Why does David refuse Abisai’s offer to kill Saul, and what does he take from Saul’s camp?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He asks who can strike the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless, naming the Lord’s striking, Saul’s day of death or his death in battle as alternatives. David takes the spear and water cup from Saul’s head and leaves unseen while a deep sleep from the Lord rests on the camp. From a distant hill he challenges Abner and appeals to Saul, who acknowledges sin and promises no further harm.

Chapter breakdown

Men of Ziph tell Saul in Gabaa that David is hidden on Hachila’s hill opposite the wilderness. Saul goes down to Ziph’s wilderness with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek him, camping in Gabaa Hachila opposite the wilderness along the way. David stays in the wilderness; seeing Saul has come after him, he sends spies and learns Saul has certainly arrived. David rises secretly and observes where Saul sleeps in a tent, with Abner son of Ner, captain of his army, and the multitude around him. He asks Achimelech the Hethite and Abisai, son of Sarvia and brother of Joab, who will go into Saul’s camp with him. Abisai agrees. By night they find Saul asleep in the tent, his spear fixed in the ground at his head, with Abner and the people sleeping around him.

Abisai tells David God has shut his enemy into his hands that day and offers to run Saul through with his own spear to the earth at once, without needing a second time. David says not to kill him, asking who could lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless. Swearing by the living Lord, he names the Lord’s striking Saul, Saul’s day coming to die, or his going into battle and perishing. David asks the Lord’s mercy that he not extend his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and says to take the spear at Saul’s head and the water cup and go. David takes both from Saul’s head. They leave, with nobody seeing, knowing or waking, because everyone sleeps under a deep sleep from the Lord.

David crosses to the other side and stands on the hilltop far off, with a good space between them. He calls to the people and Abner son of Ner, asking whether Abner will answer. Abner asks who is calling and disturbing the king. David asks whether Abner is a man and who is like him in Israel, then why he has not kept his lord the king when one of the people came in to kill him. David says what Abner has done is not good; swearing by the living Lord, he calls them sons of death because they have not kept their master, the Lord’s anointed. He asks where the king’s spear and the cup from his head are.

Saul recognizes David’s voice and asks if this is his son David. David answers that it is his voice, my lord the king, then asks why his lord persecutes his servant, what he has done or what evil is in his hand. He asks Saul to hear his servant’s words: if the Lord stirs Saul against him, let the Lord accept sacrifice; if the sons of men do so, they are cursed in the Lord’s sight for casting him out that day from dwelling in the Lord’s inheritance, saying to go serve strange gods. David asks that his blood not be shed on the earth before the Lord, for Israel’s king has come to seek a flea as a partridge is hunted in the mountains.

Saul says he has sinned and asks his son David to return. He promises no more harm because his life was precious in David’s eyes that day, saying he has acted foolishly and been ignorant in very many things. David points to the king’s spear and asks one of the king’s servants to come over and fetch it. He says the Lord will reward everyone according to justice and faithfulness: the Lord delivered Saul into his hand that day and he would not strike the Lord’s anointed. As Saul’s life was much valued in his eyes that day, he asks that his life be valued in the Lord’s eyes and that he be delivered from all distress. Saul blesses his son David and says he will do and prevail. David goes on his way and Saul returns to his place. The chapter does not say Saul weeps here or that a servant actually retrieves the spear.

The story inside

The Ziphite report leads Saul into the wilderness with three thousand chosen men. David confirms his arrival and asks for a companion, with Abisai agreeing. In the sleeping camp Abisai offers one blow, but David refuses to harm the Lord’s anointed and takes two objects instead. The account gives the Lord’s deep sleep as the reason nobody sees, knows or wakes. From the other hill David questions Abner’s guarding and asks Saul to hear his appeal, distinguishing the Lord’s stirring from men’s action. Saul’s confession and promise receive a reply about the spear, justice, faithfulness and the value of life. Blessing and separate departures close the chapter.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Abisai’s offer and David’s refusal have exact terms. Abisai says his own spear and one blow without a second; David asks about guilt and lists three possible ways Saul’s life may end without claiming which occurs here.
2
The two objects connect the camp to David’s speech. He takes the spear and water cup, then asks Abner where they are. Later he offers the spear for one servant to fetch, with no narrated retrieval.
3
Saul’s acknowledgment is kept within the chapter’s report. He admits sin, foolish conduct and much ignorance and promises no further harm. No weeping or guarantee of permanent peace is added; the closing action is that each goes his way.

