1 Samuel 26:22

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;)

1 Samuel 26:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 26:22

And David answered and said, behold the king's spear!
&c.] And which perhaps was his sceptre, and which David therefore would not keep, lest it should be thought or said that he had deprived him of an ensign of his royalty, and be interpreted as a token of his design to seize his crown and throne:

and let one of the young men come over and fetch it;
for notwithstanding the acknowledgment Saul had made of his sin and folly, David did not choose to carry the spear to him; not caring to trust him, and put himself into his hands, lest the evil spirit should return and come upon him suddenly, and alter his disposition and carriage; nor would he send any of his men with it, whose lives were dear to him, lest they should be seized as traitors, but desires one of Saul's men might be sent for it.

1 Samuel 26:22 In-Context

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