1 Samuel 26:15
in 1 Samuel 26So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 26
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This incidental testimony to Abner’s great eminence as a warrior is fully borne out by David’s dirge at Abner’s death 2Sa 3:31-34, 2Sa 3:38, as well as by his whole history. At the same time David’s bantering tone in regard to Abner, coupled with what he says in 1Sa 26:19, makes it proable that David attributed Saul’s persecution of him in some degree to Abner. Abner would be likely to dread a rival in the young conqueror of Judah (compare 2Sa 2:8).
This site's exposition
stood on the top of an hill afar off
on 1 Samuel 26:13-16
From a hill with a wide ravine between them, close enough for a voice to carry in that clear air but far enough to be safe, David wakes the camp with one question, Answerest thou not, Abner? He shames the captain of the guard by name, calling him and his men worthy to die for the one watch they failed, then holds up the proof, the king's own spear and the cruse that stood at his head. The distance David keeps even now, after showing he could have closed it forever, answers Abishai's counsel from a few verses earlier: mercy resting on God does not need to stand near enough to be struck back.
This site's exposition
who in Israel is your equal?
Albert Barnes hears real praise inside the irony, for Abner's standing as a warrior is confirmed by David's lament over him at 2 Samuel 3:33 and 3:38. Barnes also thinks David blamed Abner in part for Saul's pursuit. Abner had reason to dread a rival in the young champion.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And David said to Abner: Are you not a man? etc. The apostles said: Are you not the scribes, learned in the law, chief priests, and Pharisees, excelling the people equally in rank and knowledge? Why did you not protect the untouched dominion of your …
For someone from the crowd entered to kill the king your lord. Literally, this is said of Abisai, who entered the camp with the intention, if somehow possible, to kill the king. Allegorically, it is understood of the apostles, who with diligent warning predicted the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " Art not thou a man? (so the word is), a man in office, that art bound, by the duty of thy place, to inspect the soldiery? Art not thou in reputation for a valiant man? So thou wouldst be esteemed, a man of such courage and conduct that there is none like thee; but now thou art shamed for ever.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And David said to Abner, art not thou a valiant man?....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then David . . . stood on the top of an hill afar off . . . and cried to the people--(See on Jud 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Art not thou a valiant man? - This is a strong irony. Ye are worthy to die; ye are sons of death - ye deserve death for this neglect of your king. And had not Saul been so deeply affected with David’s generosity in preserving his life, he had doubtless put Abner and his chief officers to death; though they were not to blame, as their apparent neglect was the effect of a supernatural sleep.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֨ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַבְנֵ֜ר | ʾavner | Abner | H74 → | 63 times |
| הֲלוֹא־ | halo'- | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אַתָּ֗ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּמִ֤י | umi | and who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| כָמ֙וֹךָ֙ | khamokha | [is] like you | H3644 → | 143 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְלָ֙מָּה֙ | velamah | and <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמַ֔רְתָּ | shamarta | did you guard | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָא֙ | va' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אַחַ֣ד | ʾachad | one of | H259 → | 971 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לְהַשְׁחִ֖ית | lehashchit | to destroy | H7843 → | 146 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֨דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַבְנֵ֜רAbner
ʾavnerH74 →63 times
הֲלוֹא־¿ not
halo'-H3808 →5168 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אַתָּ֗ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וּמִ֤יand who?
umiH4310 →423 times
כָמ֙וֹךָ֙[is] like you
khamokhaH3644 →143 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְלָ֙מָּה֙and <to> why?
velamahH4100 →752 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמַ֔רְתָּdid you guard
shamartaH8104 →468 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָmaster<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
כִּי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בָא֙he came
va'H935 →2568 times
אַחַ֣דone of
ʾachadH259 →971 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לְהַשְׁחִ֖יתto destroy
lehashchitH7843 →146 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃master<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.