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Matthew Henry |
F I R S T S A M U E L
CHAP. XXVI.
David’s troubles from Saul here begin again; and the clouds return
after the rain, when one would have hoped the storm had blown over, and
the sky had cleared upon that side; but after Saul had owned his fault
in persecuting David, and acknowledged David’s title to the crown, yet
here he revives the persecution, so perfectly lost was he to all sense
of honour and virtue.
I. The Ziphites informed him where David was
(ver. 1),
and thereupon he marched out with a considerable force in quest of him,
II. David gained intelligence of his motions
(ver. 4),
and took a view of his camp,
III. He and one of his men ventured into his camp in the night and
found him and all his guards fast asleep,
IV. David, though much urged to it by his companions, would not take
away Saul’s life, but only carried off his spear and his cruse of water,
V. He produced these as a further witness for him that he did not
design any ill to Saul, and reasoned with him upon his conduct,
VI. Saul was hereby convinced of his error, and once more desisted
from persecuting David,
The story is much like that which we had
(ch. xxiv.).
In both David is delivered out of Saul’s hand, and Saul out of
David’s.
| Saul Again Pursues David. | B. C. 1056. |
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1 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.
Here,
1. Saul gets information of David’s movements and acts offensively. The
Ziphites came to him and told him where David now was, in the same
place where he was when they formerly betrayed him,
Perhaps (though it is not mentioned) Saul had given them intimation,
under-hand, that he continued his design against David, and would be
glad of their assistance. If not, they were very officious to Saul,
aware of what would please him, and very malicious against David, to
whom they despaired of ever reconciling themselves, and therefore they
stirred up Saul (who needed no such spur) against him,
v. 1.
For aught we know, Saul would have continued in the same good mind that
he was in
(ch. xxiv. 17),
and would not have given David this fresh trouble, if the Ziphites had
not put him on. See what need we have to pray to God that, since we
have so much of the tinder of corruption in our own hearts, the sparks
of temptation may be kept far from us, lest, if they come together, we
be set on fire of hell. Saul readily caught at the information, and
went down with an army of 3000 men to the place where David hid
himself,
v. 2.
How soon do unsanctified hearts lose the good impressions which their
convictions have made upon them and return with the dog to their
vomit!
2. David gets information of Saul’s movements and acts defensively. He
did not march out to meet and fight him; he sought only his own safety,
not Saul’s ruin; therefore he abode in the wilderness
(v. 3),
putting thereby a great force upon himself, and curbing the bravery of
his own spirit by a silent retirement, showing more true valour than he
could have done by an irregular resistance.
(1.) He had spies who informed him of Saul’s descent, that he had
come in very deed
(v. 4);
for he would not believe that Saul would deal so basely with him till
he had the utmost evidence of it.
(2.) He observed with his own eyes how Saul was encamped,
v. 5.
He came towards the place where Saul and his men had pitched their
tents, so near as to be able, undiscovered, to take a view of their
entrenchments, probably in the dusk of the evening.
| David Spares Saul’s Life. | B. C. 1056. |
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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 camp? And Abishai said, I will go
down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and,
behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck
in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round
about him.
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.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can
stretch forth his hand against the LORD‘s anointed, and be
guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall
smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into
battle, and perish.
11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand
against the LORD‘s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the
spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let
us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s
bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew
it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep
sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
Here is,
I. David’s bold adventure into Saul’s camp in the night, accompanied
only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He proposed it to him
and to another of his confidants
(v. 6),
but the other either declined it as too dangerous an enterprise, or at
least was content that Abishai, who was forward to it, should run the
risk of it rather than himself. Whether David was prompted to do this
by his own courage, or by an extraordinary impression upon his spirits,
or by the oracle, does not appear; but, like Gideon, he ventured
through the guards, with a special assurance of the divine
protection.
