“And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him” (1 Samuel 26:1-5).
Introduction
David has been in a very similar situation before, and as with the previous occasion, he refuses to assassinate King Saul. It would have been very easy for David to conclude that God had brought his enemy into his hands to get rid of him once and for all, but he knew that God would deal with Saul in His own time and way.
The traitors
David and his followers were encamped on Hachilah, a hill near Paran. The Ziphites were aware of David’s presence and decided to sell him out to Saul. They had betrayed him before, so they had no qualms about doing so again. Maybe, because of this, they thought that David would slaughter them for their past treachery if he came to the throne, so they wanted him removed. They could have chosen to make peace with David, but instead they informed Saul of his position. What makes this spiteful and cruel act even more evil is the fact that the people of Ziph were part of the tribe of Judah, so were kin to David. “Probably Saul would have pursued David no more, had not these wretches set him on” (John Wesley).
The treachery
As soon as Saul learned of the whereabouts of David, he set out to capture him. We must remember that Saul had seemed to be convinced that David was not his enemy after David had spared his life in the cave of En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:16-22). “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). The Ziphites news refuelled his desire to kill David. He took three thousand soldiers with him because no doubt the Ziphites had told him about how many people David had with him now. Saul went with the elite of his troops and in a crazed mind thinking that he had David for sure.
The truth
David was told that Saul was again after his blood, so he sent out spies to make sure that it was true. He may have been hoping that the king was a man of his word and that the rumour was false, but soon the confirmation of Saul’s presence would have disappointed him. Saul had no reason to chase David any longer, as he himself had stated, but was acting out of sheer malice and spite.
The trench
David went out to see for himself, and saw that Saul was asleep in a trench and heavily protected by his men, and with his skilled commander right beside him. Some commentators suggest that the “trench” was not a hole in the ground as used in modern warfare, but a barricade made out of equipment, behind which the army could hide. The King James Bible offers an alternative rendering of “trench”, that is, “carriages”. This seems to indicate that wagons were used for protection in a similar way wagon trains were put in a circle when the Indians attacked people in America. “Among the nomad people of the East, the encampments are usually made in a circular form. The circumference is lined by the baggage and the men, while the chief's station is in the centre, whether he occupy a tent or not” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary).
Conclusion
A less a man than David would have given up and moved so far from the trouble that it could no longer affect him. We may ask why David chose to return to the countryside around Ziph rather than a safer environment, maybe he needed to be nearby to protect Abigail’s possessions. He was responsible for all the people that were with him, so it must have been physically, emotionally and spiritually draining living in a wilderness and always on the run from a madman. But he believed that God was with him and would fulfil all the promises He had made.
Note: Some commentators believe that the two accounts of David sparing Saul’s life are actually a single event, but though they are very similar there are several things that reveal that different incidents - [1] The locations are not the same – the site of the first was a cave, but here it is an open clearing where wagons could be parked; [2] Saul went into the cave at En-gedi, but here David goes out to see him in the field; [3] In the cave Saul was separated from his men, but here he is surrounded by them.
© 24/8/2009