1 Samuel 26:9

1 Samuel 26:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?
• New International Version (NIV)But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?
• English Standard Version (ESV)But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?"
• New King James Version (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?”

Context of 1 Samuel 26:9

7So David and Abishai went among ⌞Saul’s⌟ troops that night. Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8Abishai said to David, “Today God has turned your enemy over to you. Please let me nail him to the ground with one stab of the spear. I won’t have to do it twice!” “Don’t kill him!” David told Abishai. “No one has ever attacked the Lord’s anointed king and remained free of guilt. 10I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” David added, “the Lord will strike him. Either his time will come when he’ll die ⌞naturally⌟, or he’ll go into battle and be swept away. 11It would be unthinkable for me to attack the Lord’s anointed king. But please take that spear near his head and that jar of water, and let’s go.”

1 Samuel 26:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛ד אֶל־אֲבִישַׁ֖י אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּ כִּ֠י מִ֣י שָׁלַ֥ח יָד֛וֹ בִּמְשִׁ֥יחַ יְהוָ֖ה וְנִקָּֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• Destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• him not: for who can stretch forthשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• against the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
• and be guiltlessנָקָהnâqâh · to clearH5352

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 26:9

• 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “It would be unthinkable for me to raise my hand against His Majesty, the Lord’s anointed king, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”
• 2 Samuel 1:14David asked, “Why weren’t you afraid to take it upon yourself to destroy the Lord’s anointed king?”
• Psalms 105:15“Do not touch my anointed ones or harm my prophets.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26:9

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9the LORD’s anointed: See study note on 1 Samuel 24:6.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 26:9

• Citizens
• Courage
• Forgiveness
• Loyalty
• Reverence
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• David
• Abishai
• King; Kingdom
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Abishai, or Abishai
• Abner

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