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1 SAMUEL 26
PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
| NASB | NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB (MT versing) |
| David Again Spares Saul | David Spares Saul A Second Time | David Spares Saul's Life | David Spares Saul's Life Again | David Spares Saul |
| 26:1-5 | 26:1-4 | 26:1-5 | 26:1-5 | 26:1-5 |
| 26:5-12 | ||||
| 26:6-12 | 26:6-12 | 26:6 | 26:6-7 | |
| 26:7-8 | ||||
| 26:8-11 | ||||
| 26:9-12 | ||||
| 26:12 | ||||
| 26:13-16 | 26:13-16 | 26:13-16 | 26:13-14a | 26:13-16 |
| 26:14b | ||||
| 26:15-16 | ||||
| 26:17-20 | 26:17-20 | 26:17-20 | 26:17a | 26:17-20 |
| 26:17b-20 | ||||
| 26:21-25 | 26:21-25 | 26:21-25 | 26:21 | 26:21-24 |
| 26:22-24 | ||||
| 26:25a | 26:25 | |||
| 26:25b |
READING CYCLE THREE (see
"Bible Interpretation Seminar")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:1-5
1Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah,
which is before Jeshimon?" 2So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having
with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3Saul
camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, beside the road, and David was staying in the
wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4David sent out spies,
and he knew that Saul was definitely coming. 5David then arose and came to the place where
Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of
his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.
26:1 "David" His name means "Beloved" (BDB 187).
▣ "Jeshimon" This (BDB 445, lit. "wilderness") refers to the wilderness of Judah. It was later the site of the Essenes community which produced the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS).
26:2 "three thousand chosen men" The OT contains many numerical problems. Many of them could be solved if translators knew exactly the meaning of the word "thousand." This word can refer to either family groups, military units, or a literal number.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND (eleph)
26:4 David could not believe that Saul was after him again.
26:5 "in the circle of the camp" Saul's military camp was in the form of a circle with the leaders sleeping in the middle.
The deep sleep of all the sentries and leaders was due to an influence from YHWH (v. 12). YHWH was actively involved in the life of David, His new anointed.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:6-12
6Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother,
saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."
7So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the
circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying
around him. 8Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand;
now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him
the second time." 9But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his
hand against the Lord's anointed and be without guilt?" 10David
also said, "As the Lord lives, surely the Lord
will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11The
Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the
Lord's anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of
water, and let us go." 12So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul's head,
and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound
sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.
26:6 "Ahimelech the Hittite" David's men were made up of disgruntled Israelites and foreign mercenaries. The Hittites here may be a tribal group in southern Canaan, loosely related to the larger Hittite Empire to the north.
The "Hittite" Empire was unknown except in biblical literature before the 1940's. The archaeological discovery of the cuneiform tablets in central Turkey has again confirmed the historicity of the Bible.
SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE
SPECIAL TOPIC: OT HISTORIOGRAPHY COMPARED TO NEAR EASTERN CULTURES
▣ "Abishai" He was a relative of David and a great warrior (cf. 2 Sam. 23:18). Later Joab and Abishai killed Abner because Abner killed their younger brother (cf. 2 Sam. 3:30).
26:7 "with his spear stuck in the ground at his head" This was a sign of Saul's kingly position. This symbol is still practiced today by modern Bedouins.
26:8 This comment (and worldview) is similar to 1 Sam. 24:4. The Israelites saw all occurrences as being influenced and directed by YHWH. For them, there was no secondary cause. This was a way to assert YHWH's sovereignty over His creation. Notice the same imagery in
26:9 "who can stretch out his hands against the Lord's anointed and be without guilt" David was very conscious of God's unique calling and equipping of Israel's king (cf. 1 Sam. 24:6-7).
26:10 "as the Lord lives" This is an ancient Israelite oath formula related to the name of YHWH.
SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.
▣ David believed the God who instructed Samuel to anoint him king would deal with Saul in His own way, at His own time.
