1 Samuel 24:1-26 KJV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:1-8

Here, I. Saul renews his pursuit of David, 1 Sam. 24:1, 2. No sooner had he come home safely from chasing the Philistines, in which it should seem he had good success, than he enquired after David to do him a mischief, and resolved to have another thrust at him, as if he had been delivered to do all these abominations, Jer. 7:10. By the frequent incursions of the Philistines, he might have seen how necessary it was to recall David from his banishment and restore him to his place in the army... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:9-15

We have here David's warm and pathetic speech to Saul, wherein he endeavours to convince him that he did him a great deal of wrong in persecuting him thus and to persuade him therefore to be reconciled. I. He calls him father (1 Sam. 24:11), for he was not only, as king, the father of his country, but he was, in particular, his father-in-law. From a father one may expect compassion and a favourable opinion. For a prince to seek the ruin of any of his good subjects is as unnatural as for a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:16-22

I. Saul's penitent reply to David's speech. It was strange that he had patience to hear him out, considering how outrageous he was against him, and how cutting David's discourse was. But God restrained him and his men; and we may suppose Saul struck with amazement at the singularity of the event, and much more when he found how much he had lain at David's mercy. His heart must have been harder than a stone if this had not affected him. 1. He melted into tears, and we will not suppose them to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:1

And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines ,.... Having, as it should seem, got the victory over them, and driven them out of his country, and pursued them to their own: that it was told him, saying, behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi ; in the strong holds of it, the high rocks and mountains in it, 1 Samuel 23:29 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:2

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel ,.... Out of his army, with which he had been pursuing the Philistines: and went to seek David, and his men, upon the rocks of the wild goats ; which were in the wilderness of Engedi; those rocks were exceeding high and terrible to look at, full of precipices, and so prominent, that to travellers they seemed as if they would fall into the adjacent valleys, that it even struck terror into them to look at them F24 Adrichom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:3

And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave ,.... For the sheep to be led into at noon, to shelter them from the heat: such was the cave of Polyphemus, observed by Bochart F26 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 45. col. 467, 468. , in which sheep and goats lay down and slept; See Gill on Zephaniah 2:6 , and Saul went in to cover his feet ; the Targum is, to do his necessaries; and so Josephus F1 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 13. sect. 4. ; and the Jewish commentators generally... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:4

And the men of David said unto him ,.... Some of his principal men, who were about him, and near him, such as Joab and Abishai: behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee : now the time was come that he spoke of to him by Samuel, or Gad, or to himself directly: behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand ; and such was Saul, as appeared by his seeking to take away his life; and now he was in the hand of David to take away his life, if he pleased: that thou mayest do to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:5

And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him ,.... His conscience accused him, and he repented of what he had done: because he had cut off Saul's skirt ; which though less than what his servants put him upon, and he might have thoughts of doing, yet was considered by him as a great indignity to his sovereign, and therefore sat uneasy on his mind. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:6

And he said unto his men ,.... When he returned and brought the skirt of Saul's garment in his hand; or else he said this before that, though here mentioned, when they moved it to him to dispatch him, as he had a fair opportunity of doing it: God forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed ; and which he could not think of but with detestation and abhorrence, since he was his sovereign lord and master, and he a subject of his, and was anointed by the order of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:7

So David stayed his servants with these words ,.... Or pacified them, as the Targum, and made them quiet and easy in that he had not slain him, and reconciled their minds to his conduct, and restrained them from laying hands on him, by observing to them, that he was the anointed of the Lord: and suffered them not to rise against Saul; to take away his life ; he not only argued with them, but laid his commands on them that they should not slay him: but Saul rose up out of the cave, and... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:9-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:16-22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:7

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