1 Samuel 26:11

11 The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the water jar, and let us go."

1 Samuel 26:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 26:11

The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against
the Lord's anointed
Or suffer any about him to do it; he speaks of it with the utmost detestation and abhorrence:

but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that [is] at his bolster;
not to smite him with, as he desired, but to carry off, and was no other than his sceptre; (See Gill on 1 Samuel 20:33);

and the cruse of water;
which stood in the same place, as appears by ( 1 Samuel 26:12 ) . Some take this to be a pot to make water in; others an hourglass, to know the time of night, in which not sand, but water, flowed for that purpose: but rather this was for his refreshment should he be hot and thirsty in the night, or to purify him from any nocturnal pollution that might happen; for, according to Clemens of Alexandria {m}, it was a custom of the Jews often to purify themselves in bed: though Fortunatus Scacchus F14 thinks Saul had this pot or cup for a religious use; which he had with him, and with it gave thanks to God, the author of all good, whenever he sat down to a meal; such as the golden cup Philip king of Macedon always had under his pillow when he slept F15:

and let us go;
and do nothing more; which would be sufficient to convince they had been there, and to show what was in their power to do, had they been so inclined.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 Stromat. l. 4. p. 531.
F14 Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. I. c. 44. col. 224.
F15 Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3.

1 Samuel 26:11 In-Context

9 But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?"
10 David said, "As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him down; or his day will come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the water jar, and let us go."
12 So David took the spear that was at Saul's head and the water jar, and they went away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.