1 Samuel 24:5

5 Afterwards, David's conscience bothered^[a] him because he had cut off the corner of Saul's robe.^[b]

1 Samuel 24:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 24:5

And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him,
&c.] 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 servants put him upon, and he might have thoughts of doing, yet was considered by him as a great indignity to his sovereign, and therefore sat uneasy on his mind.

1 Samuel 24:5 In-Context

3 When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the back of the cave,

4 so they said to him, "Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: 'I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.'" Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul's robe.

5 Afterwards, David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul's robe.

6 He said to his men, "I swear before the Lord: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed. [I will never] lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord's anointed."

7 With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

Footnotes

• [a] Lit David's heart struck
• [b] Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss omit robe