New Living Translation
1 Samuel 26:9
9“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?
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 right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. 8“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!” “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? 10Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. 11The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”
Read all of 1 Samuel 261 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, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.”
- 2 Samuel 1:14“Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
- Psalms 105:15“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt 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
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries