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.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 26: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
1 Samuel 26
26
David Again Spares Saul
1The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah opposite Jeshimon?” 2Then Saul got up and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3Now Saul was on the hill of Hakilah, which is opposite Jeshimon by the road, but David was staying in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had come to the wilderness after him, 4David sent spies, and he learned that Saul had come for certain.#Literally “to be established” 5Then David got up and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place where Saul was lying down, as well as#Literally “and” Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. (Now Saul was lying in the encampment, and the army was encamping around him.)
6David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul, in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7So David and Abishai came to the army by night, and there was#Literally “look” or “behold” Saul lying asleep in the encampment with#Hebrew “and” his spear thrust into the ground near his head, and Abner and the army were lying all around him. 8Then Abishai said to David, “God has handed over your enemy into your hand today! So then, please let me pin him to the ground with the spear#Literally “let me strike him please with the spear and in the ground” one time,#Literally “one occurrence” and I will not strike him twice.”#Literally “I will not repeat for him” 9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy#Or “kill” him! For who has stretched out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed one and remained blameless?” 10And David said, “As Yahweh lives,#Literally “The life of Yahweh” certainly#Literally “if surely” Yahweh will strike him, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go down in the battle and perish.#Literally “will be carried away” 11Yahweh forbid me#Literally “Far be it from me from Yahweh” from stretching out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed one! So then, please take the spear that is near his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 12So David took the spear and the jar of water from near Saul’s head, and they went away. No one saw, no one knew, and no one awakened,#Literally “there was not anyone seeing and there was not anyone knowing and there was not anyone awakening” for all of them were sleeping because a deep sleep of Yahweh had fallen upon them.
13Then David went to the other side and stood on the top of the hill at a distance; the distance was great between them. 14David called out to the army and to Abner the son of Ner, “Will you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who are you that you call to the king?” 15So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why did you not keep watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy#Or “to kill” your lord the king. 16This thing that you have done is not good. As Yahweh lives,#Literally “the life of Yahweh” surely you people deserve to die#Literally “you are sons of death” since you have not kept watch over your lord, over Yahweh’s anointed one! So then, see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was near his head!” 17Then Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.” 18Then he said, “Why is my lord pursuing after his servant? For what have I done? And what evil is in my hand? 19And so then, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant: If Yahweh has incited you against me, may he delight in an offering; but if it is mortals,#Literally “it is the sons of humankind” may they be accursed before#Literally “to the face of” Yahweh, for they have driven me away today from sharing in the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’ 20And so then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from#Literally “from before” the presence of Yahweh, for the king of Israel has gone out to seek a single flea, as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21Then Saul said, “I have sinned! Come back, David my son, for I will not harm you again, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Look, I have acted like a fool and have made a terrible mistake.”#Literally “have gone greatly astray” 22David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear; let one of the young men#Or “servants” come over and take it. 23Yahweh repays to each one his righteousness and his faithfulness, for Yahweh gave you into my hand today, but I was not willing to stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed. 24Look, as your life was precious in my eyes this day, may my life be great in the eyes of Yahweh, and may he rescue me from all trouble.” 25Then Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, my son David; you will not only do many things, but also will always succeed!”#Literally “you will do many things and also always you will prevail” Then David went on his way and Saul returned to his place.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software