1 Samuel 26:24

26:21-25 Saul repeated his good words and good wishes. But he showed no evidence of true repentance towards God. David and Saul parted to meet no more. No reconciliation among men is firm, which is not founded in an cemented by peace with God through Jesus Christ. In sinning against God, men play the fool, and err exceedingly. Many obtain a passing view of these truths, who hate and close their eyes against the light. Fair professions do not entitle those to confidence who have long sinned against the light, yet the confessions of obstinate sinners may satisfy us that we are in the right way, and encourage us to persevere, expecting our recompence from the Lord alone.

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes,.... Or "magnified" (y); and made great account of, as being the life of the king of Israel, and the Lord's anointed, and so spared: so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord; he does not say in the eyes of Saul, as it should have been by way of retaliation, and as it might have been expected he would have said; but he had no dependence on Saul, nor expected justice to be done him by him; but he prays that his life might be precious in the sight of Lord, and taken care of, and protected by him, as he believed it would: and let him deliver me out of all tribulation; for as yet he did not think himself quite out of it, notwithstanding all that Saul had said, but believed the Lord would deliver him in due time; from him alone he looked for it, and on him he depended. (y) "magnificata est", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

If the Lord have stirred thee up - The meaning is clear from the preceding history. "An evil spirit from God troubling him" was the beginning of the persecution. And this evil spirit was sent in punishment of Saul's sin 1 Samuel 16:1 , 1 Samuel 16:14 . If the continued persecution was merely the consequence of this evil spirit continuing to vex Saul, David advises Saul to seek God's pardon, and, as a consequence, the removal of the evil spirit, by offering a sacrifice. But if the persecution was the consequence of the false accusations of slanderers, then "cursed" be his enemies who, by their actions, drove David out from the only land where Yahweh was worshipped, and forced him to take refuge in the country of pagan and idolaters (compare Deuteronomy 4:27 ; Deuteronomy 28:36 ).

The trench - Rather, "the wagons," which were all put together in the camp so as to form a kind of bulwark or fortification (see 1 Samuel 26:5 , 1 Samuel 26:7 ). Here David left his "carriage" 1 Samuel 17:22 , i. e., the things which he had carried, "his things" as we should say, or baggage (translated stuff in 1 Samuel 10:22 ; 1 Samuel 25:13 ; 1 Samuel 30:24 ). There seems to have been an officer ("the keeper," 1 Samuel 17:22 ) in the Hebrew army whose charge it was to guard the baggage.

20. as when one doth hunt a partridge—People in the East, in hunting the partridge and other game birds, pursue them, till observing them becoming languid and fatigued after they have been put up two or three times, they rush upon the birds stealthily and knock them down with bludgeons [Shaw, Travels]. It was exactly in this manner that Saul was pursuing David. He drove him from time to time from his hiding-place, hoping to render him weary of his life, or obtain an opportunity of accomplishing his destruction.

"Behold, as thy soul has been greatly esteemed in my eyes to-day, so will my soul be greatly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah, that He will save me out of all tribulation." These words do not contain any "sounding of his own praises" (Thenius), but are merely the testimony of a good conscience before God in the presence of an enemy, who is indeed obliged to confess his wrong-doing, but who no longer feels or acknowledges his need of forgiveness. For even Saul's reply to these words in 1 Samuel 26:25 ("Blessed art thou, my son David: thou wilt undertake, and also prevail:" תּוּכל יכל, lit. to vanquish, i.e., to carry out what one undertakes) does not express any genuine goodwill towards David, but only an acknowledgment, forced upon him by this fresh experience of David's magnanimity, that God was blessing all his undertakings, so that he would prevail. Saul had no more thoughts of any real reconciliation with David. "David went his way, and Saul turned to his place" (cf. Numbers 24:25 ). Thus they parted, and never saw each other again. There is nothing said about Saul returning to his house, as there was when his life was first spared ( 1 Samuel 24:22 ). On the contrary, he does not seem to have given up pursuing David; for, according to 1 Samuel 27:1-12 , David was obliged to take refuge in a foreign land, and carry out what he had described in 1 Samuel 26:19 as his greatest calamity.

14 . the Lord’s anointed ] The person of the king, consecrated to the service of Jehovah by anointing, was inviolable. Compare David’s reiterated expressions on this point in 1 Samuel 24:6 ; 1 Samuel 26:9 ; 1 Samuel 26:11 ; 1 Samuel 26:16 ; and the armourbearer’s reverence in 1 Samuel 31:4 . 2 Samuel 1:14