1 Samuel 24 Study Notes: David Spares Saul in the Cave
While Saul hunts David near En-gedi, he enters a cave where David’s band is hiding. David secretly cuts a piece from Saul’s robe but refuses to harm the king the LORD anointed, leaving judgment to God. Saul weeps, admits David will one day reign, and makes David swear to spare his family.
General
True or False: Once Saul had left the cave, David followed him outside, called him his lord and king, and bowed down with his face to the ground.
Answer: True
This is true. David followed Saul from the cave and addressed him as his lord and king; when Saul turned around, David bowed facedown out of respect (24:8). Even though Saul was hunting him, David still honored him as king. The New Testament also teaches God’s people to show honor to those who are owed it (Romans 13:7) and to honor the king (1 Peter 2:17).
- 1 Samuel 24:8 (BSB)“After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence”David calls out to Saul and bows facedown before him.
- Romans 13:7 (BSB)“Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”Paul tells believers to show honor to those who are owed it.
- 1 Peter 2:17 (BSB)“Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”Peter tells believers to honor the king.
Theological
True or False: Once Saul had left the cave, David followed, addressed him as his lord and king, and bowed facedown before him.
Answer: True
This is true. David emerges from the cave, addresses Saul as his lord the king, and prostrates himself (24:8). His deference to Saul’s office continues even under persecution, a pattern the apostles commend when they call believers to render honor where it is due (Romans 13:7) and to honor the king (1 Peter 2:17).
- 1 Samuel 24:8 (BSB)“After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence”David calls out to Saul and bows facedown before him.
- Romans 13:7 (BSB)“Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”Paul tells believers to show honor to those who are owed it.
- 1 Peter 2:17 (BSB)“Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”Peter tells believers to honor the king.
General
When David called himself a dead dog and a flea, what was he telling Saul (1 Samuel 24:14)?
Answer: He was too lowly to be worth the king’s pursuit
David asked whom Israel’s king had come out to chase, and answered with two pictures: a dead dog and a flea (24:14). A dead dog can harm no one, and a flea is hardly worth hunting. David was telling Saul that he was no threat to the king and not worth an army’s pursuit. Elsewhere in Scripture, calling someone a dead dog marks him as worthless or of no account (2 Samuel 9:8; 16:9).
- 1 Samuel 24:14 (BSB)“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?”David asks whom the king is pursuing and compares himself to a dead dog and a flea.
- 2 Samuel 9:8 (BSB)“Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?””Mephibosheth uses the same image to describe himself as unworthy of notice.
- 2 Samuel 16:9 (BSB)“Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!””Abishai uses the phrase to dismiss Shimei as a man of no account.
Theological
What was the point of David’s self-description as a dead dog and a flea (1 Samuel 24:14)?
Answer: He was too lowly to be worth the king’s pursuit
With the rhetorical questions of 24:14, David belittles himself as a dead dog and a flea: harmless, insignificant, unworthy of the king’s campaign. The expression dead dog elsewhere denotes utter insignificance or contempt (2 Samuel 9:8; 16:9). David’s humility exposes the absurdity of Saul’s obsessive pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 24:14 (BSB)“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?”David asks whom the king is pursuing and compares himself to a dead dog and a flea.
- 2 Samuel 9:8 (BSB)“Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?””Mephibosheth uses the same image to describe himself as unworthy of notice.
- 2 Samuel 16:9 (BSB)“Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!””Abishai uses the phrase to dismiss Shimei as a man of no account.
General
What reason did David give his men for refusing to harm Saul (1 Samuel 24:6)?
Answer: Saul was his master, anointed by the LORD as king
David told his men he would never act against his master, because Saul was the LORD’s anointed (24:6). To be anointed meant having oil poured on one’s head as a sign that God had chosen and set a person apart for an office; Samuel had anointed Saul as ruler over the LORD’s people (10:1). David himself had also been anointed (16:13), yet he would not seize the throne by killing the king God had placed on it. With these words he held back his men and kept them from attacking Saul (24:7). A psalm recalling how God guarded Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has Him warning kings not to touch His anointed ones (Psalm 105:15); David showed the same respect for the one God had anointed as king.
- 1 Samuel 24:6 (BSB)“So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.””David refuses to harm Saul because he is the LORD’s anointed.
- 1 Samuel 24:7 (BSB)“With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.”David’s words hold his men back from attacking Saul.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 (BSB)“Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?”Samuel had poured oil on Saul, marking him as the LORD’s chosen ruler.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”Samuel had anointed David too, in the presence of his brothers.
- Psalm 105:15 (BSB)““Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!””Recalling the patriarchs, the psalm says God rebuked kings to protect His anointed ones.
Theological
On what ground did David refuse to raise his hand against Saul (1 Samuel 24:6)?
Answer: Saul was his master, anointed by the LORD as king
David’s stated ground is Saul’s office: he is David’s master and the LORD’s anointed (24:6). Saul’s anointing by Samuel (10:1) marked him as God’s appointed ruler, and David, though anointed himself (16:13), will not take the kingdom by his own hand. The LORD would give it in His own time. David’s words restrained his men (24:7). His reverence fits the principle seen when the LORD shielded the patriarchs, His anointed ones, by warning kings not to touch them (Psalm 105:15).
- 1 Samuel 24:6 (BSB)“So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.””David refuses to harm Saul because he is the LORD’s anointed.
- 1 Samuel 24:7 (BSB)“With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.”David’s words hold his men back from attacking Saul.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 (BSB)“Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?”Samuel had poured oil on Saul, marking him as the LORD’s chosen ruler.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”Samuel had anointed David too, in the presence of his brothers.
- Psalm 105:15 (BSB)““Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!””Recalling the patriarchs, the psalm says God rebuked kings to protect His anointed ones.
General
When Saul walked into the cave where David was hiding, what did David’s men tell him (1 Samuel 24:4)?
Answer: The LORD had now put David’s enemy in his power
Saul had taken three thousand picked troops to hunt for David around En-gedi (24:1-2). He stopped at a cave by the sheepfolds while David’s band lay hidden far back inside it (24:3). David’s men told him this was the day the LORD had spoken of, when God would give David’s enemy into his hand to treat however he pleased (24:4). They took the opportunity itself as God’s permission to strike. David did not agree. He saw that having Saul at his mercy did not make it right to kill the king God had set in place. Scripture teaches the same patience elsewhere: God’s people are to wait for the LORD rather than pay back a wrong themselves (Proverbs 20:22), leaving room for God’s own judgment (Romans 12:19).
- 1 Samuel 24:4 (BSB)“So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”David’s men urge him to act now that Saul is in the cave.
- Proverbs 20:22 (BSB)“Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”Proverbs tells God’s people to wait on the LORD instead of taking revenge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul forbids believers to avenge themselves and leaves judgment to God.
Theological
How did David’s men interpret Saul’s entry into the cave near En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:4)?
Answer: The LORD had now put David’s enemy in his power
David’s men read the moment as providential license: the LORD had delivered David’s enemy into his hand to do with as he wished (24:4). The narrative refuses that equation of opportunity with permission. David will not take the throne by killing the reigning anointed king, even when providence seems to hand him the chance. His restraint embodies the wisdom of waiting on the LORD instead of avenging oneself (Proverbs 20:22), which Paul grounds in God’s own claim to vengeance (Romans 12:19).
- 1 Samuel 24:4 (BSB)“So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”David’s men urge him to act now that Saul is in the cave.
- Proverbs 20:22 (BSB)“Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”Proverbs tells God’s people to wait on the LORD instead of taking revenge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul forbids believers to avenge themselves and leaves judgment to God.
General
What did Saul ask David to swear to him by the LORD (1 Samuel 24:21)?
Answer: Not to wipe out Saul’s offspring or family name
Saul asked David to take an oath in the LORD’s name that he would not destroy Saul’s descendants or erase his name from his father’s family (24:21). David swore it; then Saul went home while David’s band went up into the stronghold (24:22). Jonathan had earlier asked David for a similar promise of kindness to his own household (20:15). After David became king, he looked for someone left from Saul’s house to show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1).
- 1 Samuel 24:21 (BSB)“So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.””Saul asks David to swear not to destroy his descendants.
- 1 Samuel 24:22 (BSB)“So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.”David swears, and the two go their separate ways.
- 1 Samuel 20:15 (BSB)“and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan had asked David never to cut off kindness from his household.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””As king, David sought someone from Saul’s house to show kindness to.
