I Samuel 26 · The Lantern

David Again Spares Saul

And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, facing Jeshimon?”

And Saul rose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

And Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah, which faces Jeshimon, by the way. Now David was staying in the wilderness; and he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness.

And David sent spies, and knew that Saul had certainly come.

And David rose and came to the place where Saul had camped; and David saw the place where Saul was lying, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. And Saul was lying within the camp circle, with the people camped all around him.

And David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul, to the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

So David and Abishai came to the people by night — and look, Saul lying asleep within the camp circle, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people lying all around him.

And Abishai said to David: “God has shut up your enemy into your hand today. And now, let me strike him, please, with the spear into the ground — one stroke, and I will not repeat it.”

But what great and wonderful and Christian patience is to be found in David from whom Christ descended according to the flesh! David often had the opportunity to kill King Saul, his persecutor, who was eager to destroy him.

But our Saviour is so gentle that He teaches thus, "If any man wills to come after Me," and, "Whoever wills to be My disciple;" and coming to each He does not force them, but knocks at the door and says, "Open unto Me, My sister, My spouse;" and if they open to Him, He enters in, but if they delay and will not, He departs from them.

And Abisai said to David: God has delivered your enemy into your hand today, etc. The disciples, now endowed with spiritual faith, understood that all things were given into the hands of the Savior by the Father; but still hindered by carnal ignorance, they thought that the proud and despisers of his word should be sought to be devoured by fire sent from heaven.

But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him — for who has stretched out his hand against the anointed of the LORD and been clean?”

HOW CAN DAVID STILL CALL SAUL THE ANOINTED OF THE LORD, AND DO HIM HONOR IN THIS EXCELLENCE AFTER THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM? — David is not unaware that there is a divine institution in the office of the royal order; therefore he honors Saul, who is still placed within that same institution, lest he seem to do injury to God, who has decreed honor for these orders.

But this is marvelous not only for the fact that he grants life to the one who is doing everything against his life, but because David, although he had been anointed to the office of king and knew that he would not otherwise partake of that position unless Saul were out of the way, judged it better to suffer ill patiently in his private low estate than to enter upon the kingshi…

For who has stretched out his hand against the Lord's anointed? etc., according to the ongoing exposition indeed demonstrates that no one is free from the crime of sacrilege, who attempts to invade the kingdom of the Jewish people, given specially to him by the Lord, and consecrated with holy oil, and to profane the city and the temple dedicated to divine worship, disregarding…

And David said: “As the LORD lives, surely the LORD will strike him — or his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away.

Far be it from me, by the LORD, to stretch out my hand against the anointed of the LORD. But now take, please, the spear that is at his head, and the jug of water, and let us go.”

And David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went their way. And no one saw, and no one knew, and no one awoke — for all of them were sleeping, because a deep sleep of the LORD had fallen on them.

David Reproves Abner

And David crossed over to the other side and stood on the top of the mountain far off — a great distance between them.

And David called to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling to the king?”

And David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? So why have you not kept guard over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.

This thing you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you are sons of death — you who have not kept guard over your lord, over the anointed of the LORD. And now, see — where are the king’s spear and the jug of water that were at his head?”

And Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”

And he said: “Why is my lord pursuing after his servant? For what have I done? And what evil is in my hand?

Now then, let my lord the king hear, please, the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he smell an offering. But if it is the sons of men, cursed are they before the LORD — for they have driven me out today from joining myself to the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

And now, let my blood not fall to the ground away from the presence of the LORD — for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

Saul Acknowledges His Sin

And Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David — for I will not harm you again, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Look — I have acted foolishly, and have gone very greatly astray.”

And David answered and said, “Look — the king’s spear. Let one of the young men cross over and take it.

And the LORD will return to each man his righteousness and his faithfulness — for the LORD gave you today into my hand, and I was not willing to stretch out my hand against the anointed of the LORD.

And look — as your life was great in my eyes this day, so may my life be great in the eyes of the LORD, and may he rescue me from all distress.”

And Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, my son David. You will surely do great things, and you will surely prevail.” And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

I Samuel26

David Again Spares Saul

David Reproves Abner

Saul Acknowledges His Sin