The First Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 24 -

Then David ascended from there, and he lived in very secure places in Engedi.

And when Saul had returned after pursuing the Philistines, they reported to him, saying, “Behold, David is in the desert of Engedi.”

Therefore, Saul, taking three thousand elect men from all of Israel, traveled in order to search for David and his men, even upon the most broken rocks, which are passable only to mountain goats.

And he arrived at the sheepfolds, which presented themselves along the way. And a cave was in that place, which Saul entered, so that he might ease his bowels. But David and his men were hiding in the interior part of the cave.

And the servants of David said to him: “Behold the day, about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will deliver your enemy to you, so that you may do to him as it will be pleasing in your eyes.’ ” Then David rose up, and he quietly cut off the edge of Saul’s cloak.

After this, his own heart struck David, because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s cloak.(a)

And he said to his men: “May the Lord be gracious to me, lest I do this thing to my lord, the Christ of the Lord, so that I lay my hand upon him. For he is the Christ of the Lord.”

And David restrained his men with his words, and he would not permit them to rise up against Saul. And so Saul, going out of the cave, continued to undertake his journey.

Then David also rose up after him. And departing from the cave, he cried out behind the back of Saul, saying: “My lord, the king!” And Saul looked behind him. And David, bowing himself face down to the ground, reverenced.

And he said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say: ‘David seeks evil against you?’

Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord has delivered you into my hand, in the cave. And I thought that I might kill you. But my eye has spared you. For I said: I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Christ of the Lord.(b)

Moreover, see and know, O my father, the edge of your cloak in my hand. For though I cut off the top of your cloak, I was not willing to extend my hand against you. Turn your soul and see that there is no evil in my hand, nor any iniquity or sin against you. Yet you lie in wait for my life, so that you may take it away.

May the Lord judge between me and you. And may the Lord vindicate me from you. But my hand will not be against you.(c)

So too, it is said in the ancient proverb, ‘From the impious, impiety will go forth.’ Therefore, my hand will not be upon you.

Whom are you pursuing, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? You are pursuing a dead dog, a single flea.

David’s Oath to Saul

May the Lord be the judge, and may he judge between me and you. And may he see and judge my case, and rescue me from your hand.”

And when David had completed speaking words in this way to Saul, Saul said, “Could this be your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice, and he wept.

And he said to David: “You are more just than I am. For you have distributed good to me, but I have repaid evil to you.

And you have revealed this day the good that you have done for me: how the Lord delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me.

For who, when he will have found his enemy, will release him along a good path? So may the Lord repay you for this good turn, because you have acted on my behalf this day.

And now I know certainly that you shall be king, and you shall have the kingdom of Israel in your hand.

Swear to me in the Lord that you will not take away my offspring after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father.”

And David swore to Saul. Therefore, Saul went away to his own house. And David and his men ascended to places that were more secure.

Footnotes

(a)24:6 Heart struck him:Viz., with remorse, as fearing he had done amiss.(Challoner)

(b)24:11 A thought to kill you:That is, a suggestion, to which I did not consent.(Challoner)

(c)24:13 Revenge me of you:Or, as it is in the Hebrew, will revenge me. The meaning is, that he refers his whole cause to God, to judge and punish according to his justice: yet so as to keep himself in the mean time, from all personal hatred to Saul, or desire of gratifying his own passion, by seeking revenge. So far from it, that when Saul was afterwards slain, we find, that instead of rejoicing at his death, he mourned most bitterly for him.(Challoner)

When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.”

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

He came to the sheep pens by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were staying in the innermost parts of the cave.

David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.

Afterward, David’s heart struck him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.

He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.

David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?

Behold, today your eyes have seen how the LORD had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’

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 and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.

May the LORD judge between me and you, and may the LORD avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on you.

As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you.

Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?

May the LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”

David’s Oath to Saul

It came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.

You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when the LORD had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t kill me.

For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the LORD reward you good for that which you have done to me today.

Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

Swear now therefore to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”

David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.