1 Samuel 26:10
in 1 Samuel 26David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 26
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Lord shall smite him - He shall die by a stroke of the Divine judgment; or his day shall come to die - he shall die a natural death; which in the course of things must be before mine, and thus I shall get rid of mine enemy; or he shall descend into the battle, and perish - he shall fall by the enemies of his country. These are the three ordinary ways by which man accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.
This site's exposition
who can stretch forth his hand
on 1 Samuel 26:9-11
David's refusal turns on one clause, repeated at 26:9, 26:11, and again at 26:16: who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless. The same restraint held him back in the cave at Engedi in chapter 24, and it will hold him back again over the Amalekite's claim at 2 Sam 1:14 and over Shimei at 2 Sam 19:21. David leaves Saul's death to three named outcomes, the Lord's own stroke, a natural day to die, or a fall in battle, and takes only the spear and the cruse instead of a life he has no right to.
This site's exposition
either his day will come and he will die
David has just seen the first of these, a stroke of divine judgment in Adam Clarke's words, when the Lord struck Nabal dead at 25:38. Of the three, the last is the one that comes. Saul falls in battle on Mount Gilboa at 31:4.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
But what great and wonderful and Christian patience is to be found in David from whom Christ descended according to the flesh! David often had the opportunity to kill King Saul, his persecutor, who was eager to destroy him. Yet when Saul was subject to him and in his power, David preferred to save his life and did not retaliate on his enemy but, on the contrary, even avenged him when he was killed. In short, many prophets have been killed, many martyrs have been honored with glorious deaths, and all have attained their heavenly crowns through the merit of patience, for a crown for sorrow and suffering cannot be obtained unless patience in sorrow and suffering precede.
A commentator
Athanasius of Alexandria296–373
HISTORY OF THE ARIANS 4.33 · Written before 373.
proposed
But our Saviour is so gentle that He teaches thus, "If any man wills to come after Me," and, "Whoever wills to be My disciple;" and coming to each He does not force them, but knocks at the door and says, "Open unto Me, My sister, My spouse;" and if they open to Him, He enters in, but if they delay and will not, He departs from them. For the truth is not preached with swords or with darts, nor by means of soldiers; but by persuasion and counsel.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And David said furthermore,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Besides, he was the sovereign; Though God had rejected him from the kingdom, it was in every way the best and most dutiful course, instead of precipitating his fall by imbruing their hands in his blood and thereby contracting the guilt of a great crime, to wait the awards of that retributive providence which sooner or later would take him off by some sudden and mortal blow.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
As Adonoy lives. Some say that he swore to his temptation; 1 The use of swearing to ward off temptation is done by many Tzadikim. For example, Avrohom swore [Bereishis:22-23] that he will not take the spoils of victory after defeating the four kings.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יִגָּפֶ֑נּוּ | yigafenu | he will strike him | H5062 → | 49 times |
| אֽוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| יוֹמ֤וֹ | yomo | day his | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יָבוֹא֙ | yavo' | it will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וָמֵ֔ת | vamet | and he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| א֧וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה | vamilchamah | in <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| יֵרֵ֖ד | yered | he will go down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| וְנִסְפָּֽה׃ | venispah | and he will be carried away | H5595 → | 19 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָ֔הof Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יִגָּפֶ֑נּוּhe will strike him
yigafenuH5062 →49 times
אֽוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
יוֹמ֤וֹday his
yomoH3117 →2304 times
יָבוֹא֙it will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
וָמֵ֔תand he will die
vametH4191 →839 times
א֧וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בַמִּלְחָמָ֛הin <the> battle
vamilchamahH4421 →320 times
יֵרֵ֖דhe will go down
yeredH3381 →381 times
וְנִסְפָּֽה׃and he will be carried away
venispahH5595 →19 times
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
Romans 12:19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
- Proverbs 24:29
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
- Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
- Romans 12:17
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Through
Psalms 37:13but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
it leads to
- Psalms 2:4
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
- Proverbs 1:26
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
- Daniel 5:26
And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
- Psalms 2:4
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Athanasius of Alexandria, HISTORY OF THE ARIANS 4.33; Cyprian, Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience 10; 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) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.