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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 1 Samuel 26:6–12.
Here is, I. David's bold adventure into Saul's camp in the night, accompanied only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He proposed it to him and to another of his confidants (Sa1 26:6), but the other either declined it as too dangerous an enterprise, or at least was content that Abishai, who was forward to it, should run the risk of it rather than himself. Whether David was prompted to do this by his own courage, or by an extraordinary impression upon his spirits, or by the oracle, does not appear; but, like Gideon, he ventured through the guards, with a special assurance of the divine protection.
II.The posture he found the camp in Saul lay sleeping in the trench, or, as some read it, in his chariot, and in the midst of his carriages, with his spear stuck in the ground by him, to be ready if his quarters should by beaten up (Sa1 26:7); and all the soldiers, even those that were appointed to stand sentinel, were fast asleep, Sa1 26:12. Thus were their eyes closed and their hands bound, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them; something extraordinary there was in it that they should all be asleep together, and so fast asleep that David and Abishai walked and talked among them, and yet none of them stirred. Sleep, when God gives it to his beloved, is their rest and refreshment; but he can, when he pleases, make it to his enemies their imprisonment. Thus are the stout-hearted spoiled; they have slept their sleep, and none of the men of might have found their hands, at thy rebuke, O God of Jacob! Psa 76:5, Psa 76:6. It was a deep sleep from the Lord, who has the command of the powers of nature, and makes them to serve his purposes as he pleases. Whom God will disable, or destroy, he binds up with a spirit of slumber, Rom 11:8. How helpless do Saul and all his forces lie, all, in effect, disarmed and chained! and yet nothing is done to them; they are only rocked asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! Let all his friends therefore trust him and all his enemies fear him.
III.Abishai's request to David for a commission to dispatch Saul with the spear that stuck at his bolster, which (now that he lay so fair) he undertook to do at one blow, Sa1 26:8. He would not urge David to kill him himself, because he had declined doing this before when he had a similar opportunity; but he begged earnestly that David would give him leave to do it, pleading that he was his enemy, not only cruel and implacable, but false and perfidious, whom no reason would rule nor kindness work upon, and that God had now delivered him into his hand, and did in effect bid him strike. The last advantage he had of this kind was indeed but accidental, when Saul happened to be in the cave with him at the same time. But in this there was something extraordinary; the deep sleep that had fallen on Saul and all his guards was manifestly from the Lord, so that it was a special providence which gave him this opportunity; he ought not therefore to let it slip.
IV.David's generous refusal to suffer any harm to be done to Saul, and in it a resolute adherence to his principles of loyalty, Sa1 26:9.
David charged Abishai not to destroy him, would not only not do it himself, but not permit another to do it. And he gave two reasons for it: - 1. It would be a sinful affront to God's ordinance. Saul was the Lord's anointed, king of Israel by the special appointment and nomination of the God of Israel, the power that was, and to resist him was to resist the ordinance of God, Rom 13:2. No man could do it and be guiltless. The thing he feared was guilt and his concern respected his innocence more than his safety. 2. It would be a sinful anticipation of God's providence. God had sufficiently shown him, in Nabal's case, that, if he left it to him to avenge him, he would do it in due time. Encouraged therefore by his experience in that instance, he resolves to wait till God shall think fit to avenge him on Saul, and he will by no means avenge himself (Sa1 26:10): "The Lord shall smite him, as he did Nabal, with some sudden stroke, or he shall die in battle (as it proved he did soon after), or, if not, his day shall come to die a natural death, and I will contentedly wait till then, rather than force my way to the promised crown by any indirect methods." The temptation indeed was very strong; but, if he should yield, he would sin against God, and therefore he will resist the temptation with the utmost resolution (Sa1 26:11): "The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed; no, I will never do it, nor suffer it to be done." Thus bravely does he prefer his conscience to his interest and trusts God with the issue.
V.The improvement he made of this opportunity for the further evidence of his own integrity.
He and Abishai carried away the spear and cruse of water which Saul had by his bed-side (Sa1 26:12), and, which was very strange, none of all the guards were aware of it. If a physician had given them the strongest opiate or stupifying dose, they could not have been faster locked up with sleep. Saul's spear which he had by him for defence, and his cup of water which he had for his refreshment, were both stolen from him while he slept. Thus do we lose our strength and our comfort when we are careless, and secure, and off our watch.
