1 Samuel 26 · Verse 9

1 Samuel 26:9

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?
1 Samuel 26:9, King James Version

1 Samuel 26:9 in other translations

BSBBut David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”
WEBDavid said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
ASVAnd David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah’s anointed, and be guiltless?
YLTAnd David saith unto Abishai, ‘Destroy him not; for who hath put forth his hand against the anointed of Jehovah, and been acquitted?'
DARBYAnd David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?
BBEAnd David said to Abishai Do not put him to death; for who, without sin, may put out his hand against the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil?
WebsterAnd David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be guiltless?

What does 1 Samuel 26:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 26:8-12

8-12. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand--This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind, and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times. let me smite him ... even to the earth at once--The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language, but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 26:8-12 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 26:1-12

How soon do unholy hearts lose the good impressions convictions have made upon them! How helpless were Saul and all his men! All as though disarmed and chained, yet nothing is done to them; they are only asleep. How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! David still resolved to wait till God thought fit to avenge him on Saul. He will by no means force his way to the…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 26:1-12 →

1 Samuel 26:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
דָּוִ֛דda.VidDavidH1732
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֲבִישַׁ֖י'a.vi.ShaiAbishaiH52
אַל\־'al-may notH408
תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּtash.chi.Te.huyou destroy himH7843
כִּ֠יkiforH3588
מִ֣יmiwho?H4310
שָׁלַ֥חsha.Lachhas he stretched outH7971
יָד֛וֹya.Dohand hisH3027
בִּמְשִׁ֥יחַbim.Shi.achon [the] [one] anointed ofH4899
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְנִקָּֽה\׃\ \פve.ni.Kahand will he be free from guilt?H5352

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 26:9

  • 2 Samuel 1:14

    And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?

  • Psalms 105:15

    Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

  • 2 Samuel 1:16

    And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

  • 1 Samuel 24:6-7

    And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
who can stretch.
24:6,7; 2Sa 1:14,16; Ps 105:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 26:8

    Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

  • 1 Samuel 26:9

    And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?

  • 1 Samuel 26:10

    David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

Read all of 1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y David respondió á Abisai: No le mates: porque ¿quién extenderá su mano contra el ungido de Jehová, y será inocente?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David dit à Abishaï: Ne le détruis pas! car qui étendra sa main sur l’oint de l’ Éternel et sera innocent?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber David sprach zu Abisai: Verderbe ihn nicht! denn wer streckte seine Hand gegen den Gesalbten Jehovas aus und bliebe schuldlos?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixit David ad Abisai: Ne interficias eum: quis enim extendet manum suam in christum Domini, et innocens erit?