1 Samuel 26 Study Notes: David Spares Saul a Second Time
Saul again hunts David in the desert of Ziph. David and Abishai slip into the sleeping camp, but David refuses to kill the king God anointed, taking Saul’s spear and jug of water instead. From a distance he rebukes Abner and pleads with Saul, who confesses his sin and blesses David.
General
When David asked who would go down with him into Saul’s camp, who volunteered (1 Samuel 26:6)?
Answer: Abishai, Zeruiah’s son
David put the question to the Hittite Ahimelech and to Abishai, Zeruiah’s son and Joab’s brother, and Abishai answered that he would go (26:6). This Ahimelech is a Hittite in David’s band, not the priest of the same name. That night the two of them reached Saul, who lay asleep at the center of the encampment, his spear planted upright beside his head, while Abner and the soldiers slept around him (26:7). Abner was the commander of Saul’s army (14:50). Abishai would later become a leading warrior among David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:18).
- 1 Samuel 26:6 (BSB)“And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.”David asks who will go with him, and Abishai volunteers.
- 1 Samuel 26:7 (BSB)“That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.”David and Abishai find Saul asleep in the camp with his spear by his head.
- 1 Samuel 14:50 (BSB)“His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.”Abner, sleeping beside Saul, was the commander of his army.
- 2 Samuel 23:18 (BSB)“Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.”Abishai, Joab’s brother, later became a chief among David’s warriors.
Theological
Which of David’s companions answered his call to enter Saul’s camp by night (1 Samuel 26:6-7)?
Answer: Abishai, Zeruiah’s son
David put the question to two men, the Hittite Ahimelech (not the priest of Nob) and Zeruiah’s son Abishai, and Abishai volunteered (26:6). They found Saul asleep at the center of the camp, his spear planted by his head, with Abner, his commander (14:50), and the troops around him (26:7). Abishai later appears as a leader of the Three among David’s warriors (2 Samuel 23:18).
- 1 Samuel 26:6 (BSB)“And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.”David asks who will go with him, and Abishai volunteers.
- 1 Samuel 26:7 (BSB)“That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.”David and Abishai find Saul asleep in the camp with his spear by his head.
- 1 Samuel 14:50 (BSB)“His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.”Abner, sleeping beside Saul, was the commander of his army.
- 2 Samuel 23:18 (BSB)“Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.”Abishai, Joab’s brother, later became a chief among David’s warriors.
General
What did Abishai ask David to let him do (1 Samuel 26:8)?
Answer: Pin Saul to the earth with a single thrust
Abishai told David that God had handed his enemy over to him that day, and asked permission to drive the spear through Saul and into the earth with a single blow, adding that he would not need a second (26:8). Saul himself had once hurled a spear at David (18:10-11). Abishai’s reasoning echoes what David’s men had said in the cave at En-gedi (24:4). Years later Abishai would again offer to kill a man who had wronged David (2 Samuel 16:9).
- 1 Samuel 26:8 (BSB)“Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!””Abishai asks to kill Saul with one thrust of the spear.
- 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 at En-gedi had likewise said the LORD had given David his enemy.
- 1 Samuel 18:10-11 (BSB)“The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”Saul had once hurled his spear at David.
- 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 later again asks David’s leave to kill a man who wronged him.
Theological
What did Abishai propose once he and David stood over the sleeping king (1 Samuel 26:8)?
Answer: Pin Saul to the earth with a single thrust
Abishai reads the scene as divine deliverance and asks to finish Saul with one thrust of the spear (26:8); Saul himself had once hurled a spear at David (18:10-11). His logic repeats that of David’s men in the cave (24:4), and his readiness to strike recurs later (2 Samuel 16:9).
- 1 Samuel 26:8 (BSB)“Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!””Abishai asks to kill Saul with one thrust of the spear.
- 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 at En-gedi had likewise said the LORD had given David his enemy.