Historical interpretation
Five Centuries of Reception
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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. Yet when Saul was subject to him and in his power, David preferred to save his life and did not retaliate on his enemy but, on the contrary, even avenged him when he was killed. In short, many prophets have been killed, many martyrs have been honored with glorious deaths, and all have attained their heavenly crowns through the merit of patience, for a crown for sorrow and suffering cannot be obtained unless patience in sorrow and suffering precede.
For the truth is not preached with swords or with darts, nor by means of soldiers, but by persuasion and counsel. But what persuasion is there where fear of the emperor prevails? Or what counsel is there, when he who withstands them receives at last banishment and death? Even David, although he was a king and had his enemy in his power, did not prevent the soldiers by an exercise of authority when they wished to kill his enemy, but, as the Scripture says, David persuaded his men by arguments, and did not allow them to rise up and put Saul to death. But [the devil], being without arguments of reason, forces all men by his power, that it may be shown to all that their wisdom is not according to God but merely human, and that they who favor the Arian doctrines have indeed no king but Caesar; for by his means it is that these enemies of Christ accomplish whatsoever they wish to do.
After that, the opportunity to kill the enemy presented itself to him twice. Once in the cave Saul fell into David’s hands unawares, and again in the tent when he was relaxed in sleep. David stood over him when he was asleep, and when he could have satisfied all his anger by murdering the one who pursued him, he did not lay a hand on him himself, and he said to the one eager for the kill, “Do not destroy.” The voice which prevents destruction in the case of this man is obviously the voice of God.For this reason, just as those who produce the more notable inscriptions on stones cut the characters deeply by frequently applying the chisel with blows to the carving of the letters, so the Holy Spirit contrives, by means of continuous repetition, that this great saying may become more distinct and quite clear on the stela of our memory, so that this inscription, having been carved in us distinctly and without confusion, might be known well in the time of misfortunes. For, in my opinion, the goal of the economy of the Holy Spirit is to set forth the previous accomplishments of holy ones for guidance for the life after these accomplishments, the representation leading us forward to good which is equal and similar. For whenever the soul swells with revenge against someone who is provoking it, and the blood around the heart boils with anger against the one who has grieved the soul, then, when one has looked up at this stela which the Holy Spirit set up for David, and has read the word on it which David uttered on behalf of him who was eager for his own blood, he will not fail to calm the troubled thoughts in his soul and appease his passion by his desire to imitate the same things.
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 kingship by satisfying his anger against the one who had caused him grief.
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 the fear of God. But according to the supplicant's sense of the statement, it teaches with what great reverence divine sacraments must be treated, even though they are dispensed by the hands of the wicked; how much honor is due to persons devoted to the service of the sacred altar, how much presumption should be restrained from harming these persons, no matter how wickedly they live, because of the mark of any rank, since he himself, the exile, innocent, refrained from killing the most unjust persecutor of him, solely because of the holy oil of anointing which he had received in the figure of Christ either of the name or of the kingdom which he was not to preserve, and restrained his soldier by command and himself by divine fear. Therefore, we must be careful not to presume to defame and attack the reputation of bishops, presbyters, deacons indiscriminately.
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Summary
1 Samuel 26:9 encapsulates a profound demonstration of David's spiritual integrity and unwavering trust in God's sovereignty. Despite being relentlessly pursued by King Saul, David adamantly refuses to allow harm to come to the reigning monarch. This verse articulates David's deep reverence for God's divine appointment, emphasizing that to assail "the LORD'S anointed" is to incur divine guilt, thereby demonstrating his commitment to God's sovereign justice rather than resorting to human vengeance or political expediency.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within a larger narrative arc detailing King Saul's obsessive pursuit of David, driven by jealousy and paranoia after God's Spirit departed from Saul and came upon David. 1 Samuel 26 recounts David's second opportunity to kill Saul, mirroring the earlier incident in the cave of Engedi. In both instances, David's men urge him to eliminate Saul, viewing it as a divinely provided chance to seize the throne. Here, in the wilderness of Ziph, David and Abishai covertly infiltrate Saul's sleeping camp. Abishai, emboldened by the perceived opportunity, offers to strike Saul with his spear, but David's immediate and resolute refusal in 1 Samuel 26:9 underscores his consistent character and theological conviction, setting him apart from the vengeful spirit of his age and even his own loyal followers.
