1 Samuel 26:7

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
David	דָוִ֨ד da.Vid	H1732	David · proper noun, a man's name
Abishai	וַאֲבִישַׁ֥י va.'a.vi.Shai	H52	Abishai · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
came	וַיָּבֹא֩ vai.ya.Vo'	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
people	הָעָם֮ ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
night	לַיְלָה֒ lay.Lah	H3915	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Saul	שָׁא֗וּל sha.'Ul	H7586	Shaul · proper noun, a man's name
lay	שֹׁכֵ֤ב sho.Khev	H7901	to lie down (for rest · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
sleeping	יָשֵׁן֙ ya.Shen	H3463	sleepy · adjective, masculine singular absolute
trench	בַּמַּעְגָּ֔ל ba.ma'.Gal	H4570	a track (literally or figuratively) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
spear	וַחֲנִית֥וֹ va.cha.ni.To	H2595	a lance (for thrusting · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
stuck	מְעוּכָֽה me.'u.khah-	H4600	to press · verb, qal passive participle, feminine singular absolute
ground	בָאָ֖רֶץ va.'A.retz	H776	the earth (at large · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
bolster	מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו me.ra.'a.sho.tov	H4763	properly · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Abner	וְאַבְנֵ֣ר ve.'av.Ner	H74	Abner · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
people	וְהָעָ֔ם ve.ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
lay	שֹׁכְבִ֖ים sho.khe.Vim	H7901	to lie down (for rest · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
about	סְבִיבֹתָֽיו se.vi.vo.tov	H5439	(as noun) a circle · noun, common both genders plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 26:6-12

Here is, I. David's bold adventure into Saul's camp in the night, accompanied only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He proposed it to him and to another of his confidants (Sa1 26:6), but the other either declined it as too dangerous an enterprise, or at least was content that Abishai, who was forward to it, should run the risk of it rather than himself. Whether David was prompted to do this by his own courage, or by an extraordinary impression upon his spirits, or by the oracle, does not appear; but, like Gideon, he ventured through the guards, with a special assurance of the divine protection. II. The posture he found the camp in Saul lay sleeping in the trench, or, as some read…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 26:5

DAVID STAYS ABISHAI FROM KILLING SAUL, BUT TAKES HIS SPEAR AND CRUSE. (1Sa. 26:5-25) Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him--Among the nomad people of the East, the encampments are usually made in a circular form. The circumference is lined by the baggage and the men, while the chief's station is in the center, whether he occupy a tent or not. His spear, stuck in the ground, indicates his position. Similar was the disposition of Saul's camp--in this hasty expedition he seems to have carried no tent, but to have slept on the ground. The whole troop was sunk in sleep around him.

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 26:6

Abishai the son of Zeruiah - She was David's sister; and therefore Abishai and Joab were nephews to David.

John Gill on 1 Samuel 26:7

So David and Abishai came to the people by night,.... Josephus (l) wrongly says, that he took with him both Abishai and Ahimelech; he chose to have but one, for the greater secrecy. This was a bold enterprise, for two men to go into a camp of three thousand men, though it was in the night; when though they might suppose the greater part of them were asleep, yet they could not well suppose this of all, and especially of the guards or sentinels; but no doubt David was moved to this, not merely by the dint of his natural courage, but by the Spirit of God, by whom he might be assured of protection, and that Saul and the people were cast into a deep sleep by the Lord, as they were, 1 Samuel 26:12…

The Church Fathers

If Saul had been asked the reason for his hostility, he would have been compelled to admit that it was the favors received from David's hand. Moreover, even though Saul had been found asleep by David during the very time that the latter was being pursued, and although Saul lay, an easy victim, before his enemy, his life was again spared by that just man, for he refrained from doing him violence.
— Basil of Caesarea, CONCERNING ENVY

Therefore, David and Abisai came to the people by night, etc. The Lord and his disciples came to visit the people, who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, and found his kingdom entirely depressed in kinship, and torpid with blind stupor, all the defenses of virtues, with which they ought to have been armed against spiritual enemies, lived in earthly desires, but also all the teachers and listeners languishing with the same pestilence of sloth as the princes.
— Bede, Commentary on Samuel

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Abishai — Father of (i.e., “desirous of”) a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David’s sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel (2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chr. 2:16). Abishai was the only one who accompanied David…
Abishai, Or Abishai — (father of a gift), The eldest of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and brother to Joab and Asahel. (1 Chronicles 2:16) Like his two brothers he was the devoted follower of David. He was his…
Abner — Father of light; i.e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after…
Bolster — The Hebrew word kebir, rendered “pillow” in 1 Sam. 19:13, 16, but in Revised Version marg. “quilt” or “network,” probably means some counterpane or veil intended to protect the head of the sleeper. A…
Carriage — In the Authorized Version this word is found as the rendering of many different words. In Judg. 18:21 it means valuables, wealth, or booty. In Isa. 46:1 (R.V., “the things that ye carried about”) the…
David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Abishai · Seeks Saul’s life — Seeks Saul’s life
Arms, Military · Offensive: Spear or lance — Offensive: Spear or lance
Beds · Supplied with pillows — Supplied with pillows
Citizens · .David — .David
Loyalty · .David — .David
Pillow

1 Samuel 26:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 26:6-12

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 26:5

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 26:6

John Gill on 1 Samuel 26:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Samuel 26:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 26:6-12

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 26:5

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 26:6

John Gill on 1 Samuel 26:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 26:1-12

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Samuel 26:6

Rashi on 1 Samuel 26:7