1 Samuel 26:9

9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill him! No one can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and go unpunished.

1 Samuel 26:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 26:9

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 26:9 In-Context

7 So David and Abishai approached the troops at night and found Saul lying there, asleep in the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were sleeping all around him.

8 Abishai said to David, "God has handed your enemy over to you today! Let me pin him to the ground with my spear. One stroke is all I need! I won't need a second."

9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill him! No one can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and go unpunished.

10 As surely as the LORD lives," David continued, "it will be the LORD who will strike him down, or his day will come and he will die, or he'll fall in battle and be destroyed.

11 The LORD forbid that I lift my hand against the LORD's anointed! But go ahead and take the spear by Saul's head and the water jug and let's go!"