spiritually lacking in spiritual insight and power, and eventually he abandoned Yahweh for a witch.

His reign was also a disaster. At the beginning of his reign, Israel was virtually without a leader. At its end it was under the control of an enemy neighbor. Saul was never able to expand the borders of Israel because he never was strong enough to dominate his enemy neighbors. David on the other hand did both of these things. At the end of Saul's reign, Israel had almost destroyed itself through its wars with the Philistines.

David's story is one of the most glorious in Scripture. After Saul, God gave His people another king, but this time he was a man after God's own heart.

God prepared David for the throne by putting him through training as a shepherd in the fields, a courtier in the palace, and an "outlaw" in exile. (By "outlaw" I do not mean David was lawless but that he lived outside Saul's control.) His shepherd training prepared him to care for and protect the Israelites under his charge. His courtier experience prepared him to deal with high governmental leaders. His "outlaw" years perfected the disciplines that enabled him to become a strong ruler. These disciplines included relying on God in every situation, practicing self-restraint, and leading his people.

In all David's training God was reigning, moving forward to the fulfillment of His plans and purposes. God had previously done this by making the child of faith, Samuel, His prophet. He had also done this by making outwardly promising Saul a revelation to the nation of her sins in turning away from God.

The second great revelation of this book is that people cooperate with God by either being loyal or by being disloyal to Him.

In Samuel's case he had opportunity to glorify God because of his parentage, his call by God, and his appointment as God's prophet. He responded obediently, with loyalty to God. Consequently God's messages got delivered, and God's work moved ahead. Samuel was an instrument of blessing.

In Saul's case he had opportunity to glorify God too. His opportunity came in his call by God, his anointing by Samuel, his friendship with Samuel, his popularity with the people, and his personal abilities. He responded disobediently, with disloyalty to God as seen in his vacillating and self-will. Consequently he failed as a king, and he died under the judgment of God. His life was a failure.

In David's case his opportunities were his call, his anointing, his waiting, and his suffering. He responded obediently, with loyalty to God. Consequently he became God's instrument of progress and blessing. He was a success.

Each man had his opportunity, made his response, and experienced the consequences of his response. Two obeyed, one disobeyed. All cooperated with God in fulfilling His ultimate purposes either to his own blessing or to his own blasting.

As a result of these two major revelations I would summarize the message of 1 Samuel as follows. God will accomplish His purposes regardless of man's personal response to Him. However man's response to God's revealed will determines a person's own success or failure in life.

First Samuel teaches us the methods of the sovereign God. All territory is within God's jurisdiction, every person is under His control, and all events are in His hands. All of God's plans and purposes are moving toward accomplishment. He makes use of all antagonistic facts and forces as well as all positive facts and forces. He also makes use of all the agents He has chosen to use regardless of their responses. Paul's comments in 2 Tim. 2:20-21 are very much to the point here.

First Samuel also teaches us that God's ultimate victory is independent of the attitudes and actions of individuals and groups of people (e.g., Israel) toward Him. Nevertheless the ultimate destiny of individuals and groups of people depends on their attitudes and actions toward Him.

Samuel was obedient, was God's instrument, and experienced deliverance. Saul was disobedient, was God's instrument, and experienced destruction. David was obedient, was God's instrument, and experienced deliverance. My attitudes and actions do not determine God's ultimate victory, but they do determine my ultimate destiny. Everything depends on my choices and me regarding my earthly destiny. Nothing depends on me regarding God's ultimate victory. God uses all people, loyal and rebellious, to produce His ultimate purposes. However we determine the outcome of our lives by our attitudes and responses to Him. We see these principles working themselves out around us all the time. Dr. Walvoord is an example of a Samuel or a David in our day. The DTS graduates in prison are examples of the Sauls of our day.

Constable: 1 Samuel (Outline)

