1 Samuel 24:1-8

David Spares Saul's Life

1 Now ¹when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, ²he was told, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi."

2 Then ³Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

3 He came to the sheepfolds * on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul ⁴went in to relieve * himself. Now ⁵David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

4 The men of David said to him, "Behold, ⁶this is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold; ⁷I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.' " Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly.

5 It came about afterward * that ⁸David's conscience bothered him because * he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

6 So he said to his men, "⁹Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."

7 David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

8 Now afterward * David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, ¹⁰David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

1 Samuel 24:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 24

Saul being returned from following the Philistines, renews his pursuit after David, 1Sa 24:1,2; and they meeting in a cave, where David had the opportunity of taking away the life of Saul, which his men pressed him to, yet only cut off the skirt of his robe, 1Sa 24:3-8; which, calling after him, he held up to him to convince him he had his life in his hands, but spared it, 1Sa 24:9,10; upon which he very pathetically reasons with him about the unreasonableness and unrighteousness of his pursuit after him, to take away his life, 1Sa 24:11-15; which so affected Saul, that he confessed he was more righteous than he, and owned that the kingdom would be his, and only desired him to swear to him not to cut off his offspring, which David did, and so they parted, 1Sa 24:16-22.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 23:28, 29
• 2. 1 Samuel 23:19
• 3. 1 Samuel 26:2
• 4. Judges 3:24
• 5. Psalms 57: title; Psalms 142: title
• 6. 1 Samuel 23:17; 1 Samuel 25:28-30
• 7. 1 Samuel 26:8, 11
• 8. 2 Samuel 24:10
• 9. 1 Samuel 26:11
• 10. 1 Samuel 25:23, 24; 1 Kings 1:31

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "cover his feet"
• [b] Lit "in your sight"
• [c] Lit "heart struck"
• [d] Lit "tore apart"
• [e] Lit "from"