1 Samuel 26:16-25

16 this that thou hast done, is not good; the Lord liveth, for ye be sons of death, that kept not your lord, the christ of the Lord (this is not good, what thou hast done; as the Lord liveth, for ye be the sons of death, who kept not your lord safe, yea, the Lord's anointed). Now therefore see thou, where is the spear of the king, and where is the cup of water, that was at his head.
17 Forsooth Saul knew the voice of David, and said, Whether this voice is thine, my son David? And David said, My lord the king, it is my voice. (And Saul knew the voice of David, and said, Is this thy voice, David my son? And David said, My lord the king, it is my voice.)
18 And David said, For what cause pursueth my lord his servant? What have I done, either what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, my lord the king, I pray, hear the words of thy servant; if the Lord stirreth thee against me, the sacrifice be smelled; forsooth if [the] sons of men stir thee, they be cursed in the sight of the Lord, which have cast me out today, that I dwell not in the heritage of the Lord, and say, Go thou, serve thou alien gods. (And so now, my lord the king, I pray thee, listen to the words of thy servant; if the Lord stirreth thee against me, let the sacrifice be smelled; but if the sons of men stir thee, be they cursed before the Lord, they who have thrown me out today, so that I live not in the inheritance of the Lord, and who say to me, Go thou, serve thou foreign, or other, gods.)
20 And now my blood be not shed out in the earth before the Lord; for the king of Israel hath gone out, that he seek a quick flea, as a partridge is pursued in hills. (And now let not my blood be shed out on the ground before the Lord; for the king of Israel hath gone out, so that he can seek after a quick, or an insignificant, flea, like a partridge is pursued over the hills.)
21 And Saul said, I have sinned; turn thou again, my son David, for I shall no more do evil to thee, for my life was precious today in thine eyes; for it seemeth, that I have done follily (that I have done foolishly), and I have unknown full many things.
22 And David answered and said, Lo! the spear of the king, one of the young men of the king pass (over hither), and take it; (And David replied, Lo! the spear of the king; one of the king's young men come over here, and take it back;)
23 forsooth the Lord shall yield to each man after his rightfulness and his faith; for the Lord betook thee today into mine hand, and I would not hold forth mine hand into the christ of the Lord; (and the Lord shall yield to each man after his uprightness and his faithfulness, or his loyalty; for the Lord delivered thee today into my hands, but I would not put my hand against the Lord's anointed;)
24 and as thy life is magnified today in mine eyes, so my life be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and deliver he me from all anguish. (and as thy life is magnified today in my eyes, so let my life be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me from all anguish.)
25 Therefore Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David; and soothly thou doing shalt do, and thou mighty shalt be mighty. Then David went forth into his way, and Saul turned again into his place (Then David went forth on his way, and Saul returned home).

1 Samuel 26:16-25 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.