1 Samuel 26: David spares Saul a second time and takes his spear and water jar
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What happens?
The Ziphites tell Saul that David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah, and Saul goes down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men. By night David and Abishai come into the camp, where Saul lies asleep with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; Abishai asks to strike him, but David says no one can stretch out his hand against Yahweh's anointed and be guiltless, and they take only the spear and the water jar, because a deep sleep from Yahweh has fallen on the camp. From a far hilltop David calls out to Abner for not guarding the king, and asks Saul why he is chasing him. Saul says, "I have sinned," and blesses David, and the two go their separate ways.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. The Ziphites speak to Saul in verse 1. David and Abishai speak in verses 6 and 8 to 11. David calls out to Abner in verses 14 to 16, and Abner answers in verse 14. Saul and David speak to each other in verses 17 to 25. The words that name Yahweh in David's speeches are David's own. Verse 12, that a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them, is the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?”
In plain English: The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is David not hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which faces the desert (or: Jeshimon)?"
Good to know: The Ziphites came to Saul with nearly the same words in : "Doesn't David hide himself with us ... in the hill of Hachilah". In chapter 24 David spared Saul in the cave, and here he spares him a second time.
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2Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
In plain English: So Saul got up and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel, to look for David in the wilderness of Ziph.
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3Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
In plain English: Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah, which faces the desert, beside the road. David was staying in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness.
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4David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had certainly come.
In plain English: So David sent out spies, and he learned that Saul had indeed come (or: had come to a certain place).
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5Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.
In plain English: Then David got up and came to the place where Saul had camped. David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying inside the camp circle (this Bible: the place of the wagons), with the people camped around him.
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6Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
In plain English: Then David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and asked, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" Abishai said, "I will go down with you."
Good to know: names Zeruiah as a sister of David, and Abishai, Joab and Asahel as her sons.
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7So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay around him.
In plain English: So David and Abishai came to the people by night. There was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp circle, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people were lying around him.
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8Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
In plain English: Then Abishai said to David, "God has handed your enemy over to you (literally: into your hand) today. So now please let me pin him to the ground with the spear in one stroke. I will not strike him a second time."
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9David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
In plain English: David said to Abishai, "Do not kill (this Bible: destroy) him! Who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh's anointed and be guiltless?"
The Hebrew word: "Anointed" is mashiach, which the dictionary gives as "anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah". In 1 Samuel this Bible says "anointed" in all 11 verses that use it. David said the same of Saul in the cave: "he is Yahweh's anointed" (). He says it again in verses 11, 16 and 23.
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10David said, “As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish.
In plain English: David said, "As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away (this Bible: perish).
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11Yahweh forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let’s go.”
In plain English: Yahweh forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Yahweh's anointed. But now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go."
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12So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.
In plain English: So David took the spear and the jar of water from beside Saul's head, and they went away. No one saw it, no one knew it, and no one woke up, because they were all asleep: a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.
The Hebrew word: "A deep sleep" is tardemah, which the dictionary gives as "a lethargy or (by implication) trance". It is the word for the sleep Yahweh God caused to fall on the man in , and for the deep sleep that fell on Abram in . The text says this sleep came from Yahweh. These are the narrator's words.
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13Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain far away, a great space being between them;
In plain English: Then David crossed over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill (this Bible: mountain), with a wide space between them.
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14and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Don’t you answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
In plain English: David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, "Will you not answer, Abner?" Abner answered, "Who are you, calling to the king?"
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15David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
In plain English: David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? One of the people came in to kill (this Bible: destroy) your lord the king.
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16This thing isn’t good that you have done. As Yahweh lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, Yahweh’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”
In plain English: What you have done is not good. As Yahweh lives, you deserve to die (literally: you are sons of death), because you have not guarded your lord, Yahweh's anointed. Now look: where is the king's spear, and the jar of water that was at his head?"
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17Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”
In plain English: Saul knew David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king."
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18He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?
In plain English: He said, "Why is my lord chasing after his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
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19Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that Yahweh has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before Yahweh; for they have driven me out today that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’
In plain English: So now, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If it is Yahweh who has stirred you up against me, let him accept (literally: smell) an offering. But if it is people (literally: the sons of men), they are cursed (or: may they be cursed) before Yahweh, because today they have driven me out so that I have no share in Yahweh's inheritance, saying, 'Go, serve other gods!'
The Hebrew word: "Let him accept an offering" is word for word "let him smell an offering". The word is ruach, which the dictionary gives as "to blow, i.e. breathe; only (literally) to smell". The same word is used when Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma of Noah's offering in .
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20Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
In plain English: So now, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from Yahweh's presence. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a single flea, as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
Good to know: In the cave David had asked, "Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?" (). "Partridge" is qore, which the dictionary gives as "a caller, i.e. partridge (from its cry)". It is in only 2 verses: here and .
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21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
In plain English: Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, my son David, because I will not harm you again, since my life was precious in your eyes today. Look, I have acted like a fool, and I have gone very far astray."
The Hebrew word: "I have played the fool" is from sakal, which the dictionary gives as "to be silly". It is the word Samuel used to Saul in : "You have done foolishly."
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22David answered, “Behold the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.
In plain English: David answered, "Here is the king's spear (or: Here is the spear, O king)! Let one of the young men come over and get it.
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23Yahweh will give to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed.
In plain English: Yahweh will repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. Yahweh handed you over to me today, but I would not stretch out my hand against Yahweh's anointed.
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24Behold, as your life was respected today in my eyes, so let my life be respected in Yahweh’s eyes, and let him deliver me out of all oppression.”
In plain English: Look, as your life was valued (this Bible: respected) in my eyes today, so may my life be valued in Yahweh's eyes, and may he rescue me from all trouble (this Bible: oppression)."
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25Then Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David. You will both do mightily, and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
In plain English: Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David. You will surely do great things, and you will surely win (this Bible: prevail)." So David went on his way, and Saul went back home (literally: to his place).
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