Why does David stop his men from attacking Saul in the cave, and what does Saul ask him to swear afterward?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David says Saul is his master and the Lord’s anointed, and will not lay his hand on him. After David presents the cut robe hem and appeals to the Lord’s judgment, Saul acknowledges David’s good and future kingship and asks him not to destroy his descendants or remove his name from his father’s house. David swears.

Chapter breakdown

David goes up and lives in Engaddi’s strongholds. When Saul returns from following the Philistines, he hears David is in Engaddi’s desert. He takes three thousand chosen men from all Israel to seek David and his men, even on the most craggy rocks accessible only to wild goats. At sheepcotes along the way he enters a cave to relieve himself; David and his men are hidden in its inner part. David’s servants tell him this is the day of which the Lord said he would deliver his enemy to him to do as seemed good in his eyes. Their words remain their report. David rises and secretly cuts off the hem of Saul’s robe. Afterward his heart strikes him because of that act. Challoner separately explains this as remorse, fearing he had done wrong.

David asks the Lord’s mercy that he do no such thing to his master, the Lord’s anointed, as lay his hand on him, because he is the Lord’s anointed. With his words he stops his men and does not let them rise against Saul, who leaves the cave and goes on his way. David follows out, calls him my lord the king, and bows to the ground in homage when Saul looks behind him. He asks why Saul hears men saying David seeks his hurt. He says Saul has seen that day how the Lord delivered him into David’s hand in the cave: David had a thought to kill him but his eye spared him, refusing to strike the Lord’s anointed. Challoner separately explains the thought as a suggestion to which David did not consent. Calling Saul his father, David asks him to see the hem in his hand: when he cut it he would not strike Saul. He asks him to reflect that there is no evil or iniquity in his hand, nor has he sinned against Saul, though Saul lies in wait to take his life.

David calls on the Lord to judge between them and avenge him of Saul, saying his own hand will not be against Saul. Challoner separately gives the Hebrew alternative, will revenge me, and explains that David refers his whole cause to God to judge and punish justly while keeping himself from personal hatred of Saul and from satisfying his own passion by seeking revenge. The note points ahead to David’s bitter mourning, rather than rejoicing, when Saul is later killed. David cites the old proverb that wickedness comes from the wicked and again says his hand will not be against Saul. He asks whom the king of Israel comes out to pursue: a dead dog, a flea. He asks the Lord to see and judge his cause and deliver him from Saul’s hand.

After David finishes, Saul asks whether this is the voice of his son David, raises his voice and weeps. He says David is more just than he: David has done him good, while he rewarded David with evil. He acknowledges the good done that day, when the Lord delivered him into David’s hand and David did not kill him. He asks who would find an enemy and let him go well away, and asks the Lord to reward David for that day’s good turn. Saying he knows David will surely be king and hold Israel’s kingdom, Saul asks him to swear by the Lord not to destroy his descendants after him or take away his name from his father’s house. David swears. Saul goes home, and David and his men go up into safer places.

The story inside

Saul’s return and the report about Engaddi lead to a search with three thousand chosen men. The cave places him near David’s hidden company. The servants’ words precede David’s secret cutting, but David’s heart strikes him afterward and he stops an attack. Outside the cave he uses the hem in his speech, appeals to the Lord’s judgment and names the dead dog and flea comparisons. Saul replies with weeping, acknowledgment of David’s good and a request for an oath about his descendants and name. The oath is followed by their separate departures. Challoner explains remorse, the unaccepted suggestion and the appeal for justice without personal revenge.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The servants’ report does not replace David’s stated reason. They describe the chance as a promised day, but David identifies Saul as his master and the Lord’s anointed when he stops his men.
2
The hem belongs to David’s argument. He asks Saul to compare his refusal to strike with Saul’s pursuit of his life. Challoner explains the revenge appeal as a whole cause entrusted to God, with no personal hatred or satisfaction of passion.
3
The oath has two specific terms. Saul asks protection of his descendants and his name within his father’s house. David swears, Saul goes home and David’s group goes to safer places; the chapter supplies no further result.

Test your recall

How do the servants’ words, the cut hem and David’s remorse lead to restraint, what argument does he make to Saul, and what two promises does Saul request?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 30865–30892
1 Kings Chapter 24 Saul seeketh David in the wilderness of Engaddi: he goeth into a cave where David hath him in his power. 24:1. Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi. 24:2. And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi. 24:3. Saul, therefore, took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats. 24:4. And he came to the sheepcotes which were in his way. And there was a cave, into which Saul went, to ease nature: now David and his men lay hid in the inner part of the cave. 24:5. And the servants of David said to him: Behold the day, of which the Lord said to thee: I will deliver thy enemy unto thee, that thou mayst do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. Then David arose, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul’s robe. 24:6. After which David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off the hem of Saul’s robe. Heart struck him.... Viz., with remorse, as fearing he had done amiss.
Lines 30894–30921
24:7. And he said to his men: The Lord be merciful unto me, that I may do no such thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, as to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord’s anointed. 24:8. And David stopped his men with his words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul: but Saul, rising up out of the cave, went on his way. 24:9. And David also rose up after him: and going out of the cave, cried after Saul, saying: My lord the king. And Saul looked behind him: and David bowing himself down to the ground, worshipped, 24:10. And said to Saul: Why dost thou hear the words of men that say: David seeketh thy hurt? 24:11. Behold this day thy eyes have seen, that the Lord hath delivered thee into my hand, in the cave, and I had a thought to kill thee, but my eye hath spared thee. For I said: I will not put out my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed. A thought to kill thee.... That is, a suggestion, to which I did not consent. 24:12. Moreover, see and know, O my father, the hem of thy robe in my hand, that when I cut off the hem of thy robe, I would not put out my hand against thee. Reflect, and see, that there is no evil in my hand, nor iniquity, neither have I sinned against thee: but thou liest in wait for my life, to take it away.
Lines 30923–30941
24:13. The Lord judge between me and thee and the Lord revenge me of thee: but my hand shall not be upon thee. Revenge me of thee.... Or, as it is in the Hebrew, will revenge me. The meaning is, that he refers his whole cause to God, to judge and punish according to his justice: yet so as to keep himself in the mean time, from all personal hatred to Saul, or desire of gratifying his own passion, by seeking revenge. So far from it, that when Saul was afterwards slain, we find, that instead of rejoicing at his death, he mourned most bitterly for him. 24:14. As also it is said in the old proverb: From the wicked shall wickedness come forth: therefore my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom dost thou come out, O king of Israel? 24:15. After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea. 24:16. Be the Lord judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and judge my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.
Lines 30943–30967
24:17. And when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept: 24:18. And he said to David: Thou art more just than I: for thou hast done good to me, and I have rewarded thee with evil. 24:19. And thou hast shewed this day what good things thou hast done to me: how the Lord delivered me into thy hand, and thou hast not killed me. 24:20. For who when he hath found his enemy, will let him go well away? But the Lord reward thee for this good turn, for what thou hast done to me this day. 24:21. And now as I know that thou shalt surely be king, and have the kingdom of Israel in thy hand: 24:22. Swear to me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father. 24:23. And David swore to Saul. So Saul went home: and David and his men went up into safer places.