1 Samuel 26:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord 's anointed.

NIV: The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on 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.

CSB: The Lord will repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today.

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.

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.

First Samuel 26:21–25 records the last time David and Saul will ever speak to one another. Saul and his army have come to the wilderness to kill David and his men. David and Abishai creep into the camp while they all sleep and steal the spear at Saul's head. Once safe, David berates the general sleeping next to Saul for leaving his king unprotected and declares his own innocence (1 Samuel 26:1–20). Saul apologizes and takes his army back to Gibeah. David has heard Saul's apologies before and doesn't trust them. He soon takes his people to the last place Saul would expect: the heart of Philistine territory (1 Samuel 27).

History repeats itself. With information from locals, Saul and his army hunt David and his men, but David finds them first. He walks past the sleeping army and takes Saul's spear. From a safe distance, David calls down into the camp and holds up the evidence that he could have killed Saul. Saul confesses that he has sinned against David and promises to stop trying to kill him. David says his only confidence for deliverance is in the Lord. Saul leaves and David takes his men and families to the safety of Philistine territory.

Earlier, David passed up an opportunity to kill King Saul while he was unaware (1 Samuel 24). The same general event happens once again. The people of Ziph tell Saul where David is, and Saul comes running (1 Samuel 23:19–24). David finds Saul first and takes evidence that he could have killed the king but didn't. David confronts Saul, and Saul admits David is righteous and loyal (1 Samuel 24). This time, David is finished trusting Saul. He takes his people to Achish, the king of Gath. Apparently, the Philistine king respects David's honor more than David's own king (1 Samuel 27). Meanwhile, Saul slips further into disobedience to God (1 Samuel 28).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.