1 Samuel 26:17

17 Saul recognized David's voice and asked, "Is that your voice, my son David?"^[a] "It is my voice, my lord and king," David said.

1 Samuel 26:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 26:17

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 26:17 In-Context

15 David called to Abner, "You're a man, aren't you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn't you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

16 What you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die since you didn't protect your lord, the Lord's anointed. Now look around; where are the king's spear and water jug that were by his head?"

17 Saul recognized David's voice and asked, "Is that your voice, my son David?" "It is my voice, my lord and king," David said.

18 Then he continued, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?

19 Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord saying, 'Go and worship other gods.'

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Sm 24:16; 26:21,25