1 Samuel 24:4

Contextual Overview

¹When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.” ¹ It happened, when Sha'ul was returned from following the Pelishtim, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of `En-Gedi. ¹ And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. ¹ When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, "Look, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi." ¹ When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." ¹ After Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." ¹ When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, "Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi." ¹When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the Wilderness of Engedi." ¹ Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, it was reported to him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." ¹ When Saul was turned from ye Philistims, they told him, saying, Behold, Dauid is in the wildernes of En-gedi.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the men: 1 Samuel 26:8-11, 2 Samuel 4:8, Job 31:31

I will deliver: 1 Samuel 24:10, 1 Samuel 24:18, 1 Samuel 23:7, 1 Samuel 26:23

Saul's robe: Heb. the robe which was Saul's

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:13 - God 1 Samuel 26:12 - So David 1 Kings 11:30 - rent it 2 Kings 6:21 - shall 2 Kings 8:15 - And it came Isaiah 33:15 - stoppeth Jeremiah 40:15 - Let Luke 9:55 - and rebuked

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
The LORD appeared to Avram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." He built an altar there to the LORD, who appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord , who appeared unto him.

Genesis 12:7
And Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." And he built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to the Lord , who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So Abram built an altar there to the Lord , who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to [honor] the LORD who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
And the Lord appeared vnto Abram, and said, Vnto thy seede will I giue this land. And there builded he an altar vnto the Lord, which appeared vnto him.

Genesis 12:7
Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "To your seed I will give this land." So he built an altar there to Yahweh who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7
but the Lord appeared to Abram and promised, "I will give this land to your family forever." Abram then built an altar there for the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the men of David said unto him,.... Some of his principal men, who were about him, and near him, such as Joab and Abishai:

behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee: now the time was come that he spoke of to him by Samuel, or Gad, or to himself directly:

behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand; and such was Saul, as appeared by his seeking to take away his life; and now he was in the hand of David to take away his life, if he pleased:

that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee; an opportunity of this kind now offered:

then David arose; from that part of the cave in which he was, the further part of it:

and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily; unawares to him, and unobserved by him, which might be easily done, if Saul was asleep, and it is probable he was; and by the same way it may be accounted for that he did not hear the discourse that passed between David and his men.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The day of which the Lord said ... - This was the version by David’s men of such divine predictions as 1 Samuel 15:28; 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:12. Jonathan’s words 1 Samuel 20:15; 1 Samuel 23:17 show clearly that these predictions were known.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 24:4. And the men of David said — We know not to what promise of God the men of David refer; they perhaps meant no more than to say, "Behold, the Lord hath delivered thine enemy into thy land, now do to him as he wishes to do to thee."

Then David arose — Though I have a high opinion of the character of David, yet the circumstances of the case seem to indicate that he arose to take away the life of Saul, and that it was in reference to this that his heart smote him. It appears that he rose up immediately at the desire of his men to slay his inveterate enemy, and one whom he knew the Lord had rejected; but when about to do it he was prevented by the remonstrance of God in his conscience, and instead of cutting off his head, as he might have done, an act which the laws and usages of war would have justified, he contented himself with cutting off the skirt of his robe; and he did this only to show Saul how much he had been in his power.