But David said to Abishai, “Do not kill him, for who can reach out with his hand against the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?”
Parallel translations
- WEB David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
- KJV And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?
- BSB But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”
- NKJV But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
- NLT “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking 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 forbids harming Saul because no one can strike the LORD's anointed and remain guiltless. Reverence for God's appointment, not personal advantage, governs his choice.
Overview
David refuses to lay a hand on Saul, recognizing that Saul still bears the sacred office of the LORD's anointed (messiah). His restraint flows from the fear of God rather than political calculation. This commitment to honor God's anointed foreshadows the perfect Anointed One, Christ, whom God would vindicate not by human violence but by His own hand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Sam 1:14David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed?”
- 2 Sam 1:16David said to him, “Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed.’”
- Ps 105:15“Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!”
- 1 Sam 24:6–7He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 26:9 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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