1 Samuel 26:18
in 1 Samuel 26And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
KJV
And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 26
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
Is this thy voice, my son David
on 1 Samuel 26:17-18
Saul calls him my son before David has said a word in his own defense, the same address he used at the cave's mouth in chapter 24 and will use again at verse 21, words that cost him nothing to speak and nothing to keep. David answers with two questions of his own, what have I done, and what evil is in mine hand, the same appeal to a clean record Saul had already conceded at 24:17, Thou art more righteous than I. A king who has already granted the verdict once is being asked to hold to it a second time.
This site's exposition
Why is my lord pursuing his servant?
David speaks of himself in the third person as the king's servant, the language of a subject at court, even while he stands across a ravine from an army sent to kill him. Matthew Henry hears the grievance underneath. A man who would gladly serve is hunted as a rebel.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He had lately had Saul's own testimony concerning him ( ch. xxiv. 17 ): Thou art more righteous than I. It was very unreasonable and wicked for Saul to pursue him as a criminal, when he could not charge him with any crime.
How gladly would I serve thee as formerly if my service might be accepted! but, instead of being owned as a servant, I am pursued as a rebel, and my lord is my enemy, and he whom I would follow with respect compels me to flee from him." (2.) That he was driven from his God and from his religion; and this was a much greater grievance than the former (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And he said, wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant?....
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֥מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| זֶּ֛ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֥י | ʾadoni | [is] lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| רֹדֵ֖ף | rodef | pursuing | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| עַבְדּ֑וֹ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֶ֣ה | meh | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עָשִׂ֔יתִי | ʾasiti | have I done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| בְּיָדִ֖י | beyadi | [is] in hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| רָעָֽה׃ | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָ֥מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
זֶּ֛הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
אֲדֹנִ֥י[is] lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
רֹדֵ֖ףpursuing
rodefH7291 →143 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
עַבְדּ֑וֹservant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֶ֣הwhat?
mehH4100 →752 times
עָשִׂ֔יתִיhave I done
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
בְּיָדִ֖י[is] in hand my
beyadiH3027 →1618 times
רָעָֽה׃evil
raahH7451 →662 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
John 8:46Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
- John 16:8
And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
- John 8:7
When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
- John 14:30
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.
- Mark 11:31
They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
- Hebrews 4:15
Through
1 Samuel 24:9and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:21–22
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
- Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.
- Ecclesiastes 7:21–22
Through
John 18:23Jesus replied, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?”
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:20–23
How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
- 1 Peter 2:20–23
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Samuel; 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.