1 Samuel 26:23

_THEN SAID SAUL, I HAVE SINNED: RETURN, MY SON DAVID: FOR I WILL NO MORE DO THEE HARM, BECAUSE MY SOUL WAS PRECIOUS IN THINE EYES THIS DAY: BEHOLD, I HAVE PLAYED THE FOOL, AND HAVE ERRED EXCEEDINGLY._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

21-25 Saul repeated his good words and good wishes. But he showed no evidence of true repentance towards God. David and Saul parted to meet no more. No reconciliation among men is firm, which is not founded in an cemented by peace with God through Jesus Christ. In sinning against God, men play the fool, and err exceedingly. Many obtain a passing view of these truths, who hate and close their eyes against the light. Fair professions do not entitle those to confidence who have long sinned against the light, yet the confessions of obstinate sinners may satisfy us that we are in the right way, and encourage us to persevere, expecting our recompence from the Lord alone....

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

THE LORD RENDER TO EVERY MAN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HIS FAITHFULNESS,.... Or recompense every man that deals justly and faithfully with others, as he had done with Saul; or the Lord, who is just and faithful to his promises, reward the men that act the good and upright part; and this was a prayer of faith; for David doubted not that, though Saul might fail, yet God could not; FOR THE LORD DELIVERED THEE INTO [MY] HAND THIS DAY; or, "into an hand" x into the hand of Abishai, who had it in his power to slay him, when he went and took the spear that was at his bolster, and would have done it, but David suffered him not: BUT I WOULD NOT STRETCH FORTH MY HAND AGAINST THE LORD'S ANOINTED; nor suffer another to stretch forth his hand against him; so careful and tender was he of his life. x ביד "in manum", Pagninus, Montanus....

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

THE LORD. Jehovah. Note the Figure of speech _Epanadiplosis._ App-6....

David's final expostulation with Saul 13. _a great space being between them_ This precaution indicates that David trusted Saul less now than upon the former occasion. Cp. 1 Samuel 26:22....

_Saul Again Repents._ 1 Samuel 26:21-25 21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into _my_ hand today, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. 24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed _be_ thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great _things,_ and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his

DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE A SECOND TIME 1. Hachilah] near the wilderness of Ziph: see 1 Samuel 23:19....