10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
10 Behold, this day H3117 thine eyes H5869 have seen H7200 how that the LORD H3068 had delivered H5414 thee to day H3117 into mine hand H3027 in the cave: H4631 and some bade H559 me kill H2026 thee: but mine eye spared H2347 thee; and I said, H559 I will not put forth H7971 mine hand H3027 against my lord; H113 for he is the LORD'S H3068 anointed. H4899
11 Moreover, my father, H1 see, H7200 yea, see H7200 the skirt H3671 of thy robe H4598 in my hand: H3027 for in that I cut off H3772 the skirt H3671 of thy robe, H4598 and killed H2026 thee not, know H3045 thou and see H7200 that there is neither evil H7451 nor transgression H6588 in mine hand, H3027 and I have not sinned H2398 against thee; yet thou huntest H6658 my soul H5315 to take H3947 it.
12 The LORD H3068 judge H8199 between me and thee, and the LORD H3068 avenge H5358 me of thee: but mine hand H3027 shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith H559 the proverb H4912 of the ancients, H6931 Wickedness H7562 proceedeth H3318 from the wicked: H7563 but mine hand H3027 shall not be upon thee.
14 After H310 whom is the king H4428 of Israel H3478 come out? H3318 after H310 whom dost thou pursue? H7291 after H310 a dead H4191 dog, H3611 after H310 a H259 flea. H6550
15 The LORD H3068 therefore be judge, H1781 and judge H8199 between me and thee, and see, H7200 and plead H7378 my cause, H7379 and deliver H8199 me out of thine hand. H3027
16 And it came to pass, when David H1732 had made an end H3615 of speaking H1696 these words H1697 unto Saul, H7586 that Saul H7586 said, H559 Is this thy voice, H6963 my son H1121 David? H1732 And Saul H7586 lifted up H5375 his voice, H6963 and wept. H1058
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee; but `mine eye' spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Jehovah's anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my life to take it.
12 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 Jehovah therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.
16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
10 Lo, this day have thine eyes seen how that Jehovah hath given thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and `one' said to slay thee, and `mine eye' hath pity on thee, and I say, I do not put forth my hand against my lord, for the anointed of Jehovah he `is'.
11 `And, my father, see, yea see the skirt of thine upper robe in my hand; for by cutting off the skirt of thy upper robe, and I have not slain thee, know and see that there is not in my hand evil and transgression, and I have not sinned against thee, and thou art hunting my soul to take it!
12 `Jehovah doth judge between me and thee, and Jehovah hath avenged me of thee, and my hand is not on thee;
13 as saith the simile of the ancients, From the wicked goeth out wickedness, and my hand is not on thee.
14 `After whom hath the king of Israel come out? after whom art thou pursuing? -- after a dead dog! after one flea!
15 And Jehovah hath been for judge, and hath judged between me and thee, yea, he seeth and pleadeth my cause, and doth deliver me out of thy hand.'
16 And it cometh to pass, when David completeth to speak these words unto Saul, that Saul saith, `Is this thy voice, my son David?' and Saul lifteth up his voice, and weepeth.
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had given thee this day into my hand in the cave; and they bade me kill thee; but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
11 And see, my father, yes, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it.
12 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.
15 Jehovah therefore shall be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and do me justice [in delivering me] out of thy hand.
16 And as soon as David had ended speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill you; but [my eye] spared you; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Yahweh's anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn't kill you, know you and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt after my life to take it.
12 Yahweh judge between me and you, and Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand shall not be on you.
13 As says the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be on you.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.
16 It came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
10 And David said to Saul, Why do you give any attention to those who say that it is my desire to do you wrong?
11 Look! you have seen today how the Lord gave you up into my hands even now in the hollow of the rocks: and some would have had me put you to death, but I had pity on you: for I said, Never will my hand be lifted up against my lord, who has been marked with the holy oil.
12 And see, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for the fact that I took off the skirt of your robe and did not put you to death is witness that I have no evil purpose, and I have done you no wrong, though you are waiting for my life to take it.
