1 Samuel 26:11

11 propitius mihi sit Dominus ne extendam manum meam in christum Domini nunc igitur tolle hastam quae est ad caput eius et scyphum aquae et abeamus

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 et dixit David ad Abisai ne interficias eum quis enim extendit manum suam in christum Domini et innocens erit
10 et dixit David vivit Dominus quia nisi Dominus percusserit eum aut dies eius venerit ut moriatur aut in proelium descendens perierit
11 propitius mihi sit Dominus ne extendam manum meam in christum Domini nunc igitur tolle hastam quae est ad caput eius et scyphum aquae et abeamus
12 tulit ergo David hastam et scyphum aquae qui erat ad caput Saul et abierunt et non erat quisquam qui videret et intellegeret et vigilaret sed omnes dormiebant quia sopor Domini inruerat super eos
13 cumque transisset David ex adverso et stetisset in vertice montis de longe et esset grande intervallum inter eos
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.