(8) I will not smite him the second time.—The meaning of the savage words of Abishai is accurately given in Lange’s paraphrase, “I will pin him to the ground so thoroughly with one blow that it will not need another to kul him;” “et secundo non opus erit” as the Vulg. well renders it. read more
(9) Against the Lord’s anointed.—David—taught, no doubt, by the prophet Samuel—looked upon the person of Saul as made sacred and inviolable by the royal anointing. Through the anointing Saul had become the possession of Jehovah; only Jehovah, then, could lawfully take away that sacred life. This he elaborates in the next verse. It is possible that these exalted sentiments respecting the Divine rights of kings were not uttered by David while standing in the dark night among Saul’s soldiers by... read more
(10) David said furthermore.—David suggests three possible cases in which the Divine arm might smite the “anointed of Jehovah.” The first, the Lord “shall smite him” by some sudden death from disease—no doubt, the recent death of Nabal was in his mind; the second by what is termed “natural death;” and the third by some blow received in battle. The idea of an arrow winged by some unseen hand was evidently here in the speaker’s thoughts. read more
(11) The spear.—The spear was Saul’s especial sign of royalty. “This taking away of the spear from Saul’s head as he slept was an omen of the transfer of his royalty to David.”—Bishop Patrick, quoted by Wordsworth.And the cruse of water.—“A very ancient usage explains why the cruse of water is here brought into such special prominence. According to this custom, some high dignitary always had in keeping a costly ewer for the king’s necessary ablutions, and it was specially his duty to take it... read more
CHAPTER XXXI.DAVID TWICE SPARES THE LIFE OF SAUL.1 Samuel 24:1-22; 1 Samuel 26:1-25.THE invasion of the Philistines had freed David from the fear of Saul for a time, but only for a time. He knew full well that when the king of Israel had once repelled that invasion he would return to prosecute the object on which his heart was so much set. For a while he took refuge among the rocks of Engedi, that beautiful spot of which we have already spoken, and which has been embalmed in Holy Writ, as... read more
CHAPTER 26 1. The Ziphites and Saul’s pursuit (1 Samuel 26:1-4 ) 2. David again spares Saul (1 Samuel 26:5-12 ) 3. David’s words to Abner (1 Samuel 26:13-16 ) 4. David’s words to Saul (1 Samuel 26:17-20 ) 5. Saul’s confession and David’s reply (1 Samuel 26:21-25 ) Hachilah, where we find David now, was six miles east of Ziph and about halfway to En-gedi. The Ziphites once more reveal his hiding place to Saul. And Saul was rushing forward to his doom when with his three thousand... read more
26:8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: 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 {d} second time.(d) Meaning, he would make him sure at one stroke. read more
26:9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand {e} against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?(e) That is, in his own private cause: for Jehu slew two kings at God’s appointment, 2 Kings 9:24. read more
It seems tragically foolish on Saul's part that he should respond as he did to another message from the Ziphites to the effect that David was hiding in the hill country of Hachilah (v.1). He had told David only a short time before this, "I know well that thou shalt surely be king" (ch.24:20). Now he seems to have forgotten this and forgotten the kindness of David to him, and again takes three thousand chosen men to hunt David as a defenseless deer. Of course David and his men knew the... read more
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John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 26:1-25
David spares Saul’s Life a Second Time1. Hachilah] near the wilderness of Ziph: see 1 Samuel 23:19. 4. Was come in very deed] Heb. ’was come to Nakon.’ Nakon = ’a set place’ (RM), though it may have been the corruption of a place-name, such as Maon.6. Hittite] So he belonged to one of the original inhabitants of the country. We might expect to find some of them among David’s followers: cp. 1 Samuel 22:2. Uriah, another Hittite, played an important part in David’s history. Abishai] is here... read more