1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26 recounts how David, while being pursued by Saul, spares Saul's life once again. In the preceding chapter, 1 Samuel 25, Samuel dies and David takes Abigail as his wife. In this chapter the narrative returns to Saul's pursuit of David.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 The Ziphites inform Saul that David is hiding in the hill of Hachilah. Saul goes down to the Wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men and pitches camp. David sends out spies to confirm this.
• Verses 5–12 David and Abishai enter Saul's camp at night. Abishai asks to be allowed to strike Saul with the spear, but David restrains him, saying that no one may strike the LORD's anointed. The two take only the spear and the jug of water that lay by Saul's head and leave. The text records that the LORD had caused a deep sleep to fall upon them.
• Verses 13–16 From the top of a hill on the other side, David calls out to Abner and rebukes him for failing to guard the king.
• Verses 17–20 David asks Saul why he is pursuing him and pleads with him not to drive him out of the inheritance of the LORD.
• Verses 21–25 Saul acknowledges his wrong, saying, "I have sinned," and blesses David. David returns the spear, and the two go their separate ways.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 26:9 "Who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?" — David's explanation of why he spares Saul.
• 1 Samuel 26:10 "The LORD shall smite him" — These words show David's resolve to leave judgment to God.
• 1 Samuel 26:21 "I have sinned" — Saul's confession. David, however, does not trust these words, and in the following chapter, 1 Samuel 27, he flees to the land of the Philistines.

Characters and Places

• David — A man living in the wilderness to escape Saul, who would later become king.
• Saul — The first king of Israel.
• Abishai — The son of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab. He enters Saul's camp with David.
• Abner — The son of Ner and the commander of Saul's army.
• Ahimelech the Hittite — One of the men David asks when seeking someone to accompany him. He appears in the Bible only in this chapter.
• The Ziphites and the Wilderness of Ziph — A wilderness region in southern Judah and its inhabitants. In chapter 23 the Ziphites had also informed Saul of David's whereabouts.
• The hill of Hachilah — A hill facing the wilderness, which also appears in chapter 23.

Points for Reflection

• The plot closely resembles the incident in the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24. Traditionally, the two accounts are read as separate events in which David spared Saul twice. Some scholars regard them as two versions of the same tradition.
• The words in verse 19, "Go, serve other gods," are commonly interpreted as reflecting the contemporary understanding that to be driven out of the land of Israel was also to be cut off from the community that worshiped the LORD.
• David's willingness to leave vengeance to God is often read alongside Romans 12:17–21 and the teaching of love for one's enemies.
• David's refusal to harm the anointed king carries over into 2 Samuel 1, where David punishes the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul.

In the Korean Church

• Verses 9 and 23 are frequently quoted as "Do not strike the LORD's anointed" and are sometimes used to support the claim that pastors should not be criticized. Objections to this use have been raised within the church, on the grounds that the anointed one in the text is Saul, the king of Israel, and that the passage therefore cannot be applied directly to pastors today.