1 Samuel 26:8

_THEN SAID ABISHAI TO DAVID, GOD HATH DELIVERED THINE ENEMY INTO THINE HAND THIS DAY: NOW THEREFORE LET ME SMITE HIM, I PRAY THEE, WITH THE SPEAR EVEN TO THE EARTH AT ONCE, AND I WILL NOT SMITE HIM THE SECOND TIME._ Said Abishai ... God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand. This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind; and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times. LET ME SMITE HIM ... EVEN TO THE EARTH AT ONCE. The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language; but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Though Saul's cruelty and perfidy, and general want of right principle, had sunk him to a low pitch of degradation, yet that was no reason for David imitating him in doing wrong. Besides, he was the sovereign: David was a subject; and though God had rejected him from...

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....

Verse 1 Samuel 26:8. _GOD HATH DELIVERED THINE ENEMY INTO THINE HAND_] Here Abishai uses the same language as did David's men, when Saul came into the cave at En-gedi, (see 1 Samuel 24:4, c.,) and David uses the same language in reply....

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

THEN SAID ABISHAI TO DAVID,.... Seeing Saul fast asleep, and a spear so near him: GOD HATH DELIVERED THINE ENEMY INTO THINE HAND THIS DAY: or at this time, properly it was night: NOW THEREFORE LET ME SMITE HIM, I PRAY THEE, WITH THE SPEAR; with Saul's own spear, which was stuck in the ground at his bolster. He remembered that David would not put forth his hand to stay him before, when he had an opportunity; and since now another offered, he did not move it to him to do it, but begged leave to do it himself; which he might think would be granted, since there was such a remarkable hand of Providence in it, which seemed to direct to such a step: EVEN TO THE EARTH AT ONCE, AND I WILL NOT [SMITE] HIM THE SECOND TIME; signifying, that he would give such a home blow or thrust, that the spear should pierce through him, and fasten him to the ground, that there would be no need to repeat it....

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

GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim_. App-4. LET ME SMITE HIM. Note Abishai's character. 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 19:21....

Saul's life again in David's power 5. _in the trench_ See on 1 Samuel 17:20. The Sept. rendering "in a chariot" is a mistake....

SO DAVID AND ABISHAI CAME TO THE PEOPLE, &C.— This was a bold and hazardous undertaking, which would have been certain death to David had he been discovered. But David was bold and intrepid; and his and Abishai's gallantry in this affair deserves certainly to be no less celebrated than that of Ulysses and Diomed, when they went as spies to the Trojan camp. But there is more in David to be commended than his gallantry. Who can help admiring his magnanimity and piety? What man, but David, with a crown so near in view, would have resisted the fair and inviting temptation? David rejects it with abhorrence, from the principles of religion and duty. Glorious moderation and fortitude of mind! Was ever resolution more generous and loyal? One stroke would have fixed his enemy dead on the spot, put an end to his fears, and mounted him on a throne: and yet, he starts back at the proposal of it: the...