13 May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord give me my rights against you, but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
14 There is an old saying, From the evil-doer comes evil: but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
15 After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect.
16 So let the Lord be judge, and give a decision between me and you, and see and give support to my cause, and keep me from falling into your hands.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 24
Commentary on 1 Samuel 24 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Whilst Saul had gone against the Philistines, David left this dangerous place, and went to the mountain heights of Engedi , i.e., the present Ain-jidy (goat-fountain), in the middle of the western coats of the Dead Sea (see at Joshua 15:62), which he could reach from Maon in six or seven hours. The soil of the neighbourhood consists entirely of limestone; but the rocks contain a considerable admixture of chalk and flint. Round about there rise bare conical mountains, and even ridges of from two to four hundred feet in height, which mostly run down to the sea. The steep mountains are intersected by wadys running down in deep ravines to the sea. “On all sides the country is full of caverns, which might then serve as lurking-places for David and his men, as they do for outlaws at the present day” (Rob. Pal . p. 203)
1 Samuel 24:1-2
When Saul had returned from his march against the Philistines, and was informed of this, he set out thither with three thousand picked men to search for David and his men in the wild-goat rocks. The expression “ rocks of the wild goats ” is probably not a proper name for some particular rocks, but a general term applied to the rocks of that locality on account of the number of wild goats and chamois that were to be found in all that region, as mountain goats are still (Rob. Pal . ii. p. 204).
1 Samuel 24:3
When Saul came to the sheep-folds by the way, where there was a cave, he entered it to cover his feet, whilst David and his men sat behind in the cave. V. de Velde ( R . ii. p. 74) supposes the place, where the sheep-folds by the roadside were, to have been the Wady Chareitun , on the south-west of the Frank mountain, and to the north-east of Tekoah, a very desolate and inaccessible valley. “Rocky, precipitous walls, which rise up one above another for many hundred feet, form the sides of this defile. Stone upon stone, and cliff above cliff, without any sign of being habitable, or of being capable of affording even a halting-place to anything but wild goats.” Near the ruins of the village of Chareitun , hardly five minutes' walk to the east, there is a large cave or chamber in the rock, with a very narrow entrance entirely concealed by stones, and with many side vaults in which the deepest darkness reigns, at least to any one who has just entered the limestone vaults from the dazzling light of day. It may be argued in favour of the conjecture that this is the cave which Saul entered, and at the back of which David and his men were concealed, that this cave is on the road from Bethlehem to Ain-jidy, and one of the largest caves in that district, if not the largest of all, and that, according to Pococke ( Beschr. des Morgenl . ii. p. 61), the Franks call it a labyrinth, the Arabs Elmaama , i.e., hiding-place, whilst the latter relate how at one time thirty thousand people hid themselves in it “to escape an evil wind,” in all probability the simoom. The only difficulty connected with this supposition is the distance from Ain-jidy, namely about four or five German miles (fifteen or twenty English), and the nearness of Tekoah, according to which it belongs to the desert of Tekoah rather than to that of Engedi. “ To cover his feet ” is a euphemism according to most of the ancient versions, as in Judges 3:24, for performing the necessities of nature, as it is a custom in the East to cover the feet. It does not mean “to sleep,” as it is rendered in this passage in the Peschito , and also by Michaelis and others; for although what follows may seem to favour this, there is apparently no reason why any such euphemistic expression should have been chosen for sleep. “ The sides of the cave :” i.e., the outermost or farthest sides.
1 Samuel 24:4
Then David's men said to him, “ See, this is the day of which Jehovah hath said to thee, Behold, I give thine enemy into thy hand, and do to him what seemeth good to thee .” Although these words might refer to some divine oracle which David had received through a prophet, Gad for example, what follows clearly shows that David had received no such oracle; and the meaning of his men was simply this, “Behold, to-day is the day when God is saying to thee:” that is to say, the speakers regarded the leadings of providence by which Saul had been brought into David's power as a divine intimation to David himself to take this opportunity of slaying his deadly enemy, and called this intimation a word of Jehovah. David then rose, up, and cut off the edge of Saul's cloak privily. Saul had probably laid the meil on one side, which rendered it possible for David to cut off a piece of it unobserved.
1 Samuel 24:5
But his heart smote him after he had done it; i.e., his conscience reproached him, because he regarded this as an injury done to the king himself.
1 Samuel 24:6
With all the greater firmness, therefore, did he repel the suggestions of his men: “ Far be it to me from Jehovah (on Jehovah's account: see at Joshua 22:29), that ( אם , a particle denoting an oath) I should do such a thing to my lord, the anointed of Jehovah, to stretch out my hand against him .” These words of David show clearly enough that no word of Jehovah had come to him to do as he liked with Saul.