Theological
What oath did Saul request from David before they parted (1 Samuel 24:21-22)?
Answer: Not to wipe out Saul’s offspring or family name
Having conceded David’s coming kingship, Saul seeks a sworn guarantee for his line: that David will not destroy his descendants or erase his name (24:21). David swears, and the two part, Saul homeward and David to the stronghold (24:22). Jonathan had sought a similar covenant commitment for his house (20:15), and King David later sought out Saul’s house to show kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1).
- 1 Samuel 24:21 (BSB)“So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.””Saul asks David to swear not to destroy his descendants.
- 1 Samuel 24:22 (BSB)“So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.”David swears, and the two go their separate ways.
- 1 Samuel 20:15 (BSB)“and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan had asked David never to cut off kindness from his household.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””As king, David sought someone from Saul’s house to show kindness to.
General
What did David secretly cut from Saul while Saul was in the cave (1 Samuel 24:4)?
Answer: A corner of his robe
Instead of killing Saul, David slipped close and quietly sliced a piece from the edge of Saul’s robe (24:4). Even this troubled him: afterward his conscience struck him for what he had done (24:5), because Saul was still the king the LORD had appointed. David later held up the piece of cloth as proof that he could have taken Saul’s life but chose not to (24:11). His tender conscience fits the prayer of a man who asks God to search his heart for any wrong way (Psalm 139:23-24), and Paul’s resolve to keep his conscience clear toward God and others (Acts 24:16).
- 1 Samuel 24:4 (BSB)“So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”David creeps up and cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe.
- 1 Samuel 24:5 (BSB)“Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.”David’s conscience troubles him for what he has done.
- 1 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.”David shows Saul the piece of robe as proof that he spared him.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”David elsewhere asks God to search his heart for any offensive way.
- Acts 24:16 (BSB)“In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.”Paul likewise strives to keep a clear conscience before God and people.
Theological
In the cave at En-gedi, what did David quietly cut from Saul (1 Samuel 24:4)?
Answer: A corner of his robe
David sliced a corner from Saul’s robe (24:4), and afterward his conscience troubled him for it (24:5): even a symbolic act against the LORD’s anointed felt to him like a transgression. The cloth then became evidence that he had held Saul’s life in his hand and spared it (24:11). His sensitivity of conscience, which treats even a lesser act as weighty, matches the self-examination of Psalm 139:23-24 and Paul’s resolve to keep his conscience clear toward God and others (Acts 24:16).
- 1 Samuel 24:4 (BSB)“So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”David creeps up and cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe.
- 1 Samuel 24:5 (BSB)“Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.”David’s conscience troubles him for what he has done.
- 1 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.”David shows Saul the piece of robe as proof that he spared him.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”David elsewhere asks God to search his heart for any offensive way.
- Acts 24:16 (BSB)“In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.”Paul likewise strives to keep a clear conscience before God and people.
General
What did Saul admit after hearing David’s words (1 Samuel 24:17)?
Answer: David was more righteous, repaying evil with good
Saul asked whether the voice he heard was David’s, and he wept aloud (24:16). He admitted that David was more righteous than he was, because David had treated him well while Saul had treated David with evil (24:17). Saul also said that David had not killed him when the LORD put him in his power, and he asked the LORD to reward David (24:18-19). David had done what Paul later teaches: he did not pay back evil for evil but overcame evil with good (Romans 12:17, 21). Proverbs warns that trouble stays with the house of anyone who repays good with evil (Proverbs 17:13). Saul’s tears did not last; in chapter 26 he is hunting David again.
- 1 Samuel 24:17 (BSB)“and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.”Saul admits David has repaid his evil with good.
- 1 Samuel 24:18-19 (BSB)“And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.”Saul acknowledges David spared him and asks the LORD to reward him.
- Romans 12:17 (BSB)“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.”Paul forbids repaying anyone evil for evil.
- Romans 12:21 (BSB)“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”Paul calls believers to overcome evil with good, as David did.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Proverbs warns of the trouble that follows one who returns evil for good.
Theological
What confession did Saul make in response to David’s speech (1 Samuel 24:17)?