II. The posture he found the camp in Saul lay sleeping in the
trench, or, as some read it, in his chariot, and in the midst of
his carriages, with his spear stuck in the ground by him, to
be ready if his quarters should by beaten up
(v. 7);
and all the soldiers, even those that were appointed to stand sentinel,
were fast asleep,
v. 12.
Thus were their eyes closed and their hands bound, for a deep sleep
from the Lord had fallen upon them; something extraordinary there
was in it that they should all be asleep together, and so fast asleep
that David and Abishai walked and talked among them, and yet none of
them stirred. Sleep, when God gives it to his beloved, is their rest
and refreshment; but he can, when he pleases, make it to his enemies
their imprisonment. Thus are the stout-hearted spoiled; they have
slept their sleep, and none of the men of might have found their hands,
at thy rebuke, O God of Jacob!
Ps. lxxvi. 5, 6.
It was a deep sleep from the Lord, who has the command of the
powers of nature, and makes them to serve his purposes as he pleases.
Whom God will disable, or destroy, he binds up with a spirit of
slumber,
Rom. xi. 8.
How helpless do Saul and all his forces lie, all, in effect, disarmed
and chained! and yet nothing is done to them; they are only rocked
asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest,
and baffle the most watchful! Let all his friends therefore trust him
and all his enemies fear him.
III. Abishai’s request to David for a commission to dispatch Saul with
the spear that stuck at his bolster, which (now that he lay so fair) he
undertook to do at one blow,
v. 8.
He would not urge David to kill him himself, because he had declined
doing this before when he had a similar opportunity; but he begged
earnestly that David would give him leave to do it, pleading that he
was his enemy, not only cruel and implacable, but false and perfidious,
whom no reason would rule nor kindness work upon, and that God had
now delivered him into his hand, and did in effect bid him strike.
The last advantage he had of this kind was indeed but accidental, when
Saul happened to be in the cave with him at the same time. But in this
there was something extraordinary; the deep sleep that had fallen on
Saul and all his guards was manifestly from the Lord, so that it was a
special providence which gave him this opportunity; he ought not
therefore to let it slip.
IV. David’s generous refusal to suffer any harm to be done to Saul, and
in it a resolute adherence to his principles of loyalty,
v. 9.
David charged Abishai not to destroy him, would not only not do it
himself, but not permit another to do it. And he gave two reasons for
it:–
1. It would be a sinful affront to God’s ordinance. Saul was the Lord’s
anointed, king of Israel by the special appointment and nomination of
the God of Israel, the power that was, and to resist him was to
resist the ordinance of God,
Rom. xiii. 2.
No man could do it and be guiltless. The thing he feared was guilt and
his concern respected his innocence more than his safety.
2. It would be a sinful anticipation of God’s providence. God had
sufficiently shown him, in Nabal’s case, that, if he left it to him to
avenge him, he would do it in due time. Encouraged therefore by his
experience in that instance, he resolves to wait till God shall think
fit to avenge him on Saul, and he will by no means avenge
himself
(v. 10):
“The Lord shall smite him, as he did Nabal, with some sudden
stroke, or he shall die in battle (as it proved he did soon
after), or, if not, his day shall come to die a natural death,
and I will contentedly wait till then, rather than force my way to the
promised crown by any indirect methods.” The temptation indeed was very
strong; but, if he should yield, he would sin against God, and
therefore he will resist the temptation with the utmost resolution
(v. 11):
“The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the
Lord’s anointed; no, I will never do it, nor suffer it to be done.”
Thus bravely does he prefer his conscience to his interest and trusts
God with the issue.
V. The improvement he made of this opportunity for the further evidence
of his own integrity. He and Abishai carried away the spear and cruse
of water which Saul had by his bed-side
(v. 12),
and, which was very strange, none of all the guards were aware of it.
If a physician had given them the strongest opiate or stupifying dose,
they could not have been faster locked up with sleep. Saul’s spear
which he had by him for defence, and his cup of water which he had for
his refreshment, were both stolen from him while he slept. Thus do we
lose our strength and our comfort when we are careless, and secure, and
off our watch.
| David Expostulates with Saul. | B. C. 1056. |
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13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top
of a hill afar off; a great space being between them:
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said,
Who art thou that criest to the king?
