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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed.
- KJV The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed.
- NKJV May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.
- NASB And the Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord handed you over to me today, but I refused to reach out with my hand against the Lord’s anointed.
- NLT The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one.
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 affirms that the LORD rewards each person's righteousness and faithfulness, and that he himself refused to strike God's anointed. He commits his cause to God's just dealing.
Overview
David declares his confidence that God repays righteousness and faithfulness, appealing to his own restraint as evidence of his integrity. He frames his sparing of Saul as faithfulness to God, not merely kindness to a man. This trust in God's righteous recompense looks ahead to the gospel hope that God justly vindicates those who entrust themselves to Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ps 62:12and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
- 1 Sam 24:6–7So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
- Ps 18:20–26The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
- Ps 7:8–9The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.
- 1 Sam 26:9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”
- 1 Kgs 8:32then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
- Neh 13:14Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
- 1 Sam 26:11But the LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”
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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 26:23 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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