TRV
Translation
King James Version
And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
Complete Jewish Bible
David swore to Sha'ul, and Sha'ul went home, but David and his men went back up to the stronghold.
Berean Standard Bible
So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
American Standard Version
And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the stronghold.
World English Bible Messianic
David swore to Saul. Saul went home; but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Sweare now therfore vnto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seede after me, and that thou wilt not abolish my name out of my fathers house. So Dauid sware vnto Saul, and Saul went home: but Dauid and his men went vp vnto ye hold.
Young's Literal Translation
And David sweareth to Saul, and Saul goeth unto his house, and David and his men have gone up unto the fortress.
Study This Verse
Commentary on 1 Samuel 24 verses 16–22
16 ¶ And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
Here we have,
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 have been counterfeit but real expressions of his present concern at the sight of his own iniquity, so plainly proved upon him. He speaks as one quite overcome with David's kindness: Is this thy voice, my son David? And, as one that relented at the thought of his own folly and ingratitude, he lifted up his voice and wept, Sa1 24:16. Many mourn for their sins that do not truly repent of them, weep bitterly for them, and yet continue in love and league with them. 2. He ingenuously acknowledges David's integrity and his own iniquity (Sa1 24:17): Thou art more righteous than I. Now God made good to David that word on which he had caused him to hope, that he would bring forth his righteousness as the light, Psa 37:6. Those who take care to keep a good conscience may leave it to God to secure them the credit of it. This fair confession was enough to prove David innocent (even his enemy himself being judge), but not enough to prove Saul himself a true penitent. He should have said, Thou are righteous, but I am wicked; but the utmost he will own is this: Thou art more righteous than I. Bad men will commonly go no further than this in their confessions; they will own they are not so good as some others are; there are those that are better than they, and more righteous. He now owns himself under a mistake concerning David (Sa1 24:18): "Thou hast shown this day that thou art so far from seeking my hurt that thou hast dealt well with me." We are too apt to suspect others to be worse affected towards us then really they are, and than perhaps they are proved to be; and when, afterwards, our mistake is discovered, we should be forward to recall our suspicions, as Saul does here. 3. He prays God to recompense David for this his generous kindness to him. He owns that David's sparing him, when he had him in his power, was an uncommon and unparalleled instance of tenderness to an enemy; no man would have done the like; and therefore, either because he thought himself not able to give him a full recompence for so great a favour, or because he found himself not inclined to give him any recompence at all, he turns him over to God for his pay: The Lord reward thee good, Sa1 24:19. Poor beggars can do no less than pray for their benefactors, and Saul did no more. 4. He prophesies his advancement to the throne (Sa1 24:20): I know well that thou shalt surely be king. He knew it before, by the promise Samuel had made him of it compared with the excellent spirit that appeared in David, which highly aggravated his sin and folly in persecuting him as he did; he had as much reason to say concerning David as David concerning him, How can I put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed? But now he knew it by the interest he found David had in the people, the special providence of God in protecting him, and the generous kingly spirit he had now given a proof of in sparing his enemy. Now he knew it, that is, now that he was in a good temper he was willing to own that he knew it and to submit to the conviction of it. Note, Sooner or later, God will force even those that are of the synagogue of Satan to know and own those that he has loved, and to worship before their feet; for so is the promise, Rev 3:9. This acknowledgement which Saul made of David's incontestable title to the crown was a great encouragement to David himself and a support to his faith and hope. 5. He binds David with an oath hereafter to show the same tenderness of his seed and of his name as he had now shown of his person, Sa1 24:21. David had more reason to oblige Saul by an oath that he would not destroy him, yet he insists not on that (if the laws of justice and honour would not bind him, an oath would not), but Saul knew David to be a conscientious man, and would think his interests safe if he could get them secured by his oath. Saul by his disobedience had ruined his own soul, and never took care by repentance to prevent that ruin, and yet is very solicitous that his name might not be destroyed nor his seed cut off. However, David swore unto him, Sa1 24:22. Though he might be tempted, not only in revenge, but in prudence, to extirpate Saul's family, yet he binds himself not to do it, knowing that God could and would establish the kingdom to him and his, without the use of such bloody methods. This oath he afterwards religiously observed; he supported Mephibosheth, and executed those as traitors that slew Ishbosheth. The hanging up of seven of Saul's posterity, to atone for the destruction of the Gibeonites, was God's appointment, not David's act, and therefore not the violation of this oath.
II. Their parting in peace. 1. Saul, for the present, desisted from the persecution. He went home convinced, but not converted; ashamed of his envy of David, yet retaining in his breast that root of bitterness; vexed that, when at last he had found David, he could not at that time find in his heart to destroy him, as he had designed. God has many ways to tie the hands of persecutors, when he does not turn their hearts. 2. David continued to shift for his own safety. He knew Saul too well to trust him, and therefore got him up into the hold. It is dangerous venturing upon the mercy of a reconciled enemy. We read of those who believed in Christ, and yet he did not commit himself to them because he knew all men. Those that like David are innocent as doves must thus like him be wise as serpents.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–22. Public domain.
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BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
So Saul went to his house, etc. The people of the Jews who were able to repent from their faithlessness through the teaching of the apostles went to work on the care of their inner salvation. On the other hand, the Lord himself and his preachers, knowing that many from the same people would wage wars against the faith, having left the lowly and earthly things, soon ascended to safer and higher places, that is, those who would rightly believe and firmly persevere, by illuminating the hearts of the Samaritans and nearby nations. This reading’s memory, and its spiritual reference to Christ, is taught by the title of the fifty-sixth Psalm, which is inscribed thus: To the end, do not destroy David, in the inscription of the title, when he fled from the face of Saul into the cave. Although it seems to be written about David in two words; it opens up in two others, because it truly signifies Christ entirely. That which says “Do not destroy David” seems to prohibit from destroying him, who had been prepared by the Lord’s promise for the kingdom, from the insidious enemy. And what it adds in the closure: When he fled from the face of Saul into the cave, it smiles upon the particular moment of time in which he was thought to be able to be destroyed. Nevertheless, what is placed in the beginning, to the end, forewarns that everything should be referred to him, who remains the perfection of all good things for us, because when we came to him, there is no longer any need to seek anything beyond. And what follows, in the inscription of the title, expresses the very title of the Lord’s passion, which Pilate wrote in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; and which itself, in figure of an unshakeable kingdom, could not be destroyed by any reasoning or by him who wrote it. Therefore, the sense of this entire title is the same, commanding the Jews not to suspect that they can take away the glory of Christ, even when he is killed and buried: To the end, do not destroy David, in the inscription of the title, when he fled from the face of Saul into the cave, understand the psalm as sung to him who is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes; so that you may seek not to destroy Christ by taking away or diminishing his kingdom, which is marked by the true inscription of the title, even when you see him enter the closed tomb through his death due to the impious harassing him; and indeed, the tomb’s closed doors were fled from the face of those pursuing him, so that they would have no power to pursue or even see him any longer. Moreover, that very psalm, according to the tenor of this same reading, openly and appropriately celebrates the Lord’s passion, burial, and resurrection, and also the faith of the Gentiles, which is mystically contained within the end of the present reading, where among other things about the triumphal passion: He gave, he says, those trampling me to reproach. (Psalm LVI). Of the burial and resurrection: He delivered my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps, I slept troubled. This trouble is better understood in his members who had not yet fully believed in his resurrection while he slept in the tomb. Likewise, of the resurrection: I will arise early. But concerning the Gentiles, inspired and cooperating to faith: I will confess to you among the peoples, O Lord, I will sing a psalm to you among the nations. And the damnation of the Jewish nation, which is marked by the cutting of Saul’s cloak in this reading, the aforementioned psalm describes this way: They dug a pit before my face, and they themselves fell into it.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Samuel 24:22 records the immediate aftermath of a deeply significant encounter between David and King Saul within the cave of En Gedi. Following David's remarkable act of mercy in sparing Saul's life, the verse details David's solemn oath to Saul, Saul's subsequent return to his royal residence, and David's prudent decision to withdraw with his men to a fortified stronghold. This pivotal moment encapsulates a temporary, fragile truce, highlighting David's unwavering integrity and continued strategic caution in the face of persistent, unpredictable threats from the reigning monarch.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices that enrich its meaning and foreshadow future events. Contrast is prominently featured, juxtaposing Saul's return "home" (implying a return to normalcy, comfort, and royal authority) with David's continued retreat to "the hold" (signifying ongoing danger, vigilance, and a life of displacement). This stark contrast effectively highlights the differing realities, mindsets, and spiritual states of the two men. There is also a strong element of foreshadowing in David's continued caution; his decision to remain in a stronghold implicitly warns the reader that Saul's "repentance" is not permanent or deeply transformative, anticipating the renewed and relentless pursuit that will occur in subsequent chapters (e.g., 1 Samuel 26). Finally, "the hold" functions as a powerful symbol of refuge and security, not only in a physical sense for David and his men but also, for the discerning reader, as a metaphorical representation of God's unwavering protection and faithfulness over David, echoing the frequent use of "fortress" or "stronghold" for God in David's later psalms.