1 Samuel 24:4
in 1 Samuel 24So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up secretly and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
KJV
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 24
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWhen, therefore, he was alone and had removed his robe and laid it down somewhere beside him, the light from the mouth of the cave made him visible to those hidden within the darkness. All of David's companions wanted to rush upon the enemy and avenge themselves on the one who had come to kill them, since God had given the enemy into the hands of those who were being pursued for slaughter. But David forbade them to attack, considering an assault against their king unlawful. He drew his own sword from its sheath and imperceptibly stood behind Saul.
This site's exposition
cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe
on 1 Samuel 24:4-5
David's men read Saul's arrival as the answer to a promise David had received of the throne, though Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown both note that God had never actually promised to deliver Saul himself into David's hand that day. David cuts off the skirt of Saul's robe rather than take the life his men are urging, and the next verse turns the whole scene on its hinge: his heart smites him for the cloth alone. Gill reads that reaction as conscience working on a lesser act than the one his men proposed, which measures how far David will not go.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity · Written before 523.
proposed
And again when the men who were with him counselled David to slay Saul, through his simple mind he refrained. That they should counsel him to slay his enemy arose from the cunning and craft of this world, for it is the custom of those …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And David's servants said to him: Behold the day, etc. Christ's carnal disciples, still of a servile spirit, said to him when they saw the power of the crucified and the madness of those who crucified: Behold, the time is at hand, of which God …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The exercise of the gift of piety consists in the abundance of interior compassion. Of this it is said in Ecclesiasticus: "These are men of mercy, whose acts of piety have not failed." Of how great piety was David, king of Israel! Saul was seeking …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Behold, &c. - Not that God had said these words, or made any such promise; but they put this construction upon those promises which God had made to him, of delivering him from all his enemies, and carrying him through all difficulties to the throne.
He produces undeniable evidence to prove the falsehood of the suggestion upon which Saul's malice against him was grounded. David was charged with seeking Saul's hurt: " See, " says he, " yea, see the skirt of thy robe,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the men of David said unto him,....
Saul now lay at his mercy, and it was easy to imagine how little mercy he would find with Saul and therefore what little reason he had to show mercy to him. "By all means" (say his servants) "give him the fatal blow now." See how apt we are to misunderstand, 1.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And the men of David said - We know not to what promise of God the men of David refer; they perhaps meant no more than to say, “Behold, the Lord hath delivered thine enemy into thy land, now do to him as he wishes to do to thee.” Then David arose - Though I have a high opinion of the character of David, yet the circumstances of the case seem to indicate that he arose to take away the life of Saul, and that it was in reference to this that his heart smote him.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand--God had never made any promise of delivering Saul into David's hand; but, from the general and repeated promises of the kingdom to him, they concluded that the king's death was to be effected by taking advantage of some such opportunity as the present.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The day of which the Lord said ... - This was the version by David’s men of such divine predictions as 1Sa 15:28; 1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:12. Jonathan’s words 1Sa 20:15; 1Sa 23:17 show clearly that these predictions were known.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֨י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| דָוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַיּ֜וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲֽשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָמַ֧ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִ֜י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| נֹתֵ֤ן | noten | [am] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֹֽיִבְךָ֙ | ʾoyeveikha | enemy your | H341 → | 282 times |
| בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ | beyadekha | in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ | veasita | and you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לּ֔וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִטַ֣ב | yitav | it will be good | H3190 → | 117 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וַיָּ֣קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיִּכְרֹ֛ת | vaiyikhrot | and he cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כְּנַֽף־ | kenaf- | [the] skirt of | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הַמְּעִ֥יל | hameil | the robe | H4598 → | 28 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְשָׁא֖וּל | leshaul | [belonged] to Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| בַּלָּֽט׃ | balat | in <the> secrecy | H3909 → |
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אַנְשֵׁ֨י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
דָוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
הַיּ֜וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֲֽשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אָמַ֧רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֵלֶ֗יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִ֜יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
נֹתֵ֤ן[am] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֹֽיִבְךָ֙enemy your
ʾoyeveikhaH341 →282 times
בְּיָדֶ֔ךָin hand your
beyadekhaH3027 →1618 times
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָand you will do
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
לּ֔וֹto <the> him
lo
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
יִטַ֣בit will be good
yitavH3190 →117 times
בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָin view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
וַיָּ֣קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיִּכְרֹ֛תand he cut off
vaiyikhrotH3772 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כְּנַֽף־[the] skirt of
kenaf-H3671 →109 times
הַמְּעִ֥ילthe robe
hameilH4598 →28 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לְשָׁא֖וּל[belonged] to Saul
leshaulH7586 →402 times
בַּלָּֽט׃in <the> secrecy
balatH3909 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 23:7When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 26:8–9
Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 24:4–6
So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you…
- 1 Samuel 23:14
And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
- 1 Samuel 26:8–9
Through
1 Samuel 24:10Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I…
it leads to
- Psalms 105:15
“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
- Psalms 105:15
Through
1 Samuel 26:23May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 24:6–7
So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the…
- Psalms 62:12
and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
- Psalms 18:20–26
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
- Psalms 7:8–9
The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.
- 1 Samuel 24:6–7
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.14.227-28; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity.