1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. Jewish tradition attributes the book to the prophet Samuel, with later additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan; modern scholarship, however, regards it as a compilation of independent texts dated to . This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.

Text This chapter was originally written in Biblical Hebrew. It is divided into 22 verses.

Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Textual tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q51 (4QSam; 100–50 BCE) with extant verses 3–5, 8–10, 14–23.Dead sea scrolls - 1 Samuel4Q51 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library

Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).

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David spared Saul (24:1–15) The section beginning with chapter 24:1 (1 Samuel 23:29 in the Christian numbering) reports David's move to En-gedi in the hilly area around the Dead Sea, while Saul, returning from a battle with the Philistines, was pursuing. The section emphasizes two points: David could have easily killed Saul and thereby seized the kingship. He resisted the temptation to kill God's (), and even prevented his men from harming Saul (verses 7–8). David elaborated in his speech (verses 9–16) that instead of taking vengeance on Saul for "treating him like an insignificant dog or flea", he duly acknowledged Saul's position as a God-chosen king (verse 9) while entrusted vengeance to God (verse 13). Another similar account of sparing Saul's life is found in 1 Samuel 26.

Verse 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. "Sheepcotes" or "sheepfolds" (): simple walled enclosures into which sheep are driven at night to protect them from robbers or wild beasts. Sheepfolds could be in the form of caves during the winter.Patch, James A. (1915) "Entry for 'SHEEPCOTE; SHEEPFOLD'". In: "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Cover his feet" (): an idiom (or euphemism) for relieving oneself.Note on 1 Samuel 24:3 in NET Bible

David’s oath to Saul (24:16–22) This section contrasts David's uprightness in submitting to the will of God and refraining from taking matters into his own hands with Saul's pitiful figure. All three parts of Saul's speech reflect his weak position: Saul conceded that his actions had been evil and that David was more righteous than he (verse 17). Saul acknowledged that David would become king. Saul pleaded with David to safeguard his reputation and ensure his descendants' safety, echoing Jonathan's agreement with David regarding the house of Saul in 1 Samuel 20:14–15.

Verse 23 David swore to Saul, Saul went home, and David and his men went up to the strongholds. (RJPS) Typically, succeeding monarchs of a new dynasty would slaughter the descendants of the previous king to eliminate rivals. However, David vowed not to destroy Saul's lineage and kept this promise through his treatment of Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When Saul returned home, David, understanding Saul's duplicitous nature, wisely chose not to pursue him but instead stayed a fugitive in the wilderness.

1 Samuel 24

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