15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and
who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not
kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to
destroy the king thy lord.
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD
liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your
master, the LORD‘s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear
is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
17 And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice,
my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his
servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the
words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against
me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of
men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me
out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying,
Go, serve other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the
face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a
flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
David having got safely from Saul’s camp himself, and having brought
with him proofs sufficient that he had been there, posts himself
conveniently, so that they might hear him and yet not reach him
(v. 13),
and then begins to reason with them upon what had passed.
I. He reasons ironically with Abner, and keenly banters him. David knew
well that it was from the mighty power of God that Abner and the rest
of the guards were cast into so deep a sleep, and that God’s immediate
hand was in it; but he reproaches Abner as unworthy to be captain of
the lifeguards, since he could sleep when the king his master lay so
much exposed. By this it appears that the hand of God locked them up in
this deep sleep that, as soon as ever David had got out of danger, a
very little thing awakened them, even David’s voice at a great distance
roused them,
Abner got up (we may suppose it early in a summer’s morning) and
enquired who called, and disturbed the king’s repose. “It is I,” says
David, and then he upbraids him with his sleeping when he should have
been upon his guard. Perhaps Abner, looking upon David as a despicable
enemy and one that there was no danger from, had neglected to set a
watch; however, he himself ought to have been more wakeful. David, to
put him into confusion, told him,
1. That he had lost his honour
(v. 15):
“Art not thou a man? (so the word is), a man in office, that art
bound, by the duty of thy place, to inspect the soldiery? Art not thou
in reputation for a valiant man? So thou wouldst be esteemed, a man of
such courage and conduct that there is none like thee; but now thou art
shamed for ever. Thou a general! Thou, a sluggard!”
2. That he deserved to lose his head
(v. 16):
“You are all worthy to die, by martial law, for being off your
guard, when you had the king himself asleep in the midst of you.
Ecce signum–Behold this token. See where the king’s spear is,
in the hand of him whom the king himself is pleased to count his enemy.
Those that took away this might as easily and safely have taken away
his life. Now see who are the king’s best friends, you that neglected
him and left him exposed or I that protected him when he was exposed.
You pursue me as worthy to die, and irritate Saul against me; but who
is worthy to die now?” Note, Sometimes those that unjustly condemn
others are justly left to fall into condemnation themselves.
II. He reasons seriously and affectionately with Saul. By this time he
was so well awake as to hear what was said, and to discern who said it
(v. 17):
Is this thy voice, my son David? In the same manner he had
expressed his relentings,
He had given his wife to another and yet calls him son, thirsted
after his blood and yet is glad to hear his voice. Those are bad indeed
that have never any convictions of good, nor ever sincerely utter good
expressions. And now David has as fair an opportunity of reaching
Saul’s conscience as he had just now of taking away his life. This he
lays hold on, though not of that, and enters into a close argument with
him, concerning the trouble he still continued to give him,
endeavouring to persuade him to let fall the prosecution and be
reconciled.
1. He complains of the very melancholy condition he was brought into by
the enmity of Saul against him. Two things he laments:–
(1.) That he was driven from his master and from his business: “My
lord pursues after his servant,
v. 18.
How gladly would I serve thee as formerly if my service might be
accepted! but, instead of being owned as a servant, I am pursued as a
rebel, and my lord is my enemy, and he whom I would follow with respect
compels me to flee from him.”
