1 Samuel 24: David Forgives Saul
1 Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) 4 Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.”
“Saul hated David as Haman hated Mordecai, or as Herod hated Jesus when the wise men told him that a King was born in Bethlehem.” (The Biblical Illustrator) Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, ‘Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.’ Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.” He would surely execute them all.
“So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave.”— “Likely the folds were build there because the cave would provide shelter for shepherds when they put their sheep in the folds for the night.” (L. M. Grant)— “‘and Saul went in to attend to his needs.’ literally to cover his feet; a modest phrase for easing nature; and laying aside his robe.” (Joseph Sutcliffe)
All of the band of Judean outlaws charged with treason were together in the cave but only Saul of Israel entered therein. "In all limestone countries such caves are common, and many of them are large enough to conceal armies.." (The Biblical Illustrator)
"Then the men of David said to him: Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, ‘Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand,’ - 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. This promise they conceived put him under an obligation of taking all opportunities which God put into his hand for their accomplishment.” (Wesley) "But in this cave at Engedi we have the marvellous escape of Saul as an act of gracious forbearance on the part of David."(The Biblical Illustrator)
"And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe, which he had taken off to attend to his need."— “‘And “‘David’s heart smote him‘— yet no sooner had he done it, but the consideration how Saul might be affected by it, whether it might not enrage him the more, and how the action might be esteemed by others, troubled him greatly.” (Joseph Benson) “He felt that even the rending of Saul’s garment was going too far against the Lord’s anointed.“ (Geneva Study Bible)
“There is a lesson here that every believer should learn. [-'Forgive your enemies.'] When we suffer unjustly it is natural (not spiritual) that we should want to retaliate. God may give us grace to resist this temptation, so that we are kept from any spirit of fighting for our own rights. Yet we may even then take advantage of an opportunity to expose our adversary to the eyes of others, so that they will know we are in the right. But if we are walking with God we should want to avoid even this. Faith can depend on Him to eventually bring everything to its proper level. It is wiser that we do not seek to put anyone in a bad light because of his opposition to us. If God exposes him, this is a different matter. David's words in verse 6 express the sober exercise of genuine faith. He still considered Saul to be his master and would not dare to harm him.” (L. M. Grant)
7 So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
“Here we see how ready we are to hasten God's promise [by evil means], if the occasion serve never so little.” (Geneva Study Bible) David was Saul’s enemy, but Saul was not David’s. David not only argued with his men, "but laid his commands on them that they should not slay him.” (John Gill) Remember that upon Saul’s death, David would be king of Israel— the anointed of Yahweh. He made it abundantly clear that the punishment of a transgression of this command would be certain death of the malefactor. "And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way."
1 Samuel 24: David Speaks to Saul and Swears Not to Cut Off His House
8 David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. 9 And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? 10 Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’ 11 Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. 12 Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? 15 Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”
“‘David also arose afterward, went out of the cave,’—“possibly down the deep ascent which led up to the cave’s mouth—and then called after Saul, but with an address of the deepest reverence, accompanied too with an act of the profoundest homage which an inferior could pay to a superior.” (C. J. Ellicott)— saying, ‘My lord the king!’ And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down,” acknowledging Saul's lawful authority, and his true allegiance.
Then gracious words, he “prudently and modestly translates the fault from Saul to his followers and evil counsellors.. .” (Matthew Poole), saying, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’?” “David blameth not so much Saul as his toadies, yet showeth that both were blameworthy.” (John Trapp) “David was quite aware that there were flatterers at Saul‘s court who were continually inflaming the King‘s mind by their false accusations against him. This explains the language of many of the Psalms, e. g. Psalm 11:1-7; Psalm 12:1-8; 35; and many more.” (Albert Barnes) “Doeg has been already mentioned as one of the more prominent of these slanderers; another was Cush the Benjamite, who was alluded to in the inscription which heads the seventh Psalm. The Ziphites and their representatives at the royal residence also belonged to this class of malicious foes spoken of here.” (C. J. Ellicott)
“Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, “‘and someone’— who will remain anonymousfor their safety— ‘urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you,’ which words are easily understood both from the nature of the thing, and from the use of this phrase in other scriptures, as Deu 7:16 13:8. The eye is said to spare, because it affects the heart with pity, and moves a man to spare.” (Matthew Poole)— and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’ “‘Moreover, my father,’ as David calls Saul in pious reverence, ‘see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand,’ a bit of evidence which demonstrated how absolutely Saul had been in his power; ‘for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression,’ deliberate crime and wickedness, ‘in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee,’ he could rightly protest his innocence; yet thou hunts my soul to take it, pursuing him like a dangerous animal through forests and over mountains.” (The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann)
“Let Yahweh judge between you and me,” after all, He see all and even considers the content of the heart. “‘and let the LORD avenge me on you.’ if thou persistest in thy injuries and cruel designs against me.” (Wesley)— “But my hand shall not be against you” in this life. I will rather serve you as my lord the king.— “As the proverb of the ancients (perhaps the Pentateuch) says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked’ — That is, men may be known by their actions; wicked men will do wicked actions; among which, this is one, to kill their sovereign lord and king; and, therefore, if I were so wicked a person as I am represented by thy courtiers to be, I should now have shown it, I should have made no conscience of laying violent hands upon thee.” (Benson)
“‘After whom is the king of Israel gone out? After whom dost thou pursue? A dead dog, a single flea.’ By these similes David meant to describe himself as a perfectly harmless and insignificant man, of whom Saul had no occasion to be afraid, and whom the king of Israel ought to think it beneath his dignity to pursue. A dead dog cannot bite or hurt, and is an object about which a king ought not to trouble himself (cf. 2 Samuel 9:8 and 2 Samuel 16:9, where the idea of something contemptible is included). The point of comparison with a flea is the insignificance of such an animal (cf. 1 Samuel 26:20).”( Keil & Delitzsch) “Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.” “David’s noble self-restraint, followed as it was by no less noble words, awoke the best side of Saul’s nature. Chords began to vibrate that had long been silent. The memory of happier days, before their intercourse had become clouded by jealousy and hatred, came trooping back, and Saul was himself again.” (F.B. Meyer) What if the men in the kings court had so played thus for him!?
16 So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. 18 And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.” 22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.