And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.
Parallel translations
- WEB David answered, “Behold the spear, O king! Then let one of the young men come over and get it.
- KJV And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
- BSB “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of the young men come over and get it.
- NASB David replied, “Behold, the spear of the king! Now have one of the young men come over and take it.
- NLT “Here is your spear, O king,” David replied. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David returns the spear, inviting one of Saul's men to retrieve it. The gesture proves both his honesty and his refusal to exploit the king's vulnerability.
Overview
David offers back the spear he took, demonstrating that he sought proof, not plunder or power. By having a young man fetch it, he keeps a careful distance while still acting in good faith. The act caps his vindication: he held Saul's weapon yet would not turn it against the LORD's anointed.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 26:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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