(2.) That he was driven from his God and from his religion; and this
was a much greater grievance than the former
(v. 19):
“They have driven me out from the inheritance of the Lord, have
made Canaan too hot for me, at least the inhabited parts of it, have
forced me into the deserts and mountains, and will, ere long, oblige me
entirely to quit the country.” And that which troubled him was not so
much that he was driven out from his own inheritance as that he was
driven out from the inheritance of the Lord, the holy land. It
should be more comfortable to us to think of God’s title to our estates
and his interest in them then of our own, and that with them we may
honour him then that with them we may maintain ourselves. Nor was it so
much his trouble that he was constrained to live among strangers as
that he was constrained to live among the worshippers of strange gods
and was thereby thrust into temptation to join with them in their
idolatrous worship. His enemies did, in effect, send him to go and
serve other gods, and perhaps he had heard that some of them had
spoken to that purport of him. Those that forbid our attendance on
God’s ordinances do what in them lies to estrange us from God and to
make us heathens. If David had not been a man of extraordinary grace,
and firmness to his religion, the ill usage he met with from his own
prince and people, who were Israelites and worshippers of the true God,
would have prejudiced him against the religion they professed and have
driven him to communicate with idolaters. “If these be Israelites,” he
might have said, “let me live and die with Philistines;” and no thanks
to them that their conduct had not that effect. We are to reckon that
the greatest injury that can be done us which exposes us to sin. Of
those who thus led David into temptation he here says, Cursed be
they before the Lord. Those fall under a curse that thrust out
those whom God receives, and send those to the devil who are dear to
God.
2. He insists upon his own innocency: What have I done or what evil
is in my hand?
v. 18.
He had the testimony of his conscience for him that he had never done
nor ever designed any mischief to the person, honour, or government, of
his prince, nor to any of the interests of his country. He had lately
had Saul’s own testimony concerning him
(ch. xxiv. 17):
Thou art more righteous than I. It was very unreasonable and
wicked for Saul to pursue him as a criminal, when he could not charge
him with any crime.
3. He endeavours to convince Saul that his pursuit of him is not only
wrong, but mean, and much below him: “The king of Israel, whose
dignity is great, and who has so much other work to do, has come out
to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the
mountains,”
v. 20–a
poor game for the king of Israel to pursue. He compares himself to a
partridge, a very innocent harmless bird, which, when attempts are made
upon its life, flies if it can, but makes no resistance. And would Saul
bring the flower of his army into the field only to hunt one poor
partridge? What a disparagement was this to his honour! What a stain
would it be on his memory to trample upon so weak and patient as well
as so innocent an enemy!
You have killed the just, and he doth not resist you.
4. He desires that the core of the controversy may be searched into and
some proper method taken to bring it to an end,
Saul himself could not say that justice put him on thus to persecute
David, or that he was obliged to do it for the public safety. David was
not willing to say (though it was very true) that Saul’s own envy and
malice put him on to do it; and therefore he concludes it must be
attributed either to the righteous judgment of God or to the
unrighteous designs of evil men. Now,
(1.) “If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, either in
displeasure to me (taking this way to punish me for my sins against
him, though, as to thee, I am guiltless) or in displeasure to thee, if
it be the effect of that evil spirit from the Lord which troubles thee,
let him accept an offering from us both–let us join in making
our peace with God, reconciling ourselves to him, which may be done, by
sacrifice; and then I hope the sin will be pardoned, whatever it is,
and the trouble, which is so great a vexation both to thee and me, will
come to an end.” See the right method of peace-making; let us first
make God our friend by Christ the great Sacrifice, and then all other
enmities shall be slain,
But,
(2.) “If thou art incited to it by wicked men, that incense thee
against me, cursed be they before the Lord,” that is, they are
very wicked people, and it is fit that they should be abandoned as
such, and excluded from the king’s court and councils. He decently lays
the blame upon the evil counsellors who advised the king to that which
was dishonourable and dishonest, and insists upon it that they be
removed from about him and forbidden his presence, as men cursed before
the Lord, and then he hoped he should gain his petition, which is
(v. 20),
“Let not my blood fall to the earth, as thou threatenest, for it
is before the face of the Lord, who will take cognizance of the
wrong and avenge it.” Thus pathetically does David plead with Saul for
his life, and, in order to that, for his favourable opinion of him.
| Saul Relents. | B. C. 1056. |
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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 to day,
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 way, and Saul returned to his place.