Answer: David was more righteous, repaying evil with good
Saul’s response is tearful and candid: David is more righteous, having repaid Saul’s evil with good (24:16-17), and spared Saul when God gave him into his hand (24:18-19). David’s conduct anticipates the apostolic ethic of refusing to return evil for evil and overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:17, 21), while Saul stands under the warning of Proverbs 17:13. His remorse proves short-lived, since by chapter 26 he is again in pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 24:17 (BSB)“and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.”Saul admits David has repaid his evil with good.
- 1 Samuel 24:18-19 (BSB)“And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.”Saul acknowledges David spared him and asks the LORD to reward him.
- Romans 12:17 (BSB)“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.”Paul forbids repaying anyone evil for evil.
- Romans 12:21 (BSB)“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”Paul calls believers to overcome evil with good, as David did.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Proverbs warns of the trouble that follows one who returns evil for good.
General
What did Saul say he now knew for certain (1 Samuel 24:20)?
Answer: David would become king and rule over Israel
Saul said that he now knew for sure that David would reign and that Israel’s kingdom would be made firm under his rule (24:20). This was no new idea. After Saul’s disobedience, Samuel had told him the LORD had chosen another man, one after God’s own heart, to lead His people (13:14), and that Saul’s royal rule had been handed to a neighbor better than Saul (15:28). Jonathan had even told David that Saul knew this (23:17). Now Saul admits it out loud.
- 1 Samuel 24:20 (BSB)“Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.”Saul acknowledges that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.””The LORD had already sought another man to rule His people.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel told Saul the kingdom had been given to someone better.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan said even Saul knew David would be king.
Theological
What did Saul openly acknowledge about the future in 1 Samuel 24:20?
Answer: David would become king and rule over Israel
Saul confesses what God had already decreed: David will reign and the kingdom will be made firm in his hand (24:20). The LORD had rejected Saul and chosen another, a man after God’s own heart (13:14), had torn the kingdom from Saul for a better neighbor (15:28), and Jonathan had said Saul knew it (23:17). God’s purpose stands even as Saul resists it.
- 1 Samuel 24:20 (BSB)“Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.”Saul acknowledges that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.””The LORD had already sought another man to rule His people.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel told Saul the kingdom had been given to someone better.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan said even Saul knew David would be king.
General
What did David ask the LORD to do about the wrong Saul was doing to him (1 Samuel 24:12, 15)?
Answer: Judge between them and avenge David Himself
David asked the LORD to judge between him and Saul and to take vengeance on Saul, yet he said twice that his own hand would never be against the king (24:12-13). He asked God to see, plead his case, and rescue him from Saul (24:15). David did not pretend the wrong was small, but he left the punishing of it to God. The law had already said that vengeance belongs to the LORD (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Paul quotes this when he tells Christians not to take revenge (Romans 12:19). Jesus showed the same trust in His sufferings: He did not strike back but committed Himself to God, the righteous Judge (1 Peter 2:23).
- 1 Samuel 24:12 (BSB)“May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.”David asks the LORD to judge and avenge him, but will not harm Saul himself.
- 1 Samuel 24:15 (BSB)“May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.””David asks the LORD to plead his case and rescue him.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD declares that vengeance and repayment belong to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul quotes that word to forbid believers from avenging themselves.
- 1 Peter 2:23 (BSB)“When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Christ did not retaliate but entrusted Himself to the righteous Judge.
Theological
What did David ask the LORD to do about Saul’s wrongs against him in 1 Samuel 24:12-15?
Answer: Judge between them and avenge David Himself
David commits his cause to the LORD as judge: let the LORD judge, avenge, plead his case and deliver him, while David’s own hand stays off Saul (24:12-13, 15). He does not minimize Saul’s guilt; he relocates the right of retribution to God. This is the principle of Deuteronomy 32:35, which Paul applies to believers (Romans 12:19), and it is supremely embodied in Christ, who did not retaliate but committed Himself to the righteous Judge (1 Peter 2:23).
- 1 Samuel 24:12 (BSB)“May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.”David asks the LORD to judge and avenge him, but will not harm Saul himself.
- 1 Samuel 24:15 (BSB)“May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.””David asks the LORD to plead his case and rescue him.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD declares that vengeance and repayment belong to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul quotes that word to forbid believers from avenging themselves.
- 1 Peter 2:23 (BSB)“When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Christ did not retaliate but entrusted Himself to the righteous Judge.