- 1 Samuel 18:10-11 (BSB)“The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”Saul had once hurled his spear at David.
- 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 later again asks David’s leave to kill a man who wronged him.
General
When David shouted across to Abner, what did he tell him to look for (1 Samuel 26:16)?
Answer: Saul’s spear and jug of water from near his head
From a hilltop with a wide gap between them, David called out to Abner (26:13-14). He mocked Abner as a great man with no equal in Israel, yet one who had failed to guard his king when an intruder came to kill him. David said Abner and his men deserved death for failing to guard the king the LORD had anointed, and told him to look for Saul’s spear and jug of water that had lain near his head (26:15-16). Abner was the commander of Saul’s army (14:50), yet his guard had failed completely; Saul was alive only because David refused to strike him. Psalm 127:1 says that watchmen keep watch for nothing unless the LORD guards the city.
- 1 Samuel 26:13-14 (BSB)“Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them. And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.”David calls to Abner from a distant hilltop.
- 1 Samuel 26:15-16 (BSB)“So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?””David rebukes Abner for failing to guard the king and points to the missing spear and jug.
- 1 Samuel 14:50 (BSB)“His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.”Abner was the commander of Saul’s army, responsible for the king’s safety.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Watchmen guard in vain unless the LORD Himself protects.
Theological
What evidence did David point to in rebuking Abner for failing to guard the king (1 Samuel 26:16)?
Answer: Saul’s spear and jug of water from near his head
From across the gulf David taunts Abner, Saul’s commander (14:50), for failing in his one duty: to guard the LORD’s anointed (26:13-16). The missing spear and jug of water are the proof. The irony is that Saul’s life was preserved not by his guards but by the restraint of the man he hunted, under God’s providence (cf. Psalm 127:1).
- 1 Samuel 26:13-14 (BSB)“Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them. And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.”David calls to Abner from a distant hilltop.
- 1 Samuel 26:15-16 (BSB)“So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?””David rebukes Abner for failing to guard the king and points to the missing spear and jug.
- 1 Samuel 14:50 (BSB)“His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.”Abner was the commander of Saul’s army, responsible for the king’s safety.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Watchmen guard in vain unless the LORD Himself protects.
General
Why did no one in Saul’s camp wake up while David carried off Saul’s spear and jug of water (1 Samuel 26:12)?
Answer: The LORD had caused them all to sleep heavily
David told Abishai to take Saul’s spear and the jug of water near his head, and then David took them himself and the two left (26:11-12). No one saw, no one knew, and no one woke, because the LORD had sent a deep sleep on them all (26:12). The narrator makes clear that David’s safe escape was God’s doing, not just his own skill. God can make people sleep deeply for His purposes (Genesis 2:21), while He Himself never sleeps as He watches over His people (Psalm 121:3-4).
- 1 Samuel 26:12 (BSB)“So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.”David takes the spear and water jug while a deep sleep from the LORD keeps the camp asleep.
- Genesis 2:21 (BSB)“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh.”The LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.
- Psalm 121:3-4 (BSB)“He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”The LORD who protects His people never slumbers or sleeps.
Theological
How does the narrator explain the silence of Saul’s camp during David’s raid (1 Samuel 26:12)?
Answer: The LORD had caused them all to sleep heavily
The narrator attributes the camp’s stupor directly to the LORD: He had cast a heavy slumber over them, so that David could remove Saul’s spear and jug of water unseen (26:11-12). David’s daring succeeds under God’s sovereign providence. The same God who once caused Adam to fall into deep sleep (Genesis 2:21) is the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4).
- 1 Samuel 26:12 (BSB)“So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.”David takes the spear and water jug while a deep sleep from the LORD keeps the camp asleep.
- Genesis 2:21 (BSB)“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh.”The LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.
- Psalm 121:3-4 (BSB)“He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”The LORD who protects His people never slumbers or sleeps.
General
What did David say the men who stirred Saul against him had done to him (1 Samuel 26:19)?
