1 Samuel 26:1

_AND THE ZIPHITES CAME UNTO SAUL TO GIBEAH, SAYING, DOTH NOT DAVID HIDE HIMSELF IN THE HILL OF HACHILAH, WHICH IS BEFORE JESHIMON?_ The Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah. This people seem to have thought it impossible for David to escape, and therefore had recommended themselves to Saul by giving him secret information of the refugees' hiding-place (see the note at 1 Samuel 23:19). The knowledge of their treachery makes it appear strange that David should return to his former haunt in their neighbourhood; but perhaps he did it to be near Abigail's possessions, and under the impression that Saul had become mollified. But the king had relapsed into his old enmity. Though Gibeah, as its name imports, stood on an elevated position, and the desert of Ziph, which was in the hilly region of Judea, may have been higher than Gibeah, it was still necessary to descend in leaving t

1-12 How soon do unholy hearts lose the good impressions convictions have made upon them! How helpless were Saul and all his men! All as though disarmed and chained, yet nothing is done to them; they are only asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! David still resolved to wait till God thought fit to avenge him on Saul. He will by no means force his way to the promised crown by any wrong methods. The temptation was very strong; but if he yielded, he would sin against God, therefore he resisted the temptation, and trusted God with the event....

CHAPTER XXVI _The Ziphites inform Saul of David's hiding place_, 1. _Saul, with_ three thousand _men, goes in pursuit of him_, 2, 3. _David sends out spies; and finds where Saul had pitched his_ _camp; and he and Abishai come to the camp by night, find all_ _asleep, and bring away Saul's spear, and the cruse of water_ _that was at his head_, 4-12. _David goes to the opposite hill; awakes Abner, captain of Saul's_ _host; chides him for being so careless of his master's life;_ _and calls on Saul to send one of his servants for the spear;_...

The incident related in this chapter of the meeting between Saul and David bears a strong general resemblance to that recorded in 1 Samuel 24, and is of a nature unlikely to have occurred more than once. Existing discrepancies are explained by the supposition that one narrative relates fully some incidents on which the other is silent. On the whole the most probable conclusion is that the two narratives relate to one and the same event. (Compare the two narratives of the Creation, Genesis 1; Genesis 2:4 ff; the two narratives of David’s war, 2 Samuel 8; and 2 Samuel 10

DAVID A SECOND TIME SPARES SAUL'S LIFE (1 Samuel 26:1.). EXPOSITION SAUL, ON INFORMATION FROM THE ZIPHITES, AGAIN SEEKS TO DESTROY DAVID (1 Samuel 26:1). 1 SAMUEL 26:1 THE ZIPHITES CAME UNTO SAUL. There are so many points of similarity between this narrative and that contained in 1

AND THE ZIPHITES CAME UNTO SAUL TO GIBEAH,.... Of Benjamin, called sometimes Gibeah of Saul, because it was the place of his birth and residence; hither Saul had returned after his last interview with David; whether, notwithstanding what had passed between him and David, he had privately encouraged the Ziphites to watch David, and give him information of him where he was, and when it was a proper opportunity to seize him; or whether the Ziphites were so officious as of themselves to acquaint him with it, is not certain; the latter is probable, since having attempted to betray David, they might fear, that should he come to the throne, he would remember it, and therefore they might be desirous of having him cut off by the hand of Saul: SAYING, DOTH NOT DAVID HIDE HIMSELF IN THE HILL OF HACHILAH, [WHICH IS] BEFORE JESHIMON? the same place where he was when the Ziphites before gave informat...

CHAPTER 26 _ 1. The Ziphites and Saul's pursuit (1 Samuel 26:1)_ 2. David again spares Saul (1 Samuel 26:5) 3. David's words to Abner (1 Samuel 26:13) 4. David's words to Saul (1 Samuel 26:17) 5. Saul's confession and David's reply (1 Samuel 26:21) Hachilah, where we find David now, was six miles east of Ziph and about halfway to En-gedi. The Ziphites once more reveal his hiding place to Saul. And Saul was rushing forward to his doom when with his three thousand chosen men he took up the

1 SAMUEL 26. DAVID SPARES SAUL IN THE WILDERNESS OF ZIPH (J). From one of the oldest sources (_cf._ on ch. 24). 1 SAMUEL 26:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 12:1 f. repeats briefly the substance and part of the wording of 1 Samuel 23:19: David is in the wilderness of Ziph, and Saul pursues him. But instead of the sequel given in 1 Samuel 23, we have another version of the story in 1 Samuel 24 of David's generous treatment of Saul. David learns that Saul is again pursuing him and is in his immediate neighbourhood: of a certainty is clearly wrong, and RVm, to a set place, is not much more likely. There may be a scribal error, and the name of a place may have stood here originally. David went to see for hims

1 Samuel 26:1-4. Saul's renewed pursuit of David 1. _And the Ziphites came_ On the theory that this is only another account of the incidents related in 1 Samuel 23:19 to 1 Samuel 24:22, see Note VII. p. 243. The view there taken that the narratives refer to different events, is assumed in the notes. Psalms 54 is referred by its title either to this occasion or to that of 1 Samuel 23:19 ff. _the hill of Hachilah_ See on 1 Samuel 23:19

_Saul Pursues David Again._ 1 Samuel 26:1-5 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, _which is_ before Jeshimon? 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which _is_ before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. _1._ Did the Ziphites betray David