Outline

I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3

A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:10

1. Hannah's condition 1:1-8

2. Hannah's vow 1:9-18

3. Hannah's obedience 1:19-28

4. Hannah's song 2:1-10

B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2:11-36

1. Eli's sons' wickedness 2:11-17

2. Hannah's godly influence on Samuel and its effect 2:18-21

3. Eli's lack of influence on his sons and its effect 2:22-26

4. The oracle against Eli's house 2:27-36

C. God's first revelation to Samuel ch. 3

1. Samuel's call 3:1-18

2. Samuel's ministry 3:19-4:1a

II. The history of the ark of the covenant 4:1b-7:1

A. The capture of the ark 4:1b-22

1. The battle of Aphek 4:1b-11

2. The response of Eli 4:12-18

3. The response of Phinehas' wife 4:19-22

B. Pagan fertility foiled by God ch. 5

C. The ark returned to Israel by God 6:1-7:1

1. The plan to terminate God's judgment 6:1-9

2. The return of the ark to Bethshemesh 6:10-18

3. The removal of the ark to Kiriath-jearim 6:19-7:1

III. Samuel and Saul 7:2-15:35

A. Samuel's ministry as Israel's judge 7:2-17

1. Samuel's spiritual leadership 7:2-4

2. National repentance and deliverance 7:5-14

3. Samuel's regular ministry 7:15-17

B. Kingship given to Saul chs. 8-12

1. The demand for a king ch. 8

2. The anointing of Saul 9:1-10:16

3. The choice of Saul by lot 10:17-27

4. Saul's effective leadership in battle 11:1-11

5. The confirmation of Saul as king 11:12-12:25

C. Kingship removed from Saul chs. 13-15

1. Saul's disobedience at Gilgal 13:1-15

2. Saul's struggle against the Philistines 13:16-14:23

3. Saul's cursing of Jonathan 14:24-46

4. Saul's limited effectiveness in battle 14:47-52

5. Yahweh's final rejection of Saul ch. 15

IV. Saul and David 1 Sam. 16-31

A. David's rise as the new anointed 16:1-18:5

1. God's selection of David for kingship ch. 16

2. The reason for God's selection of David ch. 17

3. The results of God's selection of David ch. 18:1-19:17

B. David driven out by Saul 19:18-20:42

1. God's deliverance in Ramah 19:18-24

2. Jonathan's advocacy for David ch. 20

C. David in exile chs. 21-31

1. David's initial movements chs. 21-22

2. Saul's pursuit of David ch. 23

3. David's goodness to two fools ch. 24-26

4. The end of Saul's reign 27-31

(Continued in notes on 2 Samuel)

Constable: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel

Bibliography

Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971.

_____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote." Vetus Testamentum 25:2 (April 1975):213-14.

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_____. First and Second Samuel. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching series. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.

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_____. "Yahweh and the Ark: A Case Study in Narrative." Journal of Biblical Literature 98:1 (1979):31-43.

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_____. "Viewpoints and Point of View in 1 Samuel 8-12." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 26 (June 1983):61-76.

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_____. "The Tragedy of King Saul: A Study of the Structure of 1 Samuel 9-31." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 6 (February 1978):18-27.

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL;

otherwise called,

THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

This and the following Book are called by the Hebrews, the Books of Samuel, because they contain the history of Samuel, and of the two kings, Saul and David, whom he anointed. They are more commonly named by the Fathers, the First and Second Book of Kings. As to the writer of them, it is the common opinion that Samuel composed the first book, as far as the twenty-fifth chapter; and that the prophets Nathan and Gad finished the first and wrote the second book. See 1 Paralipomenon, alias 1 Chronicles, xxix. 19. (Challoner) --- The authors of the Third and Fourth Books of Kings were also prophets, but we know not exactly their names. These works have nevertheless been always esteemed authentic (Haydock) and canonical. (Worthington) --- Ven. Bede takes occasion to observe, from the Books of Kings (or as the Septuagint read, "of kingdoms;" Haydock) being placed after that of Judges, that the everlasting kingdom of Christ will succeed the general judgment. The translation of the priesthood and of the regal dignity, recorded in these books, denote also that Christ would united both in his own person; as the two wives of Eleana intimated, that both Jews and Gentiles would acknowledge the same Lord. (St. Jerome; St. Augustine; &c.) --- The transactions of Heli, Samuel and Saul, and the persecutions which David sustained from the latter, form the subject of the first book, (Haydock) during the space of 100 years. All the four books carry down the sacred history near 600 years, from the year of the world 2849 till the transmigration of Juda, in the year 3420. (Calmet) (Usher)

Gill: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 SAMUEL

This book, in the Hebrew copies, is commonly called Samuel, or the Book of Samuel; in the Syriac version, the Book of Samuel the Prophet; and in the Arabic version, the Book of Samuel the Prophet, which is the First Book of the Kings; and the Septuagint version, the Book of the Kingdom: it has the name of Samuel, because it contains an history of his life and times; and the Jews say ^a it was written by him; and as it may well enough be thought to be, to the end of the twenty fourth chapter; and the rest might be written by Nathan and Gad, as may he gathered from 1Ch 29:29 as also the following book that bears his name; and both may be called the Books of Kings, because they give an account of the rise of the kings in Israel, and of the two first of them; though some think they were written by Jeremiah, as Abarbinel; and others ascribe them to Ezra: however, there is no doubt to be made of it that this book was written by divine inspiration, when we consider the series of its history, its connection and harmony with other parts of Scripture; the several things borrowed from it, or alluded to in the book of Psalms, particularly what is observed in Psa 113:7, seems to be taken out of 1Sa 2:8, and the sanction which the Lord gives to it, by referring to a fact in it, whereby he stopped the mouths of the Scribes and Pharisees cavilling at his disciples, Mat 12:3, compared with 1Sa 21:3, yea, even, as Huetius ^b observes, some Heathen writers have by their testimonies confirmed some passages in these books, which they seem to have been acquainted with, as Nicolaus of Damascus ^c, and Eupolemus ^d; it contains an history of the government of Eli, and of the birth of Samuel, and his education under him; of the succession of Samuel in it, and the resignation of it to Saul, when he was chosen king; of his administration of his office, and of things done in the time of it, both before and after his rejection, and of the persecution of David by Saul, and is concluded with his death.

Gill: 1 Samuel 26 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 26

This chapter relates that Saul, upon the information of the Ziphites, went out again with an armed force to seek David, 1Sa 26:1; of which David having intelligence, and of the place where he pitched, came with one of his men and reconnoitred his camp, and finding Saul and his men asleep, took away his spear, and the cruse of water at his head, and departed, without taking away his life, though solicited to it by his servant, 1Sa 26:4; which spear and cruse of water he produced to the reproach of Abner, Saul's general, and as a testimony of his sincere regard to Saul, and that he had no design upon his life, 1Sa 26:13; of which Saul being convinced, blessed David, and returned home again, 1Sa 26:21.