Answer: Cut him off from the LORD’s people and worship
David asked Saul what wrong he had done (26:18). Then he offered two possibilities: if the LORD had stirred Saul against him, let Him be pleased with an offering; if people had done it, let them be under a curse before the LORD (26:19). Those men had driven David away from his share in the LORD’s inheritance, the land and people where the LORD was worshiped, as if telling him to go and serve other gods (26:19). He pleaded that his blood not be spilled far from the LORD’s presence (26:20). For David, being cut off from God’s people and worship was a deep loss. In exile, God’s people would end up serving idols fashioned by human hands (Deuteronomy 4:28), while the psalms speak of longing for God in the wilderness (Psalm 63:1) and of preferring one day in God’s courts to a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10).
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”David says men have driven him from the LORD’s inheritance.
- 1 Samuel 26:20 (BSB)“So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.””David asks that his blood not fall far from the LORD’s presence.
- Deuteronomy 4:28 (BSB)“And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.”Moses warned that in exile Israel would serve man-made gods.
- Psalm 63:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.”David’s psalm from the wilderness expresses his thirst for God.
- Psalm 84:10 (BSB)“For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”The psalmist values one day in God’s courts above a thousand elsewhere.
Theological
In his appeal to Saul, what did David say the men who turned Saul against him had done to him (1 Samuel 26:19)?
Answer: Cut him off from the LORD’s people and worship
David’s appeal (26:18-20) distinguishes two possible sources of Saul’s hostility: divine provocation, to be met by an offering, or human instigation, which deserves a curse before the LORD (26:19). The slanderers have driven him from his portion in the LORD’s inheritance, effectively consigning him to other gods (26:19), and he begs not to die far from the LORD’s presence (26:20). Exclusion from the covenant land and worship meant exposure to idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:28); the longing for God’s presence is voiced by David in Psalm 63:1 and by the sons of Korah in Psalm 84:10.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”David says men have driven him from the LORD’s inheritance.
- 1 Samuel 26:20 (BSB)“So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.””David asks that his blood not fall far from the LORD’s presence.
- Deuteronomy 4:28 (BSB)“And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.”Moses warned that in exile Israel would serve man-made gods.
- Psalm 63:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.”David’s psalm from the wilderness expresses his thirst for God.
- Psalm 84:10 (BSB)“For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”The psalmist values one day in God’s courts above a thousand elsewhere.
General
After reminding Saul that he had spared his life, what did David ask the LORD to do for him (1 Samuel 26:24)?
Answer: Value David’s life as David had valued Saul’s
David told Saul to send a young man to get the king’s spear (26:22). He prayed that the LORD would repay each person according to his uprightness and loyalty, since the LORD had put Saul in his hand that day, yet he would not harm the king God had anointed (26:23). Then he asked that, just as he had treated Saul’s life as precious, the LORD would treat his life as precious and rescue him from all trouble (26:24). David was not claiming to earn God’s favor; he was trusting God to act justly and protect him. Scripture teaches that God shows Himself faithful to the faithful (Psalm 18:25), and Jesus said the merciful receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). Saul answered with a blessing, saying David would do great things and surely prevail (26:25).
- 1 Samuel 26:23-24 (BSB)“May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.””David asks the LORD to value his life as he valued Saul’s.
- 1 Samuel 26:25 (BSB)“Saul said to him, “May you be blessed, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will surely prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.”Saul blesses David and foresees his success.
- Psalm 18:25 (BSB)“To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;”David’s psalm says God shows Himself faithful to the faithful.
- Matthew 5:7 (BSB)“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”Jesus promises mercy to the merciful.
Theological
What request did David make of the LORD after offering to return Saul’s spear (1 Samuel 26:23-24)?
