SAUL DETERMINES TO SEEK OUT DAVID ONCE MORE, AND ONCE MORE SURVIVES BECAUSE OF DAVID'S MERCY (1 SAMUEL 26:1). After his conflict with Nabal David appears to have returned to his encampment on the Hill of Hachilah, a move which may well have been with a view to furthering his romantic involvement wit... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ZIPHITES INFORM SAUL THAT DAVID HAS RETURNED TO THE HILL OF HACHILAH AND SAUL AGAIN PURSUES DAVID (1 SAMUEL 26:1). The Ziphites were probably annoyed that David had again brought his men into their territory, partly because they saw it as their own preserve and disliked all intruders, partly be... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID PAYS A SECRET VISIT TO SAUL AND ENTERS HIS CAMP (1 SAMUEL 26:5). David then took two of his best men with him and went to an eminence from which he could observe Saul's camp, and from there he saw the lay out of the camp, and the place where Saul and Abner slept among the wagons. Then that ni... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID RESTRAINS ABISHAI FROM SMITING THE SLEEPING SAUL BECAUSE SAUL IS YHWH'S OWN, AND INSTEAD COMMANDS THE APPROPRIATION OF HIS CEREMONIAL SPEAR AND WATER JAR (1 SAMUEL 26:8). Having arrived at dead of night by the sleeping Saul Abishai wished to take the opportunity to slay Saul, but David forbade... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECRET OF THE SUCCESS OF THEIR VENTURE AND DAVID'S REBUKE OF ABNER FOR FAILING TO WATCH OVER SAUL (1 SAMUEL 26:12). We now learn, in a verse which in one sense stands by itself, being itself central to the chiasmus of the whole passage as outlined above, why it was that they had been symbolical... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL'S RESPONSE (1 SAMUEL 26:17). The difference between this reply and that in 1 Samuel 24:17 is striking. In 1 Samuel 24:17 Saul had declared that David was more righteous than he because he had repaid good for evil, and admitted that he himself had been at fault in the matter and he expressed hi... [ Continue Reading ]