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

 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).

 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).

 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.

 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).²⁶³The 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).²⁶⁴This 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.²⁶⁵David'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.

 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.²⁶⁶The 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).²⁶⁷Saul 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.