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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

1 Samuel 26:21

Then said Saul, with the same momentary emotion which he had shown before, 1 Samuel 24:16, 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. Instead of turning to the Lord in true repentance and asking Him for grace and power to overcome the evil of his heart, he makes a promise which was no more sincere than that of the same kind made on the previous occasion.

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See also 1 Samuel 26:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Samuel 26:21. _I HAVE SINNED_] Perhaps the word חטאתי _chatathi_, "I have sinned," should be read, _I have erred_, or, _have been_ _mistaken_. I have taken thee to be a very different man from...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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 ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SINNED. Hebrew. _chata'._ App-44. SOUL. life. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. ERRED. Hebrew. _shagah._ App-44....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _I have sinned_, &c. Compare and contrast 1 Samuel 24:16 ff....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    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....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEN SAID SAUL, I HAVE SINNED— Bayle has endeavoured to prove that this event, and that related in chap. 24: are but one and the same. To destroy this seeming identity, it will not be unseasonable to...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _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 pla...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 26 DAVID AGAIN REFUSES TO KILL SAUL V1 Some men from Ziph went to visit Saul at Gibeah. They said, ‘David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah whi...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    I HAVE PLAYED THE FOOL. — There seems something more in these words of Saul than sorrow for the past. He seems to blame himself here, as the Dean of Canterbury well suggests, for putting himself again...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּאמֶר֩ שָׁא֨וּל חָטָ֜אתִי שׁ֣וּב בְּנִֽי...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXXI. _ DAVID TWICE SPARES THE LIFE OF SAUL._ 1 Samuel 24:1; 1 Samuel 26:1. THE invasion of the Philistines had freed David from the fear of Saul for a time, but only for a time. He knew ful...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    FACING THE TRUTH AT LAST 1 Samuel 26:13 It is good to notice David's frequent references to the living Lord. See 1 Samuel 26:10; 1 Samuel 26:16;...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Once again we have the account of how David spared the life of Saul. There is no reason at all for the view that this is a repetition of the previous story. A quiet comparison of the two will show man...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was (k) precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingl...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Precious, and treated as such, with care and respect. See 4 Kings i. 14., Psalm xlviii. 9., and Isaias xliii. 4. --- Ignorant. Yet Saul was inexcusable, 2 Kings xxiv. 10, &c._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (21) В¶ 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 exceed...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We enter now on a portion of David's history sensibly different from what we have already had, which closed with the efforts of Jonathan to restore matters and to attach Saul to him at least openly. J...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Alas! Saul is unchanged; instigated by the Ziphites, he seeks David anew, but it is only to fall again, and more publicly, into David's hands. Observe that David now appeals more directly to the Lord...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN SAID SAUL, I HAVE SINNED,.... Which is more than he acknowledged before, and yet, it is to be feared he had no true sense of his sin, and real repentance for it; but, like Pharaoh, his guilty con...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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....

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then said Saul, I have sinned_ 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 p...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Saul by the discouery of the Ziphites, commeth to Hachilah against Dauid. 4 Dauid comming into the trench, stayeth Abishai from killing Saul, but taketh his speare and cruse. 13 Dauid reprooueth A...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    It seems tragically foolish on Saul's part that he should respond as he did to another message from the Ziphites to the effect that David was hiding in the hill country of Hachilah (v.1). He had told...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    He not only confesseth, but aggravateth his fault, because his conscience was fully convinced, though his heart was not changed....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 26:21 Saul H7586 said H559 (H8799) sinned H2398 (H8804) Return H7725 (H8798) son H1121 David...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAUL'S RESPONSE (1 SAMUEL 26:17). The difference between this reply and that in 1 Samuel 24:17 is striking. In 1 Samuel 24:17 Saul had declared that David was more righteous than he because he had rep...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Saul spared by David a second time. CHARACTERS: God, David, Saul, Abishai, Abner, Ahimelech. CONCLUSION: No questionable means need be employed to help out God's plans for our advancement...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 26:5. _Saul lay in the trench._ Junius reads, “among the waggons;” the Vulgate, “He slept in the tent.” The Romans mostly fortified their camp; the Greeks did the same on the Trojan shore. 1...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then said Saul, I have sinned._ SAUL’S SECOND RECONCILIATION When a man like Saul has wept, and spoken words so morally noble, it is but fair to credit him with sincerity and permanence. At the time...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I have played the fool._ PLAYING THE FOOL The greatest and most difficult problem which the Church of God has had to face in all ages, and has had to try and solve is this--how to prevent men and wo...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah._ THE REPROACH OF THE ENEMY Dr. Maclaren is specially emphatic in connecting Psalms 7:1 with this part of David’s history, and indicates its valu...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    A FOOL'S CAP I have played the fool. 1 Samuel 26:21. Fools for Christ's sake. 1 Corinthians 4:10. Long ago, there used to hang in my bedroom prints of two pictures by the famous artist Sir David Wi...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 26:1 This chapter resembles ch. 1 Samuel 24:1, but there are too many differences to think that they are simply different versions of the same event....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— The fact that the incidents related in this chapter agree in some points with those narrated in Chapter s 23; 24 has led Ewald, Thenius, and others to conclude that the...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    DAVID A SECOND TIME SPARES SAUL'S LIFE (1 Samuel 26:1.). EXPOSITION SAUL, ON INFORMATION FROM THE ZIPHITES, AGAIN SEEKS TO...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn in our Bibles to first Samuel, twenty-six, and let's begin our study of these final five Chapter s, six Chapter s. The wilderness of Ziph actually lies between Hebron and the area of the De...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 15:24; 1 Samuel 15:30; 1 Samuel 18:30; 1 Samuel 24:17;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    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 ey...

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