1 Samuel 24:11-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:9-15

We have here David's warm and pathetic speech to Saul, wherein he endeavours to convince him that he did him a great deal of wrong in persecuting him thus and to persuade him therefore to be reconciled. I. He calls him father (1 Sam. 24:11), for he was not only, as king, the father of his country, but he was, in particular, his father-in-law. From a father one may expect compassion and a favourable opinion. For a prince to seek the ruin of any of his good subjects is as unnatural as for a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:16-22

I. Saul's penitent reply to David's speech. It was strange that he had patience to hear him out, considering how outrageous he was against him, and how cutting David's discourse was. But God restrained him and his men; and we may suppose Saul struck with amazement at the singularity of the event, and much more when he found how much he had lain at David's mercy. His heart must have been harder than a stone if this had not affected him. 1. He melted into tears, and we will not suppose them to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:11

Moreover, my father ,.... So he was in a natural sense, as having married his daughter; and in a civil sense, as he was a king, and was, or ought to have been, the father of his country, and to treat his subjects as his children, and David among the rest: see, yea see, the skirt of thy robe in my hand ; look on it again and again; view it with the eyes of thy body intently, that thou mayest be satisfied of it, and behold with the eyes of thy mind and understanding, and consider that I... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:12

The Lord judge between me and thee ,.... And make it appear who is in the right, and who in the wrong: and the Lord avenge me of thee ; if he continued thus to persecute him: but mine hand shall not be upon thee ; to kill thee, though it may be in my power again to do it, as it has been; but this I am determined upon, let me suffer what I will, I will not lay hands on thee to do thee any hurt, but leave thee with God to requite all the evil done to me by thee. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:13

As saith the proverb of the ancients ,.... It is an old saying, has been long in use, and may be applied to the present case; or the "proverb of the ancient one"; of the oldest man, the first man Adam, and of all others after him, so Kimchi; or of the Ancient One of the world, the Ancient of days, the Lord himself; so in the Talmud F4 T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 10. 2. : wickedness proceedeth from the wicked ; as is a man, so are his actions; if he is a wicked man, he will do wicked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:14

After whom is the king of Israel come out ?.... From his court and palace, with an army of men, and at the head of them: after whom dost thou pursue ? with such eagerness and fury: after a dead dog ; as David was in the opinion, and according to the representation of his enemies, a dog, vile, mean, worthless, of no account; a dead dog, whose name was made to stink through the calumnies cast upon him; and if a dead dog, then as he was an useless person, and could do no good, so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:15

The Lord therefore be Judge, and judge between me and thee ,.... Signifying he did not desire to be judge in his own cause, but leave it with God to determine it for him in his providence: and see, and plead my cause ; look with pity upon him, take his cause in his hand, plead it, and do him justice: and deliver me out of thine hand : which was a prayer of faith, believing he would do it in due time, see Psalm 7:6 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:16

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul ,.... And wonderful it is that Saul, so full of wrath and fury, and so eager of David's life, should stand still and hear him out, and not fall upon him; this must be owing to the restraining providence of God, and to the surprise Saul was in at the sight of David coming out of the cave, whom he expected not; and especially what awed and quieted him was the sight of the skirt of his robe in his hand, which was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:17

And he said to David, thou art more righteous than I ,.... By which it appears he thought himself righteous, though David was more so; the righteousness of David was so glaring, that his enemy himself being judge acknowledges it, but will not confess his own wickedness, having no true sense of sin, nor real sorrow for it: for thou hast rewarded me good ; in times past, and now; heretofore in killing Goliath, fighting his battles for him against the Philistines, driving the evil spirit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 24:18

And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me ,.... The cutting off of the skirt of his robe only, when his life was in his hand, was a clear proof and full demonstration of his dealing well with him, and might sufficiently convince him he had no ill design upon him: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not ; this was a plain proof and evidence of his kindness to him, which he owns, and also the providence of God in this... read more

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