Historical & Cultural Context
The practice of anointing kings with oil was a sacred ritual in ancient Israel, signifying God's choice and consecration of an individual for a specific office. This act imbued the king with a special, almost sacrosanct, status as God's representative on earth. To "stretch forth one's hand" against such an anointed figure was not merely an act of rebellion against the king but a direct affront to God's authority and divine ordination. This cultural understanding of kingship, rooted in the covenant relationship between God and Israel, explains the gravity of David's statement. Despite Saul's unfaithfulness and God's rejection of him as king (as seen in 1 Samuel 15), the anointing itself remained a powerful symbol of God's initial choice, demanding reverence even from those who would succeed him. David's actions reflect a profound understanding of this sacred institution.
Key Themes
1 Samuel 26:9 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of 1 Samuel. God's Sovereignty in Kingship is paramount, as David acknowledges that Saul's position, though marred, was divinely instituted. This theme contrasts sharply with human attempts to seize power or exact vengeance, reinforcing that God alone raises up and brings down leaders. David's Righteous Character is consistently highlighted; his actions here, and in 1 Samuel 24, portray him as "a man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), who trusts God's timing and justice rather than his own strength or opportunity. Finally, the theme of Divine Justice vs. Human Vengeance is central. David refuses to usurp God's prerogative to judge and remove leaders, demonstrating a profound faith that God would ultimately deal with Saul, as articulated in Romans 12:19.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H4899, מָשִׁיחַ) literally means "anointed one" and refers to a person consecrated by pouring oil over their head, signifying divine election and empowerment for a specific office, particularly that of king or priest. In this context, it emphasizes Saul's sacred, God-ordained status, despite his moral failings and God's subsequent rejection of him. David's respect for Saul as "the LORD'S anointed" is a recognition of God's initial act of setting Saul apart, a sacredness that David believes no human should violate.
The phrase (H7971, שָׁלַח; H3027, יָד) denotes a violent, aggressive action, specifically to "lay hands on" or "attack." In this context, it carries the strong connotation of sacrilege—an act of impious violence against someone or something consecrated to God. David's question implies that such an act is not merely a political assassination but a direct defiance of God's established order and authority, incurring divine wrath.
The word (H5352, נָקָה) means "to be clean," "to be innocent," or "to be unpunished." David's rhetorical question, "who can... be guiltless?", asserts that anyone who dares to harm God's anointed will not escape divine judgment or punishment. It implies that such an act would render the perpetrator liable before God, incurring a profound spiritual and possibly temporal penalty. David understands that true guiltlessness comes from God's verdict, not from human acquittal or perceived justification.
Verse Breakdown
"And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not:"
This opening clause reveals David's immediate and firm command, acting as a direct restraint on Abishai's eager and pragmatic desire to eliminate Saul. It highlights David's leadership and his commitment to a higher principle, even when faced with a clear opportunity to remove his oppressor. David's instruction is not a hesitation but a decisive ethical and theological stand, prioritizing God's will over personal vengeance or political advantage.
"for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed,"
This is the core theological justification for David's command. It takes the form of a rhetorical question, asserting an undeniable truth: no one can violently attack a person consecrated by God without incurring divine judgment. The phrase "the LORD'S anointed" elevates Saul's status beyond mere human kingship, placing him under God's direct protection and making any assault on him an assault on God's chosen representative, regardless of Saul's current spiritual state.
"and be guiltless?"
This concluding phrase underscores the inevitable consequence of violating the sacred principle just stated. It implies that any person who dares to harm God's anointed will certainly be held accountable and found guilty by God. David understands that true justice and judgment belong to the Lord, and he refuses to usurp that divine prerogative, trusting that God will deal with Saul in His own perfect timing and way, ensuring that no human act of vengeance will go unpunished.