Answer: Value David’s life as David had valued Saul’s
David commits himself to the LORD who rewards righteousness and faithfulness (26:23), and asks that as he has valued Saul’s life, the LORD would value his and deliver him from all distress (26:24). This is not a claim of merit but trust in God’s just and faithful character, who shows Himself faithful to the faithful (Psalm 18:25), echoed in Christ’s blessing on the merciful (Matthew 5:7). Saul’s closing blessing foresees David’s success (26:25).
- 1 Samuel 26:23-24 (BSB)“May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.””David asks the LORD to value his life as he valued Saul’s.
- 1 Samuel 26:25 (BSB)“Saul said to him, “May you be blessed, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will surely prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.”Saul blesses David and foresees his success.
- Psalm 18:25 (BSB)“To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;”David’s psalm says God shows Himself faithful to the faithful.
- Matthew 5:7 (BSB)“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”Jesus promises mercy to the merciful.
General
What reason did David give Abishai for not killing Saul (1 Samuel 26:9)?
Answer: No one could harm the king God anointed and stay innocent
David told Abishai not to destroy Saul, asking who could lay a hand on the king God had anointed and remain free of guilt (26:9). The LORD’s anointed meant the king God had chosen and set apart with holy oil. David had held to the same conviction at En-gedi (24:6), and he repeated it here, refusing to raise his hand against Saul (26:11). A psalm recalling the patriarchs has God warning kings not to touch His anointed ones (Psalm 105:15), and David applied the same reverence to the anointed king.
- 1 Samuel 26:9 (BSB)“But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?””David forbids Abishai to harm the LORD’s anointed.
- 1 Samuel 26:11 (BSB)“But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.””David again refuses to raise his hand against Saul.
- 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 had held the same conviction when he spared Saul at En-gedi.
- 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 principle did David forbid Abishai to strike Saul (1 Samuel 26:9)?
Answer: No one could harm the king God anointed and stay innocent
David’s prohibition rests on a principle: no one who attacks the king the LORD anointed can remain guiltless (26:9; cf. 26:11). He had acted on the same conviction at En-gedi (24:6). The king’s anointing placed him under God’s protection and judgment alone. David’s reverence echoes the LORD’s warning to kings on behalf of the patriarchs, His anointed ones (Psalm 105:15).
- 1 Samuel 26:9 (BSB)“But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?””David forbids Abishai to harm the LORD’s anointed.
- 1 Samuel 26:11 (BSB)“But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.””David again refuses to raise his hand against Saul.
- 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 had held the same conviction when he spared Saul at En-gedi.
- 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
True or False: After David’s speech, Saul admitted he had sinned and behaved like a fool, and promised not to harm David again.
Answer: True
This is true. Saul said he had sinned, called David to come back, and promised never to harm him again, because David had treated his life as precious that day. He admitted he had acted like a fool and made a serious mistake (26:21). Yet David did not go back to him. He told Saul to send a young man across to get the spear (26:22), and the two went their separate ways (26:25). Soon afterward David decided that Saul would one day destroy him and fled to the Philistines (27:1). Saul had confessed his sin before, after his disobedience over the Amalekites, yet in the same conversation he asked Samuel to honor him before the people (15:24, 30).
- 1 Samuel 26:21 (BSB)“Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!””Saul confesses his sin and promises not to harm David.
- 1 Samuel 27:1 (BSB)“David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.””David concludes he is still in danger and flees to the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 15:24 (BSB)“Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”Saul had earlier said he had sinned after disobeying the LORD’s command.
- 1 Samuel 15:30 (BSB)““I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.””In the same scene Saul asked to be honored before the elders.
Theological
True or False: Saul responded to David’s appeal by confessing his sin and folly and promising to do David no further harm.
Answer: True
This is true. Saul confesses that he has sinned and played the fool, invites David back, and promises him no further harm (26:21). David, however, does not return; he has the spear fetched (26:22) and departs (26:25), soon concluding that he will perish at Saul’s hand unless he leaves Israel (27:1). Saul’s earlier confession after the Amalekite campaign had likewise been joined to a concern for his own honor (15:24, 30).
