1-Samuel 26-1
Chapter 26 has a similar theme to chapter 24. In both chapters Saul
pursues
after David but finds himself in a position whereby David is able to
kill
him. In both cases the followers of David urge him to slay their mutual
persecutor but David refuses. In both scenarios David then reveals to
Saul
what had happened and Saul  admits he is in the wrong and in his heart
knows that David will rule over the kingdom when he is gone.
The expressions used in both stories are identical or similar but this
is
the way of  Scripture when a similarity between events is being
emphasized.
It happened twice.
In our own lives if we think about it important events or decisions are
often reached after the same preliminary opportunity  or causative
situation repeats itself, as if Divine Providence wants to emphasize
the
message we are being given.
There is even a famous book (1930s, and later movie, 1946) whose title
is
based on this theme:
"The Postman Always Rings Twice" by James M. Cain.
There are however differences between the two events such as the first
time
round Saul inadvertently came to the hiding place of David whereas the
second time it was David  who went to Saul.  It could be that David
learnt
from the first time and consciously intended to repeat the lesson.
We can also perhaps learn from this in our private lives. It happens
that
we make mistakes or things go wrong in ways that if we had have known
the
possible consequences maybe we could have pretended them.  It is not
too
productive to berate ourselves. Instead we should think about what
happened, learn the lesson, and soon enough the opportunity for a
repeat
performance in one way or other will present itself.  If we pray, the
second time around we can do better.

[1-Samuel 26:1] AND THE ZIPHITES CAME UNTO SAUL TO GIBEAH, SAYING, DOTH
NOT
DAVID HIDE HIMSELF IN THE HILL OF HACHILAH, WHICH IS
BEFORE  JESHIMON?

[1-Samuel 26:2] 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.
Saul had 3000 men and David had 600 (1-Samuel 25:13).

[1-Samuel 26:3] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:4] DAVID THEREFORE SENT OUT SPIES, AND UNDERSTOOD THAT
SAUL
WAS COME  IN VERY DEED.

[1-Samuel 26:5] 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.
"ABNER THE SON OF NER": He was the cousin of  Saul (1-Samuel 14:50) who
as
we have noticed liked to surround himself with members of his own
family
and tribe.

[1-Samuel 26:6] 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.
   "AHIMELECH THE HITTITE":  There are those who explain expressions
such
as "Moabite", "Hittite", etc as not necessarily referring to ethnic
origin
but rather to some event in their family or personal life, in the same
way
as a leading Roman general was called "Germanicus" (15 BCE-19CE) not
because he came from Germany but rather because he fought against the
Germans and defeated them.
Even so,i n my opinion ,we should take Scripture as literally as
possible
and understand these ethnic appellations as being what they sound like.
Ahimelech was a Hittite or of Hittite origin and he had attached hmself
to
the forces of David and was apparently considered a leading
warrior.
"ABISHAI" and Joab were the sons of Zeruiah who was the sister of  
David
(2-Samuel 17:25
1-Chronicles 2:16). This is one of the few instances where men are
named as
the sons of their mother rather than of their father. Abishai
(pronounced
in Modern Hebrew as "Avishai") was thus the nephew of David. On the one
side we have Saul with Abner his cousin and on the other side we have
David
with Abishai his nephew.
"WHO WILL GO DOWN WITH ME TO SAUL TO THE  CAMP?": David had a "sixth
sense". He knew he could penetrate the camp of Saul unopposed. He had
internalized the lessons of his previous experience with Saul in the
cave
(chapter 24) and understood that the opportunity for a re-run of the
same
situation was presenting itself.
This happens a lot.
It also happens in sport.
A good sportsman will use it to entrap his opponent. If the opponent is
also a good sportsman he will know in advance that an attempted
entrapment
is liable to be taking place.

[1-Samuel 26:7] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:8] 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.
Abishai understood that a special relationship existed between Saul and
David and that David despite all that saul had done to him might still
be
hesitant to make the necessary blow.  It also might not be proper if an
alternative existed. Abishai therefore offered to do the deed
himself.

