“And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 26:9 Mean?
This is the second time David spares Saul's life — now in Saul's own camp, where Abishai has crept in with David and stands over the sleeping king with a spear. Abishai wants to pin Saul to the ground with one stroke. David's response is immediate: "Destroy him not."
David's reasoning is consistent with the cave incident: "who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?" The question is rhetorical — no one can. Even when the anointed one is behaving like a madman, even when he's been rejected by God as king, the anointing still demands respect. David separates Saul's behavior from Saul's calling.
David's restraint the second time is arguably more impressive than the first. In the cave, David was caught off guard by the opportunity. Here, he deliberately enters Saul's camp and still refuses to act. The temptation is premeditated this time, and the refusal is equally deliberate.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is it harder to refuse a shortcut the first time or the second time — and why?
- 2.How do you maintain respect for someone's position while protecting yourself from their behavior?
- 3.What voices in your life play the role of Abishai — urging you to take justice into your own hands?
- 4.Where is the line between self-protection and striking back — and how do you know when you've crossed it?
Devotional
Same situation, second time. Same opportunity, same temptation, same restraint. If the first refusal in the cave was impressive, this one is remarkable. David didn't stumble into this opportunity — he walked into Saul's camp and stood over the sleeping king with a weapon-ready companion. He went looking at the vulnerability and still said no.
Abishai is every voice that tells you to take justice into your own hands. "God has delivered him to you! This is the moment! One strike and it's over!" The logic is impeccable. The opportunity is obvious. And David says: destroy him not. Because being right about the outcome doesn't make you right about the method.
"Who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?" David's question reveals something about how he sees authority. Even corrupted authority, even abused authority, even authority that's been rejected by God — it still carries something sacred. The anointing isn't canceled by the behavior of the anointed.
This doesn't mean you submit to abuse or enable dysfunction. David didn't stay in Saul's court and take the spear throws. He fled. He protected himself. But he refused to strike back. There's a difference between protecting yourself from a destructive authority and destroying the authority yourself. David held that line twice.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And David said to Abishai, destroy him not,.... He laid his commands upon him not to hurt him:
for who can stretch…
Here is, I. David's bold adventure into Saul's camp in the night, accompanied only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of…
Saul's life again in David's power
5. in the trench See on 1Sa 17:20. The Sept. rendering "in a chariot" is a mistake.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture