1 Samuel 24:1–22

24:2 Saul takes with him five times as many men as David has, with a view to swamping the area with his carefully selected troops. The king knows exactly where to go: “in front of [or “to the east of”] the Wildgoats’ Rocks,” in the vicinity of Engedi. Humanly speaking, the situation is all in Saul’s favor.

24:3 “Sheepfolds” are circular walls of stones meant to prevent flocks from wandering at night and to keep them safe from predators. “By the way” notes that these particular sheepfolds are close to the road, a suitable spot for troops to take a break.

There are many caves in this area that Saul could choose to enter in order to “relieve himself” (the Hebrew euphemism is literally “cover his feet”), but he unwittingly chooses the very cave in whose furthest recesses David and his men (perhaps not all six hundred) are hiding. David’s scouts have let him down, and the outcome will be disastrous if the cave is searched.

24:4 David’s men see this as a heaven-sent opportunity. They do not explicitly say “Kill Saul,” but there is no doubt that this is what they mean as they whisper to David. Since there is no record of the Lord promising David that he would “give your enemy into your hand,” David’s men must falsely infer this from his divine designation as Saul’s successor, or else they, like Saul in 23:7, believe they can accurately interpret divine providence. They see Saul’s vulnerability as a God-given opportunity that ought to be exploited.

David confounds their expectations by cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe, which he probably laid to one side upon entering the cave. It is probably David’s intention throughout to dramatize to Saul the danger from which he has been spared (24:11).

24:5 However, just after he has withdrawn into the shadows of the cave, “David’s heart struck him” (cf. 2 Sam. 24:10) and he becomes conscience-stricken at what he has done. Although he has not assaulted Saul, he reproaches himself, concerned that even this act might be construed as an attack on Saul’s office and a challenge to his status, for his robe distinguishes him as king.

24:6 “The Lord forbid” (lit., “Far be it [cf. comment on 20:2] with respect to me from the Lord”) introduces David’s solemn statement summarizing his motivation throughout this period. He refuses to attack Saul and seize the kingdom. He will wait until the Lord acts on his behalf, and in the meantime he will respect Saul’s status as “the Lord’s anointed” (cf. 2:10). Although some find David’s view regarding the inviolability of the Lord’s anointed as tinged with more than a little self-interest, there is no good reason to doubt the genuineness of his scruples.

24:7 In “David persuaded his men,” the precise force of the verb is uncertain. It may mean “to tear apart” and refer to interposing himself forcefully between them and Saul even as he speaks. At any rate, Saul leaves the cave unmolested.

24:8 When Saul is still within earshot, David takes a calculated risk to come out of the cave and, using the deferential language of a loyal subject, call after him, “My lord the king!” When Saul looks around and sees David, “David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage.” It is not only with words that he pays respect to the king.

24:9 David addresses Saul in a lengthy speech. Tactfully he begins not with Saul’s own motives but by supposing that he has been prejudiced against him by “the words of men [ʼadam, “a man”; people in general]” who present David as plotting against him.

24:10 David then exposes how mistaken such reports are by appealing to the eyewitness evidence of the king himself (“see,” repeated three times in v. 11). It is obvious to Saul that in the cave he had been at David’s mercy (“into my hand”) and could easily have been overpowered and killed. But David deliberately resolved to act contrary to advice he was given and had “spared” Saul—for which he gives the same reason as earlier (v. 6).

24:11 Though Saul had been David’s father-in-law (Michal may already be remarried; 25:44), “my father” is probably just a form of respectful address for Saul (cf. 2 Kings 5:13; 6:21). By showing him the severed corner of his robe, David makes vividly clear that Saul’s own life could just as easily have been cut. So David clearly harbors no thoughts of “wrong or treason.” However, while he stoutly maintains that “I have not sinned against you,” he does not play down the fact that Saul is hunting—deliberately and maliciously (the verb has overtones of both)—in order to kill him.

24:12 David then calls on the Lord to judge between him and Saul. His prayer that the Lord “avenge” him is not a matter of vindictiveness but a call for a just outcome. David has no doubt as to who is in the right, but he will not take action on his own behalf (cf. 2 Sam. 4:8–12). “My hand [cf. 1 Sam. 24:4] shall not be against you,” he avers—an ironic echo of 18:17.

24:13 To reinforce his point, David quotes a pithy, traditional saying consisting of three Hebrew words: “Out of the wicked comes wickedness” (similar to Matt. 7:16, 20). While this may indicate that Saul’s deeds declare his character, it is much more probable that David is applying the proverb negatively to himself. His conduct toward Saul establishes his integrity, and on that basis Saul should not treat him as a threat.

24:14 David then argues that it is not commensurate with the dignity of “the king of Israel” for him to mount a military expedition against such an insignificant person as himself. As a scavenging animal, a “dog,” is treated with contempt (17:43; 2 Sam. 3:8; Ps. 59:14–15), so is a “dead dog” beyond contempt (2 Sam. 9:8; 16:9)—and how much more so a single flea (lit., “one flea”) on the dog’s back! These expressions reflect how powerless and insignificant David feels as he urges Saul not to waste time and resources in pursuing him.

24:15 In conclusion David once more (v. 12) places the dispute between himself and Saul in the hands of the Lord, the judge who will “give sentence between me and you.” “See to it” refers to giving David’s cause careful scrutiny, “plead my cause” to God’s presenting a defense of David’s conduct, and “deliver [lit., “judge”] me from your hand” to pronouncing a verdict freeing David from Saul’s persecution.

24:16 Saul is thrown off balance by the appearance of David from the cave, the homage that he offers, and the speech he delivers. Verses 8 and 11 indicate that Saul has no difficulty in seeing and recognizing David, so “Is this your voice, my son David?” represents Saul’s grappling with a bewildering situation. “My son” represents a close, though not necessarily familial, relationship (cf. “my father,” v. 11, and contrast “son of Jesse” previously, e.g., 20:27). “My son” also decidedly diverges from Saul’s earlier language, “son of death” (cf. comment on 20:31). David’s plain speaking has penetrated Saul’s defenses and aroused his slumbering conscience. Overwhelmed by emotion (self-pity?), “Saul lifted up his voice and wept.” Only time will reveal the depth of Saul’s regret.

24:17 Saul admits to David that “You are more righteous than I,” acknowledging that David is in the right whereas his own actions lack legal propriety (cf. Gen. 38:26). Whereas both have “repaid” (lit., “completed”), Saul emphasizes “you” and “I” in order to contrast his own “evil” with David’s “good” (cf. 1 Sam. 25:21).

24:18–19 In “you have declared,” Saul accepts that David’s conduct has proved his sincerity, and he then seems to quote a proverb. The rhetorical question “Will he let him go away safe?” shows that he accepts the thrust of David’s argument. Saul even calls for divine blessing on David because he has not harmed Saul even when he has had him in his power.

24:20 “And now, behold” introduces a surprising admission as Saul openly concedes that David will “surely be king” (an emphasized verb) and that the “kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.” “Established” is the same verb as in Samuel’s pronouncement: “Your kingdom shall not continue [“be established”]” (13:14). Saul’s recognition that David will found a dynasty confirms what Jonathan said earlier about Saul’s awareness (23:17) and constitutes a strong argument against any who may challenge the legitimacy of David’s reign. For the moment, the mentally unstable Saul is sure in his own mind that he will not, and should not, continue to pursue David.

24:21 Saul then makes a request very similar to that of Jonathan earlier (20:14–16). Both fear that David will eliminate all members of his predecessor’s royal house, and Saul seeks assurances that after his death David will not destroy his name by eliminating all his descendants.

24:22 Because David feels no animosity against Saul, it is not difficult for him to give such a solemn pledge before the Lord. On this basis there is a temporary truce, not reconciliation. David knows enough about Saul’s character not to hazard his future on his word (19:7–10). So the two men part on their separate ways. “Saul went home” to Gibeah and the facilities of his palace; “David and his men went up to the stronghold.”