- 1 Samuel 26:21 (BSB)“Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!””Saul confesses his sin and promises not to harm David.
- 1 Samuel 27:1 (BSB)“David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.””David concludes he is still in danger and flees to the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 15:24 (BSB)“Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”Saul had earlier said he had sinned after disobeying the LORD’s command.
- 1 Samuel 15:30 (BSB)““I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.””In the same scene Saul asked to be honored before the elders.
General
According to David, how would Saul’s life come to an end (1 Samuel 26:10)?
Answer: The LORD would strike him, by natural death or in battle
David swore by the living LORD that the LORD Himself would strike Saul down: either Saul’s day would come and he would die, or he would fall in battle (26:10). David left both the timing and the way of Saul’s death in God’s hands, refusing to take the matter into his own (26:11). Our times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15), and vengeance belongs to Him (Romans 12:19). Saul did in fact die later in battle against the Philistines, together with his sons (31:6).
- 1 Samuel 26:10 (BSB)“David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.”David says the LORD Himself will bring Saul’s life to an end.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”David confesses that his times are in God’s hands.
- 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 teaches that vengeance belongs to God.
- 1 Samuel 31:6 (BSB)“So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.”Saul later dies in battle along with his sons.
Theological
How did David say Saul’s death would come about (1 Samuel 26:10)?
Answer: The LORD would strike him, by natural death or in battle
David commits Saul’s end entirely to God: the LORD will strike him, whether by natural death or in battle (26:10). He will not hasten God’s judgment by his own hand (26:11). The confession that our times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15) and that vengeance is His (Romans 12:19) shapes David’s restraint, and the narrative later records Saul’s death in battle with his sons (31:6).
- 1 Samuel 26:10 (BSB)“David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.”David says the LORD Himself will bring Saul’s life to an end.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”David confesses that his times are in God’s hands.
- 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 teaches that vengeance belongs to God.
- 1 Samuel 31:6 (BSB)“So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.”Saul later dies in battle along with his sons.
General
Who told Saul that David was hiding at Hachilah (1 Samuel 26:1)?
Answer: The Ziphites
Men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and reported David’s hiding place at Hachilah (26:1), just as they had done once before (23:19). Saul marched into the Ziph wilderness with three thousand picked men to hunt David (26:2). Although Saul had wept and admitted at En-gedi that David was more righteous than he (24:17), he was hunting David again. One of David’s psalms is tied in its heading to a time when the Ziphites betrayed his hiding place to Saul (Psalm 54:1).
- 1 Samuel 26:1 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?””The Ziphites tell Saul where David is hiding.
- 1 Samuel 26:2 (BSB)“So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.”Saul goes down to the Wilderness of Ziph with three thousand men.
- 1 Samuel 23:19 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?”The Ziphites had earlier reported David’s hiding place to Saul.
- 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 had already confessed that David was more righteous than he.
- Psalm 54:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!”A psalm of David is linked by its heading to the Ziphites’ betrayal.
Theological
Who reported David’s location to Saul in Gibeah, prompting yet another pursuit into the wilderness (1 Samuel 26:1)?
Answer: The Ziphites
For the second time the Ziphites betray David to Saul in Gibeah (26:1; cf. 23:19), and Saul marches out with three thousand picked troops (26:2), despite his tearful confession at En-gedi (24:17). The heading of Psalm 54 connects David’s prayer for vindication to the Ziphites’ treachery (Psalm 54:1).
- 1 Samuel 26:1 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?””The Ziphites tell Saul where David is hiding.
- 1 Samuel 26:2 (BSB)“So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.”Saul goes down to the Wilderness of Ziph with three thousand men.
- 1 Samuel 23:19 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?”The Ziphites had earlier reported David’s hiding place to Saul.
- 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 had already confessed that David was more righteous than he.
- Psalm 54:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!”A psalm of David is linked by its heading to the Ziphites’ betrayal.