1 Samuel 24:7
Thus he kept back his people with words ( שׁסּע , verbis dilacere ), and did not allow them to rise up against Saul, sc., to slay him.
But when Saul had gone out of the cave, David went out, and called, “ My lord king ,” that when the king looked round he might expostulate with him, with the deepest reverence, but yet with earnest words, that should sharpen his conscience as to the unfounded nature of his suspicion and the injustice of his persecution. “ Why dost thou hearken to words of men, who say, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have been that Jehovah hath given thee to-day into my hand in the cave, and they said ( אמר , thought) to kill thee, and I spared thee :” lit . it (mine eye) spared thee (cf. Genesis 45:20; Deuteronomy 7:16, etc., which show that עיני is to be supplied).
To confirm what he said, he then showed him the lappet of his coat which he had cut off, and said, “ My father, see .” In these words there is an expression of the childlike reverence and affection which David cherished towards the anointed of the Lord. “ For that I cut off the lappet and did not kill thee, learn and see (from this) that (there is) not evil in my hand (i.e., that I do not go about for the purpose of injury and crime), and that I have not sinned against thee, as thou nevertheless layest wait for my soul to destroy it .”
After he had proved to the king in this conclusive manner that he had no reason whatever for seeking his life, he invoked the Lord as judge between him and his adversary: “ Jehovah will avenge me upon thee, but my hand will not be against thee. As the proverb of the ancients ( הקּדמוני is used collectively) says, Evil proceedeth from the evil, but my hand shall not be upon thee .” The meaning is this: Only a wicked man could wish to avenge himself; I do not.
And even if he should wish to attack the king, he did not possess the power. This thought introduces 1 Samuel 24:14 : “ After whom is the king of Israel gone out? After whom dost thou pursue? A dead dog, a single flea .” By these similes David meant to describe himself as a perfectly harmless and insignificant man, of whom Saul had no occasion to be afraid, and whom the king of Israel ought to think it beneath his dignity to pursue. A dead dog cannot bite or hurt, and is an object about which a king ought not to trouble himself (cf. 2 Samuel 9:8 and 2 Samuel 16:9, where the idea of something contemptible is included). The point of comparison with a flea is the insignificance of such an animal (cf. 1 Samuel 26:20).
As Saul had therefore no good ground for persecuting David, the latter could very calmly commit his cause to the Lord God, that He might decide it as judge, and deliver him out of the hand of Saul: “ Let Him look at it, and conduct my cause ,” etc.
These words made an impression upon Saul. David's conduct went to his heart, so that he wept aloud, and confessed to him: “ Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast shown me good, and I (have shown) thee evil; and thou hast given me a proof of this to-day .”
“ If a man meet with his enemy, will he send him (let him go) in peace? ” This sentence is to be regarded as a question, which requires a negative reply, and expresses the thought: When a man meets with an enemy, he does not generally let him escape without injury. But thou hast acted very differently towards me. This thought is easily supplied from the context, and what follows attaches itself to this: “ The Lord repay thee good for what thou hast done to me this day .”
This wish was expressed in perfect sincerity. David's behaviour towards him had conquered for the moment the evil demon of his heart, and completely altered his feelings. In this better state of mind he felt impelled even to give utterance to these words, “ I know that thou wilt be king, and the sovereignty will have perpetuity in thy hand .” Saul could not prevent this conviction from forcing itself upon him, after his own rejection and the failure of all that he attempted against David; and it was this which drove him to persecute David whenever the evil spirit had the upper hand in his soul. But now that better feelings had arisen in his mind, he uttered it without envy, and merely asked David to promise on oath that he would not cut off his descendants after his death, and seek to exterminate his name from his father's house. A name is exterminated when the whole of the descendants are destroyed, - a thing of frequent occurrence in the East in connection with a change of dynasties, and one which occurred again and again even in the kingdom of the ten tribes (vid., 1 Kings 15:28., 1 Samuel 16:11.; 2 Kings 10).
When David had sworn this, Saul returned home. But David remained upon the mountain heights, because he did not regard the passing change in Saul's feelings as likely to continue. המּצוּדה (translated “ the hold ”) is used here to denote the mountainous part of the desert of Judah. It is different in 1 Samuel 22:5.