The Ziphites Report David's Location Again
Study note
Once again the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him exactly where David was hiding, on the hill of Hakilah near the wilderness. Saul took three thousand of Israel's best soldiers and went down to the wilderness of Ziph to search for David. When David's scouts confirmed that Saul had arrived, David went to see where Saul had set up camp.
1 Some people from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah with a tip. They said, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, across from the wasteland." And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
2 Saul headed out to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand of Israel's best troops, searching for David. 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.
3 Saul set up camp along the road at the hill of Hakilah, across from the wasteland. David had been living out in the wilderness. When he realized Saul was coming after him, 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.
4 David sent out scouts. They came back with confirmation: Saul had definitely arrived. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
David Enters Saul's Camp at Night
Study note
David saw that Saul was sleeping inside the camp, surrounded by his soldiers with Abner, his army commander, nearby. David asked who would go with him into the camp. Abishai, David's nephew and a fierce warrior, volunteered. They crept into the camp at night and found Saul sound asleep with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David refused, saying no one could raise a hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless. David said the Lord would deal with Saul in his own way. They took Saul's spear and water jug and left. No one woke up because God had put them into a deep sleep.
5 David slipped over to the area where Saul had made camp. He saw exactly where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the army commander, were sleeping. Saul was asleep in the center of the camp, with soldiers camped in a circle around him. 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.
6 David turned to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, the son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and asked, "Who will go down into Saul's camp with me?" Abishai volunteered, "I will go with you." 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.
7 David and Abishai crept into the camp under cover of darkness. There was Saul, sound asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and all the other soldiers were sleeping around him. 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.
8 Abishai whispered to David, "God has handed your enemy over to you tonight. Let me drive that spear through him and pin him to the ground. One strike is all I need." 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.
9 But David stopped him. "Do not touch him. No one can lay a hand on the Lord's chosen king and walk away innocent." And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David continued, "I swear by the living Lord, the Lord himself will deal with Saul. Either his time will come and he will die of natural causes, or he will go into battle and fall there." 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.
11 "But the Lord forbid that I ever raise my hand against his anointed king. Grab the spear next to his head and the water jug, and let us get out of here." 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.
12 David grabbed the spear and water jug from beside Saul's head, and the two of them left. Not a single person saw them, noticed them, or woke up. Every soldier stayed fast asleep because the Lord had put them all into a deep sleep. 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.
David Confronts Saul from a Distance
Study note
David crossed over to a hilltop at a safe distance and called out to Abner and the soldiers, mocking them for failing to guard the king. He showed them the spear and water jug as proof that he had been close enough to kill Saul. David asked Saul why he was still chasing him and protested his innocence. He said that if God had stirred up Saul against him, he accepted it. But if people had done it, they were cursed for driving David away from the Lord's land.
13 David crossed over to the other side and climbed to the top of a distant hill. A wide gap separated him from Saul's camp. Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
14 From there, David shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner, "Abner! Are you not going to answer me?" Abner called back, "Who is out there, yelling at the king?" 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?
15 David replied, "You call yourself a man? Is there anyone in Israel who can match you? So why did you fail to protect your king? Someone snuck right into the camp to kill him." 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.
16 "You have done a terrible job. As the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed king. Look around. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were right next to his head?" 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.
17 Saul recognized the voice and called out, "Is that you, David my son?" David answered, "Yes, it is, my lord the king." 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.
18 David went on, "Why is my lord chasing after me? What have I done? What crime am I guilty of?" And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has stirred you 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. 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.
20 "Please do not let my blood be spilled far from the Lord's presence. The king of Israel has come out hunting for a single flea, like a man chasing a partridge through the mountains." 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.
Saul Admits His Wrong Again
Study note
Once again, Saul confessed that he had sinned and called David 'my son.' He promised not to harm David anymore, acknowledging that David had spared his life. David returned Saul's spear and expressed his belief that the Lord would reward each person according to their righteousness and faithfulness. Saul blessed David, saying David would do great things and would surely succeed. Then they went their separate ways. This was the last time David and Saul would speak to each other.
21 Saul responded, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never try to hurt you again, because you valued my life today. I have acted like a complete fool and made a terrible mistake." 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.
22 David called back, "Here is your spear, O king. Send one of your young men over to get it." And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 "The Lord gives each person what they deserve based on their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord put you right in my hands today, but I refused to raise my hand against the Lord's anointed king." 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.
24 "I treated your life as something precious today. May the Lord treat my life the same way and rescue me from every danger." 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.
25 Saul said to David, "Bless you, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will certainly succeed." Then David went on his way, and Saul headed home. 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.