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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

1 Samuel 26:9

Against the Lord’s anointed. — David — taught, no doubt, by the prophet Samuel — looked upon the person of Saul as made sacred and inviolable by the royal anointing. Through the anointing Saul had become the possession of Jehovah; only Jehovah, then, could lawfully take away that sacred life. This he elaborates in the next verse. It is possible that these exalted sentiments respecting the Divine rights of kings were not uttered by David while standing in the dark night among Saul’s soldiers by the sleeping king, but subsequently, when he and Abishai were talking the incident over together.

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See also 1 Samuel 26:9 in other biblical comments:

  • 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

    DESTROY... NOT. See Deuteronomy 9:26, the subscriptions of Psa 56:57, Psa 56:58, Psa 56:74, and App-65. THE LORD. S. Hebrew. _Jehovah_. App-4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    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....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    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 a...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _David Again Spares Saul. 1 Samuel 26:6-20_ 6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND DAVID SAID TO ABISHAI, DESTROY HIM NOT: FOR WHO CAN STRETCH FORTH HIS HAND AGAINST THE LORD'S ANOINTED, AND BE GUILTLESS?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

  • 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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛ד אֶל ־אֲבִישַׁ֖י אַל ־תַּש

  • 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

    SPARING HIS ENEMY'S LIFE 1 Samuel 26:1 The Ziphites' treachery served as a foil to the intrinsic nobility of David's character. God made the wrath of man to praise Him, and restrained the remainder,...

  • 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

    And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand (e) against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? (e) That is, in his own private cause: for Jehu slew two kings at God...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Guiltless. Saul was still his king, how wicked soever, and this title rendered his person inviolable. The eastern nations are very seldom guilty of rebellion, or of murdering their kings; a thing of w...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (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...

  • 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

    AND DAVID SAID TO ABISHAI, DESTROY HIM NOT,.... He laid his commands upon him not to hurt him: FOR WHO CAN STRETCH FORTH HIS HAND AGAINST THE LORD'S ANOINTED, AND BE GUILTLESS? since Saul was king, a...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? Ver. 9. _Destroy him not._] _Hoc enim indecens et indignum mihi videtur._...

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

    _Now, therefore, let me smite him_ Although David would not kill him himself, when he had the like opportunity, 1 Samuel 24:4; yet Abishai thought he might give him leave to do it; and he pledged hims...

  • 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...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    David in Saul's Camp...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? David had not changed his position toward Saul's person, as being sacred an...

  • 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

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Though Saul be a cruel tyrant, and rejected by God, yet he is our sovereign lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am but a private person, and his subject; and therefore cannot kill him w...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 26:9 David H1732 said H559 (H8799) Abishai H52 destroy H7843 (H8686) out H7971 (H8804) hand...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    DAVID RESTRAINS ABISHAI FROM SMITING THE SLEEPING SAUL BECAUSE SAUL IS YHWH'S OWN, AND INSTEAD COMMANDS THE APPROPRIATION OF HIS CEREMONIAL SPEAR AND WATER JAR (1 SAMUEL 26:8). Having arrived at dead...

  • 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

    _Destroy him not._ VENGEANCE LEFT WITH HIM TO WHOM IT BELONGS Our attention has been called to the fact that the first great victory achieved by David was over his own spirit. As we pursue his histor...

  • 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 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 24:6; 1 Samuel 24:7; 2 Samuel 1:14; 2 Samuel 1:16; Psalms

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Destroy him not, &c. — Though Saul be a tyrant, yet he is our Lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am his subject; and therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that thou...

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