1 Samuel 26:8
in 1 Samuel 26Abishai 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 strike him twice!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.
KJV
Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 26
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp
on 1 Samuel 26:6-8
David asks who will go down with him into the camp, and Abishai, his sister's son and Joab's brother, answers at once. Once inside, Abishai reads the sleeping king and the spear at his head as a verdict already handed down, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand, and offers to end it in one stroke and never need a second. His words echo the exact language David's own men used in the cave at Engedi in chapter 24, and David's answer will echo his own from that same chapter.
This site's exposition
Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand
Matthew Henry states Abishai's case at its strongest: the deep sleep on the camp looked like a providence meant to be used. Abishai makes the same offer against Shimei at 2 Samuel 16:9. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown answer that waiting on providence was the dutiful course.
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 Medieval Church1 voice
And Abisai said to David: God has delivered your enemy into your hand today, etc. The disciples, now endowed with spiritual faith, understood that all things were given into the hands of the Savior by the Father; but still hindered by carnal ignorance, they thought …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The last advantage he had of this kind was indeed but accidental, when Saul happened to be in the cave with him at the same time. But in this there was something extraordinary; the deep sleep that had fallen on Saul and all his guards was manifestly from the Lord, so that it was a special providence which gave him this opportunity; he ought not therefore to let it slip.
Then said Abishai to David,.... Seeing Saul fast asleep, and a spear so near him: God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: or at this time, properly it was night: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear; with Saul's own spear, which was stuck in the ground at his bolster.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand - Here Abishai uses the same language as did David’s men, when Saul came into the cave at En-gedi, (see 1Sa 24:4, etc.), and David uses the same language in reply.
The words behind it
20 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 |
| אֲבִישַׁי֙ | ʾavishai | Abishai | H52 → | 25 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| סִגַּ֨ר | sigar | he has delivered up | H5462 → | 91 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הַיּ֛וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אוֹיִבְךָ֖ | ʾoyivkha | enemy your | H341 → | 282 times |
| בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ | beyadekha | in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְעַתָּה֩ | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| אַכֶּ֨נּוּ | ʾakkenu | let me strike him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| נָ֜א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| בַּחֲנִ֤ית | bachanit | with the spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | uvaaretz | and in the ground | H776 → | 2504 times |
| פַּ֣עַם | paam | a time | H6471 → | 118 times |
| אַחַ֔ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶשְׁנֶ֖ה | ʾeshneh | I will repeat | H8138 → | |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | to <the> him |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲבִישַׁי֙Abishai
ʾavishaiH52 →25 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
סִגַּ֨רhe has delivered up
sigarH5462 →91 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
הַיּ֛וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אוֹיִבְךָ֖enemy your
ʾoyivkhaH341 →282 times
בְּיָדֶ֑ךָin hand your
beyadekhaH3027 →1618 times
וְעַתָּה֩and therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
אַכֶּ֨נּוּlet me strike him
ʾakkenuH5221 →499 times
נָ֜אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
בַּחֲנִ֤יתwith the spear
bachanitH2595 →47 times
וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙and in the ground
uvaaretzH776 →2504 times
פַּ֣עַםa time
paamH6471 →118 times
אַחַ֔תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אֶשְׁנֶ֖הI will repeat
ʾeshnehH8138 →
לֽוֹ׃to <the> him
lo
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 24:4So 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…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 26:8–11
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…
- 1 Samuel 26:23
May 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.
- 1 Samuel 24:10
Behold, 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…
- 1 Samuel 25:28–30
Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you…
- 1 Samuel 26:8–11
Through
1 Samuel 23:14And 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.
it leads to
- Psalms 54:3–4
For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life— men with no regard for God. Selah
- Psalms 32:7
You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
- Joshua 15:24
Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
- Psalms 54:3–4
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
- Psalms 62:12
and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
- Psalms 62:12
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; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; 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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.