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1 Samuel
Chapter Twenty-six
New King James Version (NKJV)
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, 1 Samuel 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, 1 Samuel 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, 1 Samuel 26:13; of
which Saul being convinced, blessed David, and returned home again, 1 Samuel 26:21.
1 Samuel 26:1 Now the
Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of
Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”
YLT
1And the Ziphites come in
unto Saul, at Gibeah, saying, `Is not David hiding himself in the height of
Hachilah, on the front of the desert?'
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, 1 Samuel 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.
1 Samuel 26:2 2 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.
YLT
2And Saul riseth, and goeth
down unto the wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand men, chosen ones
of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
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, 1 Samuel 24:2,
to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph; where or
whereabouts he was informed by the Ziphites he was.
1 Samuel 26:3 3 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.
YLT
3And Saul encampeth in the
height of Hachilah, which [is] on the front of the desert, by the way, and
David is abiding in the wilderness, and he seeth that Saul hath come after him
in to the wilderness;
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.
1 Samuel 26:4 4 David
therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.
YLT
4and David sendeth spies,
and knoweth that Saul hath come unto Nachon,
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 1 Samuel 26:5.
1 Samuel 26:5 5 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.
YLT
5and David riseth, and
cometh in unto the place where Saul hath encamped, and David seeth the place
where Saul hath lain, and Abner son of Ner, head of his host, and Saul is lying
in the path, and the people are encamping round about him.
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 Isaiah 66:20;
Grotius observes, kings used to sleep in chariots where there were no houses;
See Gill on 1 Samuel 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.
1 Samuel 26:6 6 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.”
YLT
6And David answereth and
saith unto Ahimelech the Hittite, and unto Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of
Joab, saying, `Who doth go down with me unto Saul, unto the camp?' and Abishai
saith, `I -- I go down with thee.'
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 sayF11Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 76. M.
this was Uriah the Hittite:
and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab; Zeruiah was
the sister of David, 1 Chronicles 2:15;
and these were two sons of hers, who very probably joined David at the cave of
Adullam, 1 Samuel 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.
1 Samuel 26:7 7 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.
YLT
7And David cometh -- and
Abishai -- unto the people by night, and lo, Saul is lying sleeping in the
path, and his spear struck into the earth at his pillow, and abner and the
people are lying round about him.
So David and Abishai came to the people by night,.... JosephusF12Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 13. sect. 9. 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, 1 Samuel 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 1 Samuel 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 1 Samuel 26:5.
1 Samuel 26:8 8 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!”
YLT
8And Abishai saith unto
David, `God hath shut up to-day thine enemy into thy hand; and, now, let me
smite him, I pray thee, with a spear, even into the earth at once -- and I do
repeat [it] to him.'
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.
1 Samuel 26:9 9 But David said to Abishai,
“Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed,
and be guiltless?”
YLT
9And David saith unto
Abishai, `Destroy him not; for who hath put forth his hand against the anointed
of Jehovah, and been acquitted?'
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.
1 Samuel 26:10 10 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.
YLT
10And David saith, `Jehovah
liveth; except Jehovah doth smite him, or his day come that he hath died, or
into battle he go down, and hath been consumed –
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, 1 Samuel 31:3.
1 Samuel 26:11 11 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.”
YLT
11far be it from me, by
Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against the anointed of Jehovah; and, now,
take, I pray thee, the spear which [is] at his pillow, and the cruse of water,
and we go away.'
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 1 Samuel 20:33,
and the cruse of water; which stood in the same
place, as appears by 1 Samuel 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 AlexandriaF13Stromat. l. 4. p. 531. , it was a custom
of the Jews often to purify themselves in bed: though Fortunatus ScacchusF14Elaeochrism.
Myrothec. l. I. c. 44. col. 224. 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 sleptF15Plin.
Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3. :
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.
1 Samuel 26:12 12 So David took the spear
and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw
or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep
sleep from the Lord
had fallen on them.
YLT
12And David taketh the spear,
and the cruse of water at the pillow of Saul, and they go away, and there is
none seeing, and there is none knowing, and there is none awaking, for all of
them are sleeping, for a deep sleep [from] Jehovah hath fallen upon them.
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"F16תרדמת יהוה, "sopor Domini", V. L. Montanus, Munsterus
"altus sopor Jehovae", Junias & Tremellius, Piscator. ; 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.
1 Samuel 26:13 13 Now David went over to the
other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being
between them.
YLT
13And David passeth over to
the other side, and standeth on the top of the hill afar off -- great [is] the
place between them;
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"F17ויעבר
העבר "et transivit transitum", Montanus. ,
the valley that lay between the two hills, and perhaps passed over a brook that
ran in the valley, which is not unusual; so JosephusF18Antiqu. l. 6.
c. 13. sect. 9. 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.
1 Samuel 26:14 14 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?”
YLT
14and David calleth unto the
people, and unto Abner son of Ner, saying, `Dost thou not answer, Abner?' and
Abner answereth and saith, `Who [art] thou [who] hast called unto the king?'
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"F19אל המלך "juxta regem", Vatablus ; that is, near him,
or "before him"F20Ceram rege, Nodlus, p. 58. No. 284. , 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.
1 Samuel 26:15 15 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.
YLT
15And David saith unto Abner,
`Art not thou a man? and who [is] like thee in Israel? but why hast thou not
watched over thy lord the king? for one of the people had come in to destroy
the king, thy lord.
And David said to Abner, art not thou a valiant man?.... Or a manF21איש "vir", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine
version, Piscator. , 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.
1 Samuel 26:16 16 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.”
YLT
16Not good is this thing
which thou hast done; Jehovah liveth, but ye [are] sons of death, in that ye
have not watched over your lord, over the anointed of Jehovah; and now, see
where the king's spear [is], and the cruse of water which [is] at his bolster.'
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.
1 Samuel 26:17 17 Then Saul knew David’s
voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It
is my voice, my lord, O king.”
YLT
17And Saul discerneth the
voice of David, and saith, `Is this thy voice, my son David?' and David saith,
`My voice, my lord, O king!'
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 1 Samuel 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.
1 Samuel 26:18 18 And he said, “Why does my
lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in
my hand?
YLT
18and he saith, `Why [is]
this -- my lord is pursuing after his servant? for what have I done, and what
[is] in my hand evil?
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.
1 Samuel 26:19 19 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.’
YLT
19And, now, let, I pray thee,
my lord the king hear the words of his servant: if Jehovah hath moved thee
against me, let Him accept a present; and if the sons of men -- cursed [are]
they before Jehovah, for they have cast me out to-day from being admitted into
the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.
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 idolF17T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 110. 2. .
1 Samuel 26:20 20 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.”
YLT
20`And now, let not my blood
fall to the earth over-against the face of Jehovah, for the king of Israel hath
come out to seek one flea, as [one] pursueth the partridge in mountains.'
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"F18אל יפל דמו "non
effundetur", Martyr. and to this sense are Syr. Ar. vers. ; 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 oneF19Laert.
l. 2. in Vita Aristippi. ; 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 Jeremiah 17:11
takes it to be the cuckoo, though here the partridge as others; BochartF20Hierozoic.
par. 2. l. 1. c. 12. col. 81. will have it to be the woodcock, snipe, or sniteF21(A
snite is like a snipe, yet a different species of lark-like bird. Oxford
English Dictionary. Editor) . 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 eggsF22T. Bab. Cholin,
fol. 140. 2. Jarchi & Abarbinel in loc. : see Jeremiah 17:11; so
Saul hunted after David, though he could not take him; several naturalistsF23Aristot.
Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 8. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 33. Aelian. Hist. Animal.
l. 3. c. 16. observe, that the partridge is very difficult to be taken by the
hunter.
1 Samuel 26:21 21 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.”
YLT
21And Saul saith, `I have
sinned; turn back, my son David, for I do evil to thee no more, because that my
soul hath been precious in thine eyes this day; lo, I have acted foolishly, and
do err very greatly.'
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 Exodus 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.
1 Samuel 26:22 22 And David answered and
said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.
YLT
22And David answereth and
saith, `Lo, the king's spear; and let one of the young men pass over, and
receive it;
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.
1 Samuel 26:23 23 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.
YLT
23and Jehovah doth turn back
to each his righteousness and his faithfulness, in that Jehovah hath given thee
to-day into [my] hand, and I have not been willing to put forth my hand against
the anointed of Jehovah,
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"F24ביד "in
manum", Pagninus, Montanus. 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.
1 Samuel 26:24 24 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.”
YLT
24and lo, as thy soul hath
been great this day in mine eyes, so is my soul great in the eyes of Jehovah,
and He doth deliver me out of all distress.'
And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes,.... Or
"magnified"F25גדלה
"magnificata est", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. ; 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.
1 Samuel 26:25 25 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.
YLT
25And Saul saith unto David,
`Blessed [art] thou, my son David, also working thou dost work, and also
prevailing thou dost prevail.' And David goeth on his way, and Saul hath turned
back to his place.
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, 1 Samuel 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.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》