1 Samuel 26:1-25
1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
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.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench,a and the people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath deliveredb thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die,c because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him acceptd an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.
24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
1 Samuel 26. David Spares Saul in the Wilderness of Ziph (J). From one of the oldest sources (cf. on ch. 24).
1 Samuel 26:1 to 1 Samuel 12:1 f. repeats briefly the substance and part of the wording of 1 Samuel 23:19: David is in the wilderness of Ziph, and Saul pursues him. But instead of the sequel given in 1 Samuel 23, we have another version of the story in 1 Samuel 24 of David's generous treatment of Saul.
David learns that Saul is again pursuing him and is in his immediate neighbourhood: of a certainty is clearly wrong, and RVm, to a set place, is not much more likely. There may be a scribal error, and the name of a place may have stood here originally.
David went to see for himself, and found Saul and his followers in a camp protected by a circle of baggage-wagons a laager. He returned to his own men to find someone to accompany him in an expedition into Saul's camp; he offered the opportunity to Ahimelech the Hittite (cf. Genesis 15:20), and to Abishai, one of the Bene Zeruiah: Abishai volunteered to go. They reached the camp and found Saul and all his people asleep. Abishai proposed to slay the king, but David refused, and they went away, taking with them the spear and pitcher of water which had been beside the sleeping king; the spear stuck in the ground, probably as a sign of the royal authority. Meanwhile nobody had wakened, because Yahweh had cast them into a supernatural trance, such as He had caused to fall upon Adam (Genesis 2:21) while He was constructing Eve out of one of his ribs.
1 Samuel 26:13. David, having got far enough off, mounted an eminence and shouted, calling on Abner by name. When he replied, David taunted him with his lax guard of his master. When Saul intervened, David protested against Saul's persecution. David spoke, of course, according to the primitive religious ideas of the time and place. They may seem strange to us, but they were perfectly natural to the speaker and his hearers. What could have led an honourable man like Saul to be guilty of this cruel injustice? Perhaps it was the evil spirit from Yahweh; His dealings were often arbitrary and unaccountable, His ways past finding out; no one knew what might please or displease Him. Possibly He had taken offence at something that David had done quite innocently. But, if so, He could be conciliated by an offering, and then He would set Saul free from the delusion under which He had caused him to labour. But possibly the king had been misled by mere human slanderers; if so, may He curse them, for they had deprived David of his God, and Yahweh of a faithful and important servant. How could one worship Him, away from His own land? [any more than one could attend Protestant services in a country where there were only Romanist churches] Let Yahweh see to it. David had been careful to imply that no blame could rest on the king, but Saul acknowledges that he has been in the wrong. David returns the spear, and they separate.
1 Samuel 26:6. Zeruiah: Abishai, Asahel, and Joab are called sons of Zeruiah. According to 1 Chronicles 2:16, Zeruiah was the sister of David. The mother's name may be given instead of the father's because of her relationship to David, or because the father was a foreigner and did not count (ICC). The relationship to David would explain the distinguished part played by this family during his reign. On the other hand it is curious that the relationship is never referred to except in Ch., which is often of very slight authority.
1 Samuel 26:19 f. Cf. 2 Kings 5:17, where Naaman needs two mules-' burden of earth from the land of Yahweh, apparently in order that he may build an altar to Yahweh; so here, to die outside the territory of Israel is to die away from the presence of Yahweh.
1 Samuel 26:20. flea: a mistaken correction from 1 Samuel 24:14; read, my life (so LXX).