1 Samuel 26:1-12

David Spares Saul Again

1 ¹Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon? ”

2 So Saul arose and went down to ²the wilderness of Ziph with ³three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness,

4 David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come.

5 Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with ⁴Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within ⁵the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.

6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother ⁶Abishai the son of Zeruiah, ⁷“Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul? ” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you. ”

7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within ⁸the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground ⁹at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him.

8 Then Abishai said to David, ¹⁰“God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice. ”

9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand ¹¹against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? ”

10 And David said, ¹²“As the Lord lives, ¹³the Lord will strike him, or ¹⁴his day will come to die, ¹⁵or he will go down into battle and perish.

11 ¹⁶The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is ¹⁷at his head and the jar of water, and let us go. ”

12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because ¹⁸a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

1 Samuel 26:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 26

This chapter relates that Saul, upon the information of the Ziphites, went out again with an armed force to seek David, 1Sa 26:1-3; of which David having intelligence, and of the place where he pitched, came with one of his men and reconnoitred his camp, and finding Saul and his men asleep, took away his spear, and the cruse of water at his head, and departed, without taking away his life, though solicited to it by his servant, 1Sa 26:4-12; which spear and cruse of water he produced to the reproach of Abner, Saul's general, and as a testimony of his sincere regard to Saul, and that he had no design upon his life, 1Sa 26:13-20; of which Saul being convinced, blessed David, and returned home again, 1Sa 26:21-25.

Cross References

• 1. 26:1 ch. 23:19; See Ps. 54
• 2. 26:2 ch. 23:14
• 3. 26:2 ch. 24:2
• 4. 26:5 ch. 14:50; 17:55; 2 Sam. 2:8
• 5. 26:5 ch. 17:20
• 6. 26:6 2 Sam. 2:18; 3:39; 16:10; 19:22; 1 Chr. 2:16
• 7. 26:6 [Judg. 7:9-11]
• 8. 26:7 [See ver. 5 above]
• 9. 26:7 ver. 11, 16
• 10. 26:8 [ch. 24:4, 18]
• 11. 26:9 ver. 11, 16, 23; ch. 24:6, 10; [2 Sam. 1:16]
• 12. 26:10 [Ruth 3:13]
• 13. 26:10 [ch. 25:38]
• 14. 26:10 [Gen. 47:29; Deut. 31:14]
• 15. 26:10 ch. 31:6
• 16. 26:11 ch. 24:6
• 17. 26:11 ver. 7, 16
• 18. 26:12 Gen. 2:21; 15:12