1 Samuel 26
26
David Spares Saul’s Life Again
1 The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hakilah near#tn Heb “upon the face of.” Jeshimon?” 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. 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#tn Heb “after.” him, 4 David sent scouts and verified that Saul had indeed arrived.#tn Heb “and David sent scouts and he knew that Saul had certainly come.”
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. 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.”
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. 8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear#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. right through him into the ground with one swift jab!#tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.” A second jab won’t be necessary!”
9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one#tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23). and remain guiltless?” 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. 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!” 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.
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. 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?” 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. 16 This failure on your part isn’t good!#tn Heb “Not good [is] this thing which you have done.” As surely as the Lord lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the Lord’s chosen one, are as good as dead!#tn Heb “you are sons of death.” Now look where the king’s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!”
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.” 18 He went on to say, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done?#tn Heb “What in my hand [is] evil?” 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#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. an offering. But if men have instigated this,#tn Heb “but if the sons of men.” 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!’ 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#tn Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge. in the hill country.”
21 Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you, for you treated my life with value#tn Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.” this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!”#tn Heb “and I have erred very greatly.” 22 David replied, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of your servants cross over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty.#tn Heb “and the Lord returns to the man his righteousness and his faithfulness.” Even though today the Lord delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. 24 In the same way that I valued your life this day,#tn Heb “your life was great this day in my eyes.” may the Lord value my life#tn Heb “may my life be great in the eyes of the Lord.” and deliver me from all danger.” 25 Saul replied to David, “May you be rewarded,#tn Heb “blessed.” my son David! You will without question be successful!”#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. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
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1 Samuel 26
26
1Againe the Ziphims came vnto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide him selfe in the hill of Hachilah before Ieshimon? 2Then Saul arose, and went downe to the wildernes of Ziph, hauing three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, for to seeke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph. 3And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon by the way side. Now Dauid abode in the wildernesse, and he sawe that Saul came after him into the wildernesse. 4(For Dauid had sent out spies, and vnderstood, that Saul was come in very deede) 5Then Dauid arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chiefe captaine, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him) 6Then spake Dauid, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah, brother to Ioab, saying, Who will go downe with me to Saul to the hoste? Then Abishai said, I will goe downe with thee. 7So Dauid and Abishai came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his speare did sticke in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him. 8Then saide Abishai to Dauid, God hath closed thine enemie into thine hande this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me smite him once with a speare to the earth, and I will not smite him againe. 9And Dauid sayde to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand on the Lordes anoynted, and be giltlesse? 10Moreouer Dauid said, As the Lord liueth, eyther the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battel, and perish. 11The Lord keepe mee from laying mine hand vpon the Lordes anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the speare that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let vs goe hence. 12So Dauid tooke the speare and the pot of water from Sauls head, and they gate them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleepe: for the Lord had sent a dead sleepe vpon them. 13Then Dauid went vnto the other side, and stoode on the toppe of an hill a farre off, a great space being betweene them. 14And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying, Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that cryest to the King? 15And Dauid said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lorde the King? for there came one of the folke in to destroy the King thy lord. 16This is not well done of thee: as the Lord liueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue not kept your master the Lordes Anointed: and now see where the Kings speare is, and the pot of water that was at his head. 17And Saul knewe Dauids voyce, and sayde, Is this thy voyce, my sonne Dauid? And Dauid sayde, It is my voyce, my lorde O King. 18And he sayde, Wherefore doeth my lorde thus persecute his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine hand? 19Now therefore, I beseech thee, let my lord the King heare the wordes of his seruant. If the Lord haue stirred thee vp against me, let him smell the sauour of a sacrifice: but if the children of men haue done it, cursed be they before the Lord: for they haue cast me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Goe, serue other gods. 20Nowe therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the King of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as one would hunt a partridge in the mountaines. 21Then sayde Saul, I haue sinned: come againe, my sonne Dauid: for I will doe thee no more harme, because my soule was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I haue done foolishly, and haue erred exceedingly. 22Then Dauid answered, and saide, Beholde the Kings speare, let one of the yong men come ouer and set it. 23And let the Lord rewarde euery man according to his righteousnesse and faithfulnesse: for the Lord had deliuered thee into mine handes this day, but I woulde not lay mine hand vpon the Lords anointed. 24And beholde, like as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life be set by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliuer me out of all tribulation. 25Then Saul said to Dauid, Blessed art thou, my sonne Dauid: for thou shalt doe great things, and also preuaile. So Dauid went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
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