[1-Samuel 26:9] AND DAVID SAID TO ABISHAI, DESTROY HIM NOT:  FOR WHO
CAN
STRETCH FORTH HIS HAND AGAINST THE LORD'S ANOINTED, AND BE
GUILTLESS?

[1-Samuel 26:10] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:11] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:12] 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.
This was in effect a miracle. David had sensed what was happening  and had acted on it.
1-Samuel 26-2
We saw how David had gone down to the camp of  Saul and taken the
water-cointainedr and spear from the head-rest of Saul. The whole camp
was
in a deep slumber and we are told that God had cast this sleep upon
them.  The whole of our existence is one great miracle. God is with us
always but we are not able to constantly be aware of this. David
however
did have such an awareness but even he was destined later  to sin
gievously.
Incidentally the English word "sin" apparently derives from the Hebrew
"zoneh" meaning "sin, transgress, whore".

[1-Samuel 26:13] THEN DAVID WENT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND STOOD ON
THE
TOP OF AN HILL  AFAR OFF; A GREAT SPACE BEING BETWEEN
THEM:

[1-Samuel 26:14] 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?
At night time in the desert a voice can carry for a great distance.
What is
more David was standing on a hill at an elevation above the camp. He
had
spent a good portion of his entire life in the wilderness, whether as a
shephered, as a warrior, or as a fugitive  and would have learnt how to
project his voice when needed.

[1-Samuel 26:15] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:16] 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.

[1-Samuel 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, O
KING.

[1-Samuel 26:18] AND HE SAID, WHEREFORE DOTH MY LORD THUS PURSUE AFTER
HIS
SERVANT? FOR  WHAT HAVE I DONE? OR WHAT EVIL IS IN MINE
HAND?

[1-Samuel 26:19] 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.
"FROM ABIDING IN THE INHERITANCE OF THE LORD": David realized tat no
matter
what Saul might or might not promise him in a moment of contrition his
life
and that of his followers would never be safe in the realm of Saul and
therefore he must flee to the domain of  one of the Gentile neighboring
kingdoms. David himself might always worship the Amighty God of Israel
and
be certain that he always would. Nevertheless he would have to
accommodate
himself to the ways of thought-patterns of those who worshipped idols
and
his well-being would be dependent on the good-will of idolaters. All of
these factors together could not help but influence his own spiritual
state
and it would be as if he too, were a participant in the worship of
idols.  The Sages said that anyone who dwells outside of the Land of
Israel
is similar to an idolater.

[1-Samuel 26:20] 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.
  <<PARTRIDGE>>:  Hebrew "Koray". This bird comes down to rest in low
shubbery on the ground giving the misleading impression that it should
be
easy to grab but when one clutches for it it escapes and lands a short
distance away and thus you can be led on a merry and useless chase all
over
the place.
The word "KORAY" has the same root (KRA) as "call" (and thus we have
the
English, "cry" just as the English "call" comes from the Hebrew "KOL"
meaning "voice, noise").   The expression above could therefore also be
rendered as,  AS WHEN ONE DOTH HUNT A "VOICE"  IN THE MOUNTAINS. In
this
case the parable is to someone who chases after his own echo in the
montains, i.e. he calls and hears an answer (his own echo) and goes
running
around looking for whoever is calling back to his own call.

[1-Samuel 26:21] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:22] AND DAVID ANSWERED AND SAID, BEHOLD THE KING'S SPEAR!
AND
LET ONE OF THE YOUNG MEN COME OVER AND FETCH IT.

[1-Samuel 26:23] 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.

[1-Samuel 26:24] 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.
David does not expect gratitude and recognition from Saul. Instead
david knows that the Almighty will reward him at a time when HE will decide.

[1-Samuel 26:25] 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.

http://www.britam.org
http://www.geocities.com/hiberi
"And I will bless them that bless you" (Genesis 12:15).

PayPal
http://www.britam.org/order.html