26:11 "please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water and let us go" These were to be a sign of David's penetration into the camp and yet another opportunity to kill Saul.
26:12 "because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them" This is the normal tension between God using natural means but with supernatural timing, locality, and intensity. YHWH is actively involved in the affairs of His people on a daily basis. See NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1057.
SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:13-16
13Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance with a
large area between them. 14David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will
you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?" 15So David
said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the
king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord. 16This thing that you have done
is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you must surely die, because you did not
guard your lord, the Lord's anointed. And now, see where the king's spear is and
the jug of water that was at his head."
26:14 It must have still been dark when David addressed Abner. Saul recognized David's voice.
▣ "Abner the son of Ner" This is Saul's uncle (cf. 1 Sam. 14:50-51).
26:15 Abner was Saul's military commander, a man of valor but yet he could not protect the king because the Lord was on David's side (v. 12).
| 26:16 | |
| NASB | "must surely die" |
| NKJV, Peshitta | "worthy to die" |
| NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, JPSOA | "deserve to die" |
| LXX | "sons of execution" |
The MT has the Hebrew idiom, "are surely sons of death" (cf. 1 Sam. 20:31; 2 Sam. 12:5). Abner deserved to die along with all the bodyguards because they did not protect YHWH's anointed king!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:17-20
17Then 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." 18He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For
what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? 19Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to
the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept
an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before the Lord for they have driven
me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord,
saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' 20Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the
presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single
flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
26:17 "Then Saul recognized David's voice" We must remember how close a relationship Saul and David truly had (i.e., 1 Sam. 16:21; 24:16). If it were not for Saul's mental problem David could have been a great friend and supporter of Saul.
26:18 In many ways this is similar to 1 Sam. 24:9-15. This is
These two recorded encounters reinforce
26:20 "a single flea" This
▣ "a partridge" These birds were hard to find and hard to hunt. The root for "partridge" (BDB 896, קרא) can also be seen as a VERB (BDB 894, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE), "the one calling" (i.e., possibly the hunter trying to chase the bird from its hiding place), See NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 975.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:21-25
21Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my
life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error."
22David replied, "Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men come over and take it.
23The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his
faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch
out my hand against the Lord's anointed. 24Now behold, as your life
was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord,
and may He deliver me from all distress." 25Then Saul said to David, "Blessed are you, my son David;
you will both accomplish much and surely prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
26:21 "I have sinned" David did not trust Saul any more because of his obvious spiritual and mental condition (cf. 1 Sam. 24:16-22). David did not return to Saul's court.
▣ "played the fool" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOOLISH PEOPLE (terms)
26:22 "Behold, the spear of the king! Now let one of your young men come over and take it" This spear was the symbol of Saul's kingship (cf. 1 Sam. 19:9; 22:6; 2 Sam. 1:6).
David returned the sign/symbol of kingship to Saul.
26:23 "his righteousness and his faithfulness" The term "righteousness" is from the Hebrew root for "a standard" or "measuring reed." It is primarily a relationship term, not ethical. David's attitude towards Saul is regulated by David's loyalty to YHWH.
26:24 David again attributes the reason for his sparing Saul to David's faith in YHWH's promise through Samuel that he would be king one day. YHWH will deliver him from all distress (cf. Ps. 54:7). The "distress" here refers to issues related to the covenant people. David's sins caused him distress but YHWH still used him and supported him to provide His covenant promise and will for Israel to be successful.
▣ "in the sight of the Lord" The only vocabulary humans have is an earthly, physical one. Therefore, Deity is depicted in these categories.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE
SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE GOD
26:25 "accomplish much and surely prevail" These two blessings are both structured in an intensified formula (i.e., an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB). David's kingdom would be a success because YHWH was with him.
▣ "David went on his way" David continues his life with the Philistines as a bandit and mercenary (cf. 1 Sam. 24:20).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
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