Test your recall

How does David confirm Saul’s arrival and gain Abisai’s company, why does he refuse the proposed blow, and how do the missing objects lead to Abner’s challenge and Saul’s reply?

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 31163–31194
1 Kings Chapter 26 Saul goeth out again after David, who cometh by night where Saul and his men are asleep, but suffereth him not to be touched. Saul again confesseth his fault, and promiseth peace. 26:1. And the men of Ziph came to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Behold David is hid in the hill of Hachila, which is over against the wilderness. 26:2. And Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph having with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 26:3. And Saul encamped in Gabaa Hachila, which was over against the wilderness in the way: and David abode in the wilderness. And seeing that Saul was come after him into the wilderness, 26:4. He sent spies, and learned that he was most certainly come thither. 26:5. And David arose secretly, and came to the place where Saul was: and when he had beheld the place, wherein Saul slept, and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his army, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the rest of the multitude round about him, 26:6. David spoke to Achimelech, the Hethite, and Abisai, the son of Sarvia, the brother of Joab, saying: Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp? And Abisai said: I will go with thee. 26:7. So David and Abisai came to the people by night, and found Saul lying and sleeping in the tent, and his spear fixed in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people sleeping round about him.
Lines 31196–31214
26:8. And Abisai said to David: God hath shut up thy enemy this day into thy hands: now then I will run him through with my spear, even to the earth at once, and there shall be no need of a second time. 26:9. And David said to Abisai: Kill him not: for who shall put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and shall be guiltless? 26:10. And David said: As the Lord liveth, unless the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down to battle, and perish: 26:11. The Lord be merciful unto me, that I extend not my hand upon the Lord’s anointed. But now take the spear, which is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go. 26:12. So David took the spear, and the cup of water which was at Saul’s head, and they went away: and no man saw it, or knew it, or awaked, but they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.
Lines 31216–31230
26:13. And when David was gone over to the other side, and stood on the top of the hill afar off, and a good space was between them, 26:14. David cried to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying: Wilt thou not answer, Abner? And Abner answering, said: Who art thou, that criest, and disturbest the king? 26:15. And David said to Abner: Art not thou a man? and who is like unto thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to kill the king thy lord. 26:16. This thing is not good, that thou hast done: as the Lord liveth, you are the sons of death, who have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now where is the king’s spear, and the cup of water, which was at his head?
Lines 31232–31246
26:17. And Saul knew David’s voice, and said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord the king. 26:18. And he said: Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? What have I done? or what evil is there in my hand? 26:19. Now therefore hear, I pray thee, my lord the king, the words of thy servant: If the Lord stir thee up against me, let him accept of sacrifice: but if the sons of men, they are cursed in the sight of the Lord, who have cast me out this day, that I should not dwell in the inheritance of the Lord, saying: Go, serve strange gods. 26:20. And now let not my blood be shed upon the earth before the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as the partridge is hunted in the mountains.
Lines 31248–31268
26:21. And Saul said: I have sinned; return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my life hath been precious in thy eyes this day: for it appeareth that I have done foolishly, and have been ignorant in very many things. 26:22. And David answering, said: Behold the king’s spear: let one of the king’s servants come over and fetch it. 26:23. And the Lord will reward every one according to his justice, and his faithfulness: for the Lord hath delivered thee this day into my hand, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 26:24. And as thy life hath been much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me from all distress. 26:25. Then Saul said to David: Blessed art thou, my son David: and truly doing thou shalt do, and prevailing thou shalt prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.