1 Samuel 26:1-12

David Again Spares Saul

1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "¹Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is before * Jeshimon?"

2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him ²three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before * Jeshimon, ³beside the road, and David was staying in the wilderness. When ⁴he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness,

4 David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul was definitely coming.

5 David then arose and came to the place where * Saul had camped. And David saw the place where * Saul lay, and ⁵Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.

6 Then David said to Ahimelech ⁶the Hittite and to ⁷Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, "Who ⁸will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

8 Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time."

9 But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for ⁹who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be without guilt?"

10 David also said, "As the LORD lives, ¹⁰surely * the LORD will strike him, or ¹¹his day will come that he dies, or ¹²he will go down into battle and perish.

11 "¹³The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

12 So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul's head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because ¹⁴a sound sleep from the LORD had fallen on 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. 1 Samuel 23:19; Ps 54: title
• 2. 1 Samuel 13:2; 1 Samuel 24:2
• 3. 1 Samuel 24:3
• 4. 1 Samuel 23:15
• 5. 1 Samuel 14:50, 51; 1 Samuel 17:55
• 6. Genesis 23:3; Genesis 26:34; Joshua 3:10; 1 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 7:6
• 7. 1 Chronicles 2:16
• 8. Judges 7:10, 11
• 9. 1 Samuel 24:6, 7; 2 Samuel 1:14, 16
• 10. Deuteronomy 32:35; 1 Samuel 25:26, 38; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30
• 11. Genesis 47:29; Deuteronomy 31:14; Psalms 37:13
• 12. 1 Samuel 31:6
• 13. 1 Samuel 24:6, 12; Romans 12:17, 19; 1 Peter 3:9
• 14. Genesis 2:21; Genesis 15:12; Isaiah 29:10

Footnotes

• [a] Or "the desert"
• [b] Or "the desert"
• [c] Lit "even into"
• [d] Lit "repeat with respect to him"