- 91-
district - those of Ahinoam and of Abigail - David seems again to have advanced
northwards from the wilderness of Paran. Once more we find David in the
wilderness of Ziph - the most northern and the nearest to the cities of Judah. And
once more the Ziphites were negotiating with Saul for his betrayal, and the king of
Israel was marching against him with the three thousand men, who apparently
formed the nucleus of his standing army.^223
Some years before, when betrayed by the Ziphites, David had on the approach of
Saul retired to the wilderness of Maon, and been only preserved by tidings to Saul of
a Philistine incursion. On yet another somewhat similar occasion, in the wilderness
of En-gedi, David had had his enemy in his power, when Saul had entered alone a
cave in which David and his men lay concealed. In this instance, however, the
circumstances were different, alike as concerned the situation of Saul's camp, the
location of David, the manner in which he came into contact with Saul, and even the
communication which subsequently passed between them. The points of
resemblance are just those which might have been expected: the treachery of the
Ziphites, the means taken by Saul against David, the suggestion made to David to rid
himself of his enemy, his firm resolve not to touch the Lord's anointed, as well as an
interview between David and his persecutor, followed by temporary repentance. But
the two narratives are essentially different. On learning that Saul and his army were
encamped on the slope of the hill Hachilah, David and two of his bravest
companions - Ahimelech, the Hittite, and Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, David's sister
- resolved to ascertain the exact situation of the enemy. Creeping under cover of
night through the brushwood, which as we know covered the sides of the hill
(23:19), they found themselves soon where the camp of Israel lay open to them. As
we imagine the scene, the three had gained the height just above the camp. Faithful
as was the Hittite, and none more true or brave than he (comp. 2 Samuel 11:3, 6;
23:39), it was David's nephew Abishai, probably of the same age, who now
volunteered to share with him the extremely perilous attempt of "going down" into
the camp itself. But there was no murderous intent in the heart of David; rather the
opposite, of proving his innocence of it. And so God blessed it. A deep sleep -
evidently from the Lord - weighed them all down. In the middle, by the "waggons"
of the camp, lay Saul, at his head the royal spear stuck in the ground, and a cruse of
water beside him. Close by lay Abner, as chief of the host, to whom, so to speak, the
custody of the king was entrusted - and all round in wide circle, the people. Once
more comes the tempting suggestion to David. This time it is not his own hand, but
Abishai's, that is to deal the blow. But what matters it: "For who has stretched out his
hand against the anointed of Jehovah, and been unpunished? If Jehovah do not
(literally, 'unless Jehovah') smite him [like Nabal], or his day be come and he die, or
he go down into the war and be swept away - far be it from me, through Jehovah! -
to stretch forth mine hand against Jehovah's anointed."^224 And so David stayed the
hand of his companion.
(^)