Literary Devices
1 Samuel 26:9 employs several powerful literary devices. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question: "who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?" David is not seeking information; rather, he is asserting an absolute truth, emphasizing the sacrosanct nature of God's chosen king and the certain divine judgment awaiting anyone who violates that sacred trust. This question serves to both instruct Abishai and articulate David's profound theological conviction. Additionally, there is powerful Irony in the situation: the righteous David, who is God's true choice for king, refuses to harm the unrighteous Saul, who has been rejected by God but still holds the title of "the LORD'S anointed." This highlights David's humility and trust in God's timing, contrasting sharply with Saul's desperate and ungodly pursuit. Finally, the phrase "the LORD'S anointed" functions as a significant Motif throughout the books of Samuel, pointing to the divine institution of kingship and foreshadowing the ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah.
Theological and Thematic Connections
David's refusal to harm Saul in 1 Samuel 26:9 is a profound theological statement on God's sovereignty, the sanctity of divine appointment, and the nature of true justice. It reveals David's deep reverence for God's established order, even when that order seems to be working against him. David understood that Saul, despite his personal failings and God's rejection of him as king, still bore the mark of God's initial anointing. To take Saul's life would be to usurp God's prerogative to remove and establish leaders, an act of defiance against divine authority. This principle extends beyond kingship to a broader trust in God's ultimate justice, reinforcing the idea that vengeance belongs to the Lord. David's actions here set a precedent for righteous conduct, demonstrating that faithfulness to God's principles outweighs personal gain or immediate relief from suffering.
Reflection and Application
1 Samuel 26:9 offers timeless lessons for believers navigating complex relationships and challenging circumstances. David's unwavering respect for God's anointing, even upon a persecutor, calls us to consider our own attitudes towards those in authority, whether in government, church, or workplace. While we are called to speak truth and address injustice, David's example reminds us that our primary allegiance is to God's sovereign will and His methods. It challenges us to resist the temptation to take matters into our own hands, especially when we feel wronged or believe we have a "clear opportunity" to exact our own form of justice. Instead, we are invited to cultivate a deep trust in God's perfect timing and His ultimate justice, knowing that He sees all and will act righteously. This requires profound humility, patience, and a commitment to maintaining our integrity, reflecting God's character even when others do not. It is a call to live by faith, not by sight or by the impulses of human vengeance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did David refer to Saul as "the LORD'S anointed" when God had already rejected Saul as king?
David's reference to Saul as "the LORD'S anointed" (1 Samuel 26:9) highlights his deep respect for the sacredness of God's initial choice and the divine institution of kingship. While God had indeed rejected Saul due to his disobedience (1 Samuel 15:23), Saul had not yet been physically removed from the throne. He still held the office and bore the mark of his original anointing. David, as a man after God's own heart, understood that it was God's prerogative to establish and remove kings, not his. To take Saul's life would be to usurp God's authority and violate the sacred principle of respecting God's chosen representative, regardless of their current spiritual standing or personal failings. David chose to wait for God's perfect timing and method of transition, demonstrating profound faith and humility, even when it meant enduring prolonged suffering.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
1 Samuel 26:9, with David's refusal to harm "the LORD'S anointed," profoundly foreshadows the ultimate "Anointed One," Jesus Christ, the true Messiah. David, though righteous, was still a type, pointing to the perfect King who would come. Jesus, the Son of David, perfectly embodied this principle of non-retaliation and submission to God's will. When Peter drew his sword to defend Him in Gethsemane, Jesus commanded, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." He further explained, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" Jesus, the true King, allowed Himself to be "stretched forth his hand against" by unrighteous men, not because He was powerless, but because it was the Father's will for Him to suffer and die for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:5-7). Unlike Saul, who was anointed for kingship, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit for His prophetic, priestly, and kingly offices, culminating in His ultimate sacrifice. He was the innocent one against whom hands were stretched forth, yet He remained guiltless, and through His sacrifice, He grants guiltlessness to all who believe in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, David's profound respect for God's anointing finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Christ, who willingly submitted to the Father's plan, becoming the source of our salvation and the perfectly Guiltless One.