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Samuel 24:22 powerfully illustrates the tension between human reconciliation and the ongoing reality of sin's influence, alongside the unwavering wisdom and integrity of God's chosen servant. David's profound act of integrity in swearing an oath to Saul, despite Saul's malicious intent and relentless persecution, underscores the biblical principle of respecting God-ordained authority and demonstrating radical mercy, even to those who seek to harm us. Yet, David's subsequent retreat to a stronghold reveals a profound spiritual discernment: true repentance is marked by lasting change and consistent behavior, not merely fleeting emotion or temporary remorse. This wisdom teaches believers to be gracious and forgiving, but also to exercise prudence and caution, recognizing that while we extend forgiveness, we must also protect ourselves from persistent patterns of harm and instability. Ultimately, the verse affirms God's protective hand over David, guiding him through perilous circumstances and demonstrating that His divine plans will prevail, regardless of human opposition or the unpredictable nature of adversaries.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse offers profound and practical lessons for believers navigating complex relationships, especially those marked by conflict, betrayal, or unpredictable behavior. David's actions demonstrate the delicate yet crucial balance between extending grace and exercising wisdom. We are called to embody Christ-like integrity, showing mercy, honoring our commitments, and trusting God to be our ultimate vindicator, even when others act unjustly towards us. However, David's decision to retreat to a stronghold, despite Saul's apparent change of heart, serves as a powerful reminder that while we are commanded to forgive, we must also exercise spiritual discernment. Not all expressions of remorse lead to genuine, lasting transformation, and prudence dictates that we protect ourselves from repeated patterns of harm or instability. Our ultimate "hold" and security is found in God alone, yet He also grants us wisdom and discernment to navigate earthly dangers and make wise decisions for our safety and well-being. This passage encourages us to live with unwavering integrity, discern with spiritual wisdom, and rely on God's sovereign protection in all aspects of our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did David still retreat to a stronghold if Saul went home?
Answer: David's decision to retreat to a stronghold, despite Saul's apparent change of heart and departure, demonstrates his profound wisdom and discernment. While Saul had an emotional moment of clarity and acknowledged David's righteousness, his repentance was not a deep, transformative change of heart. David had experienced Saul's erratic and murderous behavior firsthand and understood that Saul's relentless pursuit was driven by a deep-seated jealousy and spiritual instability, not merely a misunderstanding. Therefore, David prudently recognized that the immediate threat had only temporarily subsided, not vanished. The "hold" offered strategic safety and a defensible position, reflecting David's continued need for vigilance against a king whose patterns of hostility were deeply entrenched, as evidenced by Saul's renewed pursuit of David later in 1 Samuel 26.
What was the nature of the oath David swore to Saul?
Answer: As detailed in 1 Samuel 24:21, Saul asked David to swear that he would not "cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house." This was a common and grave concern for kings in the ancient Near East, who often sought to eliminate potential rivals and their entire lineage to secure their own dynasty. David's oath was a solemn promise to preserve Saul's family line and reputation, even though Saul was actively trying to kill him. This act highlights David's remarkable integrity, his respect for the sanctity of an oath, and his belief that God, not human violence, would establish his kingdom and deal with Saul's house.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 Samuel 24:22, with David's integrity, profound mercy, and prudent retreat, profoundly foreshadows the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. David, God's anointed, refused to harm Saul, God's anointed, even when he had the perfect opportunity to seize power, trusting God's timing for the kingdom. This mirrors Christ's ultimate non-retaliation and perfect submission to the Father's will, even in the face of immense injustice, persecution, and the ultimate sacrifice of the cross. Jesus, the true King, did not seize power through worldly force but humbly endured suffering, trusting God to exalt Him (Philippians 2:5-8). David's extraordinary act of mercy towards his persecutor points to Christ's unparalleled mercy, who, while we were still His enemies, died for us to reconcile us to God (Romans 5:8). Furthermore, David's strategic retreat to "the hold" symbolizes the ultimate spiritual refuge found in Christ. He is our true "stronghold," our fortress, and our deliverer, to whom we flee for safety and security in a world hostile to God and His people (Psalm 91:2). Just as David patiently waited for God to establish his kingdom, Jesus patiently awaits the full manifestation of His glorious reign, having already secured victory through His suffering, death, and resurrection. His example teaches us to overcome evil with good, to trust in God's perfect timing, and to find our ultimate security and eternal refuge in Him alone (1 Peter 2:23).