Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 26:1 - 26:12

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 26:1 - 26:12


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

David in Saul's Camp

v. 1. And the Ziphites, who had once before played traitors against David, came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, south of the wilderness?

v. 2. Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph,
having forgotten, apparently, that he owed his life to the magnanimity of David, 1Sa_24:18, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, evidently his permanent guard and the nucleus of his standing army, 1Sa_13:2, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

v. 3. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah,
for the entire neighborhood bore this name, the mountain with its foothills and lower slopes, which is before Jeshimon, by the way, on the well-known highroad which passed along near the mountain. But David abode in the wilderness, having withdrawn from the mountain Hachilah, and, or for, he saw, he found out through his scouts, that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

v. 4. David, therefore, sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed,
he received definite information to that effect, the matter was beyond a doubt.

v. 5. And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched,
he himself made a scouting trip by night, accompanied by at least a few of his faithful men; and David, having reached a spot where he could overlook the entire camp of Saul, beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay in the trench, inside the wagon fortification, or rampart, and the people pitched round about him.

v. 6. Then answered David and said to Ahimelech, the Hittite,
for parts of this heathen nation had remained and were gradually merged with the Israelites, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, the son of David's sister and afterwards one of David's captains, 1Ch_2:16; 2Sa_18:2; 2Sa_20:6; 2Sa_23:19, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? It was a very dangerous trip for the purpose of reconnoitering the king's camp. And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

v. 7. So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench,
probably considering the bulwark of the wagons a sufficient safeguard, and his spear, the sign of royal authority, stuck in the ground at his bolster, near his head, to be ready for any emergency; but Abner and the people lay round about him, all soundly asleep.

v. 8. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day;
for so, according to the usage of war, he regarded Saul; now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. This grim remark, that there would be no need of a second blow, shows how David's men felt about Saul's searching expedition.

v. 9. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?
David had not changed his position toward Saul's person, as being sacred and inviolable by virtue of his kingship, 1Sa_24:6.

v. 10. And David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him,
or, unless the Lord smite him, for David's oath put the revenge entirely in God's hand, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish, these three being the contingencies which David took into account: sudden death by a stroke, a normal death, and death in battle.

v. 11. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed;
he would not, on the part of the Lord, on the Lord's account, take vengeance into his own hand; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, at his head, and the cruse of water, the water-pitcher, and let us go.

v. 12. So David,
Abishai acting for him, took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away; and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them, Jehovah thus expressing His approval of David's expedition. That is the disposition of the children of God, not to seek their own revenge, but to place their matter into the hands of the Lord, for He has said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. "