1 Samuel 26:8

1 Samuel 26:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
• New International Version (NIV)Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Abishai said to David, "God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”

Context of 1 Samuel 26:8

6David spoke to two of his men. One of them was Ahimelech, a Hittite man. The other man was Abishai, who was Joab's brother (Zeruiah was their mother). David asked them, ‘Which one of you will go down into Saul's camp with me?’ Abishai said, ‘I will come with you.’ 7So David and Abishai went among Saul's army that night. They saw that Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp. He had pushed his spear into the ground near his head. Abner and the army were asleep around Saul. Abishai said to David, ‘Tonight God has given your enemy into your power. I will push Saul's spear through his body and fix him to the ground. I will only have to do it once to kill him. I will not need to do it again.’ 9But David said to Abishai, ‘Do not kill Saul. He is the man that the Lord has chosen to be Israel's king. Anyone who attacks him will be guilty of a sin. 10I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul one day. Saul may die when he has reached the age to die. Or someone may kill him in a battle. He will certainly come to his end.

1 Samuel 26:8 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲבִישַׁי֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד סִגַּ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם אֶת־אוֹיִבְךָ֖ בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְעַתָּה֩ אַכֶּ֨נּוּ נָ֜א בַּחֲנִ֤ית וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙ פַּ֣עַם אַחַ֔ת וְלֹ֥א אֶשְׁנֶ֖ה לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• to Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath deliveredסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
• thine enemyאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• into thine handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• now therefore let me smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• him, I pray thee, with the spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
• even to the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• at onceאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• at onceפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• him the second timeשָׁנָהshânâh · to repeatH8138

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 26:8

• 1 Samuel 26:23The Lord wants everyone to do what is right and true. He blesses people who live like that. The Lord put you under my power today. But I would not agree to hurt the Lord's chosen king.
• 1 Samuel 23:14David stayed in places where he would be safe. They were in the desert, and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul always tried to find David. But God did not let Saul catch David.
• 1 Samuel 24:4David's men said to him, ‘This is the day that the Lord told you about! The Lord said to you, “I will give your enemy to you. Then you can decide what is the right thing to do to him.” ’ So David stood up very quietly. He went and he cut off a small piece of cloth from Saul's coat. Saul did not know what had happened.
• Joshua 21:44The Lord let them live there safely, as he had promised to their ancestors. The Lord made them stronger than their enemies, so nobody could attack them.
• Judges 1:4They attacked the Canaanites and the Perizzites at Bezek. The Lord helped them to win against 10,000 Canaanite and Perizzite fighters.
• 1 Samuel 24:18You have shown me today how kind you have been to me. The Lord gave you a chance to hurt me, but you did not kill me.
• Deuteronomy 32:30One man can chase away 1,000 of my people! Two men can chase away 10,000 of them! How can that happen? God, their strong Rock, has left them. The Lord has given their enemies power over them.
• Psalms 31:8You have not put me under the power of my enemies. You have led me into an open place, where I can be safe.
• Romans 11:32God says that everyone is guilty because they do not obey him. He says that so that he can be kind and he can forgive everyone.
• Galatians 3:22But the Bible says that sin has power over everyone. People can not get free. This means that we can only receive what God has promised when we trust Jesus Christ. God gives his promise to those who believe.
• Nahum 1:9The Lord will stop anything that you decide to do immediately. He does not let his enemies have a second chance.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand - Here Abishai uses the same language as did David's men, when Saul came into the cave at En-gedi, (see 1 Samuel 24:4, etc.), and David uses the same language in reply.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8God has delivered your enemy into your hand: Compare 1 Samuel 24:4.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-128-12. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand--This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind, and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times. let me smite him ... even to the earth at once--The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language, but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Though Saul's cruelty and…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 26:8

• Abishai
• Citizens
• Courage
• Loyalty
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• David
• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Abishai
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Abishai, or Abishai
• Abner
• Joab

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings