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Epiphany Season · Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time · Year C

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

David Spares Saul's Life at Hakilah

February 20, 2028

David Restrains Abishai over the Sleeping Saul, Carlo Bellosio
David Restrains Abishai over the Sleeping Saul, Carlo Bellosio, 1835(CC-PD-Mark); Wikimedia's own file title mislabels the companion as 'Abigail' (an OCR/transcription slip for Abishai)
An Italian Romantic painting of the night raid: the king asleep with the spear stuck in the ground beside his head, and one man holding another back.Who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? The reading is a chance David refuses to take.Carlo BellosioA Milanese Romantic painter of historical and biblical subjects, who died at thirty-seven.(CC-PD-Mark); Wikimedia's own file title mislabels the companion as 'Abigail' (an OCR/transcription slip for Abishai)No holding institution is recorded with the image; it is known from the public domain reproduction.(CC-PD-Mark); Wikimedia's own file title mislabels the companion as 'Abigail' (an OCR/transcription slip for Abishai)
Roman Lectionary
GospelLuke 6:27-38Lk 6:27-38
Second Reading1 Cor. 15:45-491 Cor 15:45-49
First Reading1 Sam. 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-231 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
Responsorial PsalmPs. 103:1-2, 3-4, 8+10, 12-13 (8a)Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8+10, 12-13 (8a)

Overview & Insights

"The Lord will repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness." (1 Samuel 26:23)

David sneaks into Saul's camp at night while Saul is hunting him and finds the king asleep with his spear stuck in the ground beside him. Rather than kill his enemy when he has the chance, David takes the spear and water jar as proof of his restraint and refuses to harm the Lord's anointed.

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Take it further: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

Commentary

BibleHub: 1 Samuel 26:2 CommentariesBibleHub: 1 Sm 26:2 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregated classic commentaries on David's restraint toward Saul.

Enduring Word: 1 Samuel 26Enduring Word: 1 Sm 26 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse notes on David sparing Saul a second time.

Precept Austin: 1 Samuel 26 CommentaryPrecept Austin: 1 Sm 26 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse-level study helps and gathered quotations on the episode at Hakilah.

StudyLight: 1 Samuel 26 (Barnes' Notes)StudyLight: 1 Sm 26 (Barnes' Notes) StudyLight

Albert Barnes' close reading of David's refusal to strike the Lord's anointed.

Agape Bible Study: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) Agape Bible Study

Catholic verse-by-verse notes on all four of this Sunday's readings.

Background & Word Study

BibleHub Interlinear: 1 Samuel 26:2BibleHub Interlinear: 1 Sm 26:2 BibleHub

Hebrew text with parsing for the spear and water-jar scene.

Sefaria: 1 Samuel 26:2-23Sefaria: 1 Sm 26:2-23 Sefaria

Hebrew text alongside translation, with linked classical Jewish commentaries.

The Church Fathers

Catena: 1 Samuel 26Catena: 1 Sm 26 Catena

Patristic comment chain gathering the Fathers on David's mercy toward Saul.

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