View 1st Samuel 26 in the note window.
The Ziphites inform Saul of David, who pursues him again,
ver. 1 - 3.
David sends out spies, and views his camp, ver. 4, 5.
Comes to him, being asleep, and takes his spear and cruse of water,
ver. 6 - 12.
Reasons with him upon it, ver. 13 - 20.
Saul again owns his spirit, and promises to pursue him no more,
ver. 21 - 25
5: The Ziphites - Probably Saul would have pursued David no
more, had not these wretches set him on.
6: Zerujah - David's sister. His father is not named either
because he was now dead; or because he was an obscure person.
7: Came - That is, to Saul's host. It might seem a bold and
strange attempt; but it may be considered:
- That David had a particular assurance that God would preserve him
to the kingdom.
- That he had a special instinct from God, to this work; and possibly
God might inform him, that he had cast them into a deep sleep, that
he might have this second opportunity of manifesting his innocency
towards Saul.
9: Destroy him not, &c. - Though Saul be a tyrant, yet he is our
Lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am his subject; and
therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that thou
shouldst do it.
11: Take the spear - Which will shew where we have been, and what
we could have done.
13: Afar off - That his person might be out of their reach, and yet
his voice might be heard; which in a clear air, and in the silence of the
night might be heard at a great distance.
14: Cried to the people - It is probable this was early in the
morning.
19: The Lord - If the Lord hath by the evil spirit which he hath
sent, or by his secret providence, directed thy rage against me for the
punishment of thine, or my sins. An offering - Let us offer up a
sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us. Driven me - From the
land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where
he hath established his presence and worship. Go serve - This was the
language of their actions. For by driving him from God's land, and the
place of his worship, into foreign and idolatrous lands, they exposed him
to the peril of being either ensnared by their counsels, or examples; or
forced by their power to worship idols.
20: Before the Lord - Remember, if thou dost it, God the judge of
all men seeth it, and will avenge it; though I will not avenge myself.
21: My soul, &c. - This second instance of David's tenderness
wrought more upon Saul than the former. He owns himself melted and
quite overcome by David's kindness to him. My soul was precious
in thine eyes, which I thought had been odious. He acknowledges he had
done very ill to persecute him: I have acted against God's law, I have
sinned: and against my own interest, I have played the fool, in
pursuing him as an enemy, who was indeed one of my best friends. And herein
I have erred exceedingly, have wronged both thee and myself. Nothing
can be more full and ingenuous than this confession: God surely now touched
his heart. And he promises to persecute him no more: nor does it appear
that he ever attempted it.
25: Blessed, &c. - So strong was his conviction now, that he could not
forbear blessing him, foretelling his success, applauding David, and
condemning himself, even in the hearing of his own soldiers. And this, it
seems, was their last interview. After this they saw each other no more.