Here is,
I. Saul’s penitent confession of his fault and folly in persecuting
David and his promise to do so no more. This second instance of David’s
respect to him wrought more upon him than the former, and extorted from
him better acknowledgements,
1. He owns himself melted and quite overcome by David’s kindness to
him: “My soul was precious in thy eyes this day, which, I
thought, had been odious!”
2. He acknowledges he has done very wrong to persecute him, that he has
therein acted against God’s law (I have sinned), and against his
own interest (I have played the fool), in pursuing him as an
enemy who would have been one of his best friends, if he could but have
thought so. “Herein (says he) I have erred exceedingly, and
wronged both thee and myself.” Note, Those that sin play the fool and
err exceedingly, those especially that hate and persecute God’s people,
3. He invites him to court again: Return, my son David. Those
that have understanding will see it to be their interest to have those
about them that behave themselves wisely, as David did, and have
God with them.
4. He promises him that he will not persecute him as he has done, but
protect him: I will no more do thee harm. We have reason to
think, according to the mind he was now in, that he meant as he said,
and yet neither his confession nor his promise of amendment came from a
principle of true repentance.
II. David’s improvement of Saul’s convictions and confessions and the
evidence he had to produce of his own sincerity. He desired that one of
the footmen might fetch the spear
(v. 22),
and then
(v. 23),
1. He appeals to God as judge of the controversy: The Lord render to
every man his righteousness. David, by faith, is sure that he will
do it because he infallibly knows the true characters of all persons
and actions and is inflexibly just to render to every man according to
his work, and, by prayer, he desires he would do it. Herein he does, in
effect, pray against Saul, who had dealt unrighteously and unfaithfully
with him (Give them according to their deeds,
Ps. xxviii. 4);
but he principally intends it as a prayer for himself, that God would
protect him in his righteousness and faithfulness, and also reward him,
since Saul so ill requited him.
2. He reminds Saul again of the proof he had now given of his respect
to him from a principle of loyalty: I would not stretch forth my
hand against the Lord’s anointed, intimating to Saul that the
anointing oil was his protection, for which he was indebted to the Lord
and ought to express his gratitude to him (had he been a common person
David would not have been so tender of him), perhaps with this further
implication, that Saul knew, or had reason to think, David was the
Lord’s anointed too, and therefore, by the same rule, Saul ought to be
as tender of David’s life as David had been of his.
3. Not relying much upon Saul’s promises, he puts himself under God’s
protection and begs his favour
(v. 24):
“Let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, how light
soever thou makest of it.” Thus, for his kindness to Saul, he takes God
to be his paymaster, which those may with a holy confidence do that
do well and suffer for it.
III. Saul’s prediction of David’s advancement. He commends him
(v. 25):
Blessed be thou, my son David. So strong was the conviction Saul
was now under of David’s honesty that he was not ashamed to condemn
himself and applaud David, even in the hearing of his own soldiers, who
could not but blush to think that they had come out so furiously
against a man whom their master, when he meets him, caresses thus. He
foretels his victories, and his elevation at last: Thou shalt do
great things. Note, Those who make conscience of doing that which
is truly good may come, by the divine assistance, to do that which is
truly great. He adds, “Thou shalt also still prevail, more and
more,” he means against himself, but is loth to speak that out. The
princely qualities which appeared in David–his generosity in sparing
Saul, his military authority in reprimanding Abner for sleeping, his
care of the public good, and the signal tokens of God’s presence with
him–convinced Saul that he would certainly be advanced to the throne at
last, according to the prophecies concerning him.
Lastly, A palliative cure being thus made of the wound, they
parted friends. Saul returned to Gibeah re infecta–without
accomplishing his design, and ashamed of the expedition he had
made; but David could not take his word so far as to return with him.
Those that have once been false are not easily trusted another time.
Therefore David went on his way. And, after this parting, it
does not appear that ever Saul and David saw one another again.
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