So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
Parallel translations
- WEB David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed?”
- KJV And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?
- NKJV So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
- NASB And David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to reach out with your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
- NLT “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
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 rebukes the man for daring to destroy the Lord's anointed. This expresses David's lifelong conviction about the sanctity of God's chosen king.
Overview
Throughout 1 Samuel, David twice refused to harm Saul because he was the Lord's anointed, even when given the chance. Here he holds the Amalekite to that same standard. The phrase Yahweh's anointed ultimately points beyond Saul to the true Anointed One, the Messiah, against whom rebellion is the gravest sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 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?”
- 2 Pet 2:10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
- Num 12:8I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
- Ps 105:15“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
- 1 Sam 31:4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
- 1 Sam 24:6So 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.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 1:14 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.