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Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

1 Samuel 24:5

David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt— The reasons which restrained David from killing Saul, were worthy a brave and generous man, a man of piety and virtue. He durst not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. Under this sacred character he forgot that Saul was his implacable enemy, and instantly sacrificed his resentment to his conscience and duty; hereby acting with a goodness and greatness of mind, which Saul thought no man in the world could have done besides him.

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See also 1 Samuel 24:5 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    DAVID’S HEART SMOTE HIM - He thought the action inconsistent with the respect which he owed to the king....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 24 _ 1. In the wilderness of En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:1)_ 2. David's words to Saul (1 Samuel 24:9) 3. Saul's answer to David (1 Samuel 24:16) Saul continues in the pursuit of David and w

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 SAMUEL 24. DAVID SPARES SAUL AT ENGEDI (E). Chs. 24 and 26 give two versions of the same story, located at different places. Probably both versions are early. It is not clear which is the earlier, b...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SAUL'S SKIRT. the lappet of Saul's robe....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _David's heart smote him_ David's conscience reproached him for offering even so slight an indignity to the king....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    David spares Saul's life in the cave at En-gedi This narrative and that in ch. 26 are regarded by some commentators as different accounts of the same event. See Note VII. p. 243, and the notes on ch....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 305 DAVID’S FORBEARANCE TOWARDS SAUL 1 Samuel 24:4. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand,...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    Saul's Life Spared by David, 1 Samuel 24:1-22. _David Spares Saul's Life._ 1 Samuel 24:1-7 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, B...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTERWARD, THAT DAVID'S HEART SMOTE HIM, BECAUSE HE HAD CUT OFF SAUL'S SKIRT._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE AT ENGEDI We have a similar incident narrated in 1 Samuel 26, and some critics hold that the two are merely varying accounts of the same event. But it. is to be noticed that...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 24 DAVID REFUSES TO KILL SAUL V1 When Saul had finished fighting the *Philistines he returned home. Someone told him that David was in the de...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    DAVID’S HEART SMOTE HIM. — Not for what he had done to Saul, but his conscience smote him for the momentary thought that had stained his soul of slaying the Lord’s Anointed. This is better than with C...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[1 Samuel 24:6]_ וַֽ יְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי ־כֵ֔ן וַ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXXI. _ DAVID TWICE SPARES THE LIFE OF SAUL._ 1 Samuel 24:1; 1 Samuel 26:1. THE invasion of the Philistines had freed David from the fear of Saul for a time, but only for a time. He knew ful...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    RETURNING GOOD FOR EVIL 1 Samuel 24:1 Engedi is situated on the western shore of the Dead Sea. As Saul entered the cave, a very insidious temptation presented itself to David. Why not rid the kingdom...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    At last Saul was in David's power. It would have been perfectly easy for him to have taken his life. He did not do so, but, withholding his hand, uttered a strong protest against Saul's persecution. T...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart (d) smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. (d) For seeing it was his own private cause, he repented that he had touched his enemy....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Eyes. This might have been spoken by Gad, or Samuel; (Menochius) or they only mean that this is a most favourable opportunity. Some think that David ought to have embraced it, and put an end to these...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (4) And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We enter now on a portion of David's history sensibly different from what we have already had, which closed with the efforts of Jonathan to restore matters and to attach Saul to him at least openly. J...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    "And David went up and dwelt in the strongholds of Engedi." Saul pursues him thither, after following the Philistines, more occupied with his jealousy of the king whom God had chosen than with the ene...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTERWARD, THAT DAVID'S HEART SMOTE HIM,.... His conscience accused him, and he repented of what he had done: BECAUSE HE HAD CUT OFF SAUL'S SKIRT; which though less than what his...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. Ver. 5. David's heart smote,] _i.e., _ His conscience, which keeps court in every faculty of the soul...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _David's heart smote him_ His intention in cutting off Saul's skirt was only to give certain proof that he did not seek his life, in that he had spared it when it was wholly in his power; yet no soone...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Dauid in a caue at Engedi, hauing cut off Sauls skirt, spareth his life. 8 Hee sheweth thereby his innocencie. 16 Saul acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of Dauid, and departeth. 1 AND it ca...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him, his conscience bothered him, BECAUSE HE HAD CUT OFF SAUL'S SKIRT, for since he regarded the person of Saul as sacred, he feared that Saul mi...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    SAUL IN THE CAVE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Having 600 men with him, David could not easily be hidden, and Saul gets the report of his being in the wilderness of En-gedi. Not being exactly a brave man himself, Saul required 3000 chosen men of I...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 God delivered Saul into David's hand. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. He had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the king. He reasons strongly, b...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Not only because it was injurious, and reproachful, and dangerous to the king; but possibly because he had some secret thought of doing more to him, though he suppressed and overcame it; for he attemp...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 24:5 afterward H310 Davids H1732 heart H3820 troubled H5221 (H8686) cut H3772 (H8804) Sauls H7586 robe...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAUL UNWITTINGLY PUTS HIMSELF AT DAVID'S MERCY (1 SAMUEL 24:1). Even in Engedi David was not safe from a vengeful Saul, for once he had driven back the Philistines, Saul gathered three thousand of Isr...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: David's mercy to Saul in En-gedi. CHARACTERS: God, David, Saul. CONCLUSION: Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. KEY WORD: Mercy (dealt well), 1 Samuel 24:18. STRONG VERSE...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 24:1. _En-gedi_ was adjacent to the dead sea. Strabo, speaking of the caverns in Syria and Iturea, says, there is one which will hold four thousand men. _Lib. 16._ 1 Samuel 24:3. _Saul went i...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Where was a cave and Saul went in _. .. _ and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave._ SAUL AND DAVID IN THE CAVE Saul’s animosity is a fire that finds constant fuel. No sooner are the...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 24:1 The three episodes in the next three chapters all have the same theme: David, who as a warrior has already killed many of the Lord’s enemies, should not kill for his own...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— 1 Samuel 24:2 “ROCKS OF THE WILD GOATS,” or _ibex-rocks_. Probably not a name for any particular rock, but a general term applied to the locality on account of the numb...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    DAVID IN THE WILDERNESS OF ENGEDI (1Sa 23:29 -35-24). EXPOSITION DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE IN A CAVE (1 Samuel 24:1)....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now it came to pass, when Saul was returned from the Philistines, they told him, David's in Engedi. So Saul took three thousand of his chosen men out of all of Israel, they went to seek David and his...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 John 3:20; 1 John 3:21; 2 Kings 22:19; 2 Samuel 12:9; 2 Samuel 24:10

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