1 Samuel 24:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

NIV: With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

NASB: And David rebuked his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul got up, left the cave, and went on his way.

CSB: With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

NLT: So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,

KJV: So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

NKJV: So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

First Samuel 24:5–7 records David's regrets about his stealthy, undetected move against the King. David and his men were hiding in a cave when King Saul entered to relieve himself. The men saw a chance to kill Saul. Instead, David cuts off a corner of Saul's robe. Even so, David feels terrible remorse (1 Samuel 24:1–4). He follows Saul out of the cave and reminds the King of his loyal service, to the point of protecting the life of the man who wants him dead. Saul agrees he's been unfair to David. He gathers his army and goes home (1 Samuel 24:8–22).

David is faced with a moment of decision. As he and his men hide in a cave, Saul comes in alone to relieve himself. David refuses to kill Saul, as his men want him to, insisting that it would be a crime against the Lord to harm His anointed one. David does confront Saul outside the cave, holding up a corner of his robe to show he could have killed Saul but did not. Saul agrees David has been righteous and he has been evil. He admits that David will become king over Israel.

God again protects David from fighting his earthly King. David has fled a city that would have betrayed him to Saul. He has run from the wilderness where the locals did, in fact, do so (1 Samuel 23). Yet again, nearby people warn Saul where David is. David has the chance to kill Saul, but refuses, and Saul admits David is more righteous than he. Next, Nabal the fool dishonors David, and David marches for revenge. Nabal's wife, Abigail, saves David from murdering her innocent servants, and Nabal dies of natural—or godly—causes. In return, David marries Abigail (1 Samuel 25). During these events, the prophet Samuel dies.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 11/21/2025 6:51:31 PM