1 Samuel 26:12

Contextual Overview

⁶ Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. ⁶ "Who will volunteer to go in there with me?" David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother. "I'll go with you," Abishai replied. ⁶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. ⁶ David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into Saul's camp with me?" Abishai answered, "I'll go with you." ⁶ David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" Abishai replied, "I will go down with you." ⁶ Then answered David, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. ⁶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? Abishai said, I will go down with you. ⁶Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." ⁶ Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, "Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." ⁶ Ethey, and to Abisai, sone of Saruye, the brother of Joab, `and seide, Who schal go doun with me to Saul in to `the castels? And Abisai seide, Y schal go doun with thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

So David: 1 Samuel 26:7, 1 Samuel 24:4

a deep sleep: Genesis 2:21, Genesis 15:12, Esther 6:1, Isaiah 29:10

Reciprocal: Psalms 76:6 - dead

Cross-References

Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham was old, [and] well stricken in age. And Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:1
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.

Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything.

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham was old [and] far advanced in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:1
Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, [well] advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:1
Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham [is] old, he hath entered into days, and Jehovah hath blessed Abraham in all [things];

Genesis 24:1
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So David took the spear, and the cruse of water, from Saul's bolster,.... Abishai either refusing to take them, since he might not take away his life; or it may be rather David thought better of it, and took them himself, lest Abishai should be tempted, when so near to Saul, and his spear in his hand, and should thrust him with it; though David may be said to take them by the hands of Abishai:

and they gat them away; with the above things along with them:

and no man saw [it], nor knew [it]; saw them in the camp, or knew what they did:

neither awaked; at their talking together, at the motion of their feet, and taking away the spear and cruse:

for they [were] all asleep; which was very extraordinary, that among three thousand men none should be awake, not even the sentinels; which might seem impossible in a natural way, but it is accounted for by what follows:

because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them; or "a sleep of the Lord" p; a very great one, an uncommon one; so great trees, mountains, c. are called trees and mountains of God or, according to our supplement, it was from the Lord, he was the cause and author of it; he cast them into this sleep, or caused it to fall upon them, and locked them up in it, that they might not hear David and his servant when they came among them.

p תרדמת יהוה, "sopor Domini", V. L. Montanus, Munsterus "altus sopor Jehovae", Junias & Tremellius, Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 26:12. David took the spear and the cruse — The spear, we have already seen, was the emblem of power and regal dignity. But it is usual, in Arab camps, for every man to have his lance stuck in the ground beside him, that he may be ready for action in a moment. The cruse of water resembled, in some measure, the canteens of our soldiers. In such a climate, where water was always scarce, it was necessary for each man to carry a little with him, to refresh him on his march.

A deep sleep from the Lord — It is the same word which is used, Genesis 2:21, to describe the sleep which God caused to fall upon Adam, when he formed Eve out of his side.