And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying: ‘Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?’
verse value 3657
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "before" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Saul" (אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·Ziphites" (הַזִּפִים֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + הַזִּפִים֙ [the·Ziphites] (142) + אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל [to·Saul] (368) + הַגִּבְעָ֖תָה [to·Gibeah] (485) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + הֲל֨וֹא [does·not] (42) + דָוִ֤ד [David] (14) + מִסְתַּתֵּר֙ [hiding·himself] (1100) + בְּגִבְעַ֣ת [in·hill·of] (477) + הַחֲכִילָ֔ה [Hachilah] (78) + עַ֖ל [before] (100) + פְּנֵ֥י [face] (140) + הַיְשִׁימֹֽן [waste] (415) = 3657.
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.
verse value 4961
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אִ֖ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·wilderness·of·Ziph" (אֶל־מִדְבַּר־זִ֔יף, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·wilderness·of·Ziph" (אֶל־מִדְבַּר־זִ֔יף), "and·with·him" (וְאִתּ֛וֹ), "youth" (בְּחוּרֵ֣י). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·wilderness·of·Ziph" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֣קׇם [and·arose] (156) + שָׁא֗וּל [Saul] (337) + וַיֵּ֙רֶד֙ [and·went·down] (220) + אֶל־מִדְבַּר־זִ֔יף [to·wilderness·of·Ziph] (374) + וְאִתּ֛וֹ [and·with·him] (413) + שְׁלֹשֶׁת־אֲלָפִ֥ים [three·cattle] (1191) + אִ֖ישׁ [man] (311) + בְּחוּרֵ֣י [youth] (226) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ [to·seek] (432) + אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד [David] (415) + בְּמִדְבַּר־זִֽיף [in·wilderness·of·Ziph] (345) = 4961.
Radak
"The chosen men of Israel." It is of the light [forms]; therefore the vowel of the bet was changed to a sheva. But in "and the chosen men of Israel" it is determined that the bet has a patach — it is of the dageshed forms — and therefore the vowel was not changed.
Metzudat David
“To the wilderness of Ziph.” And in that wilderness was the hill of Hachilah.
Malbim
"Bachurei" — these are those whom he chose (as above, 25:3); and therefore bachurei is with a shva and not with a pathach.
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.
verse value 4099
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hachilah" (הַחֲכִילָ֗ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 337: Saul, Saul. The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "which" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'by·the·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Metzudat David
And he saw. It appeared to him that he had come, yet he did not yet know with certainty.
Malbim
“On the way” — and David sat far from the way. The scouts, who saw that a camp was approaching, did not yet know whether it was Saul’s camp, nor the place where they would encamp. Therefore:
David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty.
verse value 1308
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "spies" (מְרַגְּלִ֑ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "spies" (מְרַגְּלִ֑ים). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·certain" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'spies', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח [and·he·sent] (354) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + מְרַגְּלִ֑ים [spies] (323) + וַיֵּ֕דַע [and·knew] (90) + כִּי־בָ֥א [that·came] (33) + שָׁא֖וּל [Saul] (337) + אֶל־נָכֽוֹן [to·certain] (157) = 1308.
Radak
"Of a certainty." In truth and with clarity; and so Jonathan rendered it: in truth.
Metzudat David
"Al nakhon." Like "b'nakhon," meaning: he knew clearly.
Malbim
He sent spies, and through this he knew clearly that Saul had come, and he also knew precisely the location of his camp and every detail.
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 within the barricade, and the people pitched round about him.
verse value 6654
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 98 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֗ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·place" (אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: where, where. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "he·encamped·there" (חָנָה־שָׁ֣ם), "the·place" (אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם֙), "he·lay·there" (שָׁכַב־שָׁ֣ם). The root שאול appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "where" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'chief·of·his·troops', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 6 words.
Radak
In a circle. The place of the camp is called a circle because the people encamp there in a circular formation.
Ralbag
And Saul is lying in a circle. This means in a camp, and it was in a circular shape so that those coming to them from all sides would see it.
Metzudat David
And he came. Initially, he went to spy.
His surroundings. The surroundings of Sha'ul:
Metzudat Zion
In a circle. The custom of the camp to encamp in a circle, so that they may see from all sides everyone who comes against them.
Malbim
"The place where Saul and Abner lay" is separated from the people, and it explains that Saul lay within a circle, a ring that surrounded him so that no one would approach there. And Saul had already lain down, while the people had not yet lain down; some of them were encamped, some lying down, and some walking and sitting.
Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying: ‘Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?’ And Abishai said: ‘I will go down with you.’
verse value 4160
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 90 letters. Verse gematria: 4160 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֜ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Ahimelech" (אֶל־אֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·Hittite" (הַחִתִּ֗י), "and·to·Abishai" (וְאֶל־אֲבִישַׁ֨י), "son·of·Zeruiah" (בֶּן־צְרוּיָ֜ה). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Ahimelech" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root אבישי ("Abishai") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·encampment', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Metzudat David
And David answered. After his return to them:
Malbim
Who descended? When they arrived at night, they would think that they were from the camp.
So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the barricade, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.
verse value 4906
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֨ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "stuck·in·the·ground" (מְעוּכָֽה־בָאָ֖רֶץ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 480: and·his·spear, his·around. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·Abishai" (וַאֲבִישַׁ֥י), "old" (יָשֵׁן֙), "stuck·in·the·ground" (מְעוּכָֽה־בָאָ֖רֶץ). The root שכב appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·the·people" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·his·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Rashi
Pressed in. Thrust in.
Radak
"Thrust in." Stuck fast; it is near in sense to "bruised and crushed."
Metzudat Zion
Driven in. Stuck, and it is close to the word (Leviticus 22:24): 'bruised and crushed'.
Near his head. Close to his head.
Malbim
The questions: What is meant by the statement, "And behold, Saul is lying down," etc.? This was already mentioned in verse 5, where it said, "encamped," and here it says, "lying down"?
And behold, Saul lay down, etc., and Abner and the people lay down until they came there; already all the people had lain down (therefore he now calls them by the name "people" and not "camp," for they were not now encamped as a camp with guards surrounding it):
Then said Abishai to David: ‘God has delivered up your enemy into your hand this day; now therefore let me smite him, I pray you, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.’
verse value 3917
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "please" (נָ֜א, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·enemy" (אֶת־אוֹיִבְךָ֖, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: in·your·hand, to·him. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "your·enemy" (אֶת־אוֹיִבְךָ֖), "I·will·strike·them" (אַכֶּ֨נּוּ), "and·in·the·earth" (וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Radak
“With a spear and in the earth.” “With a spear” — a great blow, such that he thrust the spear into the earth beneath him. And in Targum Jonathan: “I will strike him now with a spear, and pin him to the ground.”
"And I will not smite him a second time." I shall not need to do it to him a second time, for with that one blow I shall kill him.
Metzudat David
"And in the land." Until the spear is also driven into the ground.
"One time." I will do this in one instance, and I will not need to strike him a second blow.
Metzudat Zion
Deliver. A matter of handing over, similarly (Amos 1:6): 'to deliver to Edom'.
I will repeat. From the word 'two'.
Malbim
"God hath delivered up." He thought that this was certainly providential, that they were all asleep so that he might smite him; "and I will not smite him the second time" — fear not that he will awake by the blow and cry out, for I will kill him at the first stroke.
And David said to Abishai: ‘Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Hashem’S anointed, and be guiltless?’
verse value 2770
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·destroy·him" (אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Abishai" (אֶל־אֲבִישַׁ֖י), "do·not·destroy·him" (אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּ), "and·shall·go·unpunished" (וְנִקָּֽה). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·destroy·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֧אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִ֛ד [David] (14) + אֶל־אֲבִישַׁ֖י [to·Abishai] (354) + אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּ [do·not·destroy·him] (1160) + כִּ֠י [for] (30) + מִ֣י [who?] (50) + שָׁלַ֥ח [sent] (338) + יָד֛וֹ [his·hand] (20) + בִּמְשִׁ֥יחַ [in·anointed·of] (360) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + וְנִקָּֽה [and·shall·go·unpunished] (161) = 2770.
Metzudat David
“And he shall be clean.” And he shall be clean from punishment? [This is] a question.
Malbim
Do not destroy him, even though he is a pursuer and it is permitted to kill him; nevertheless, who can put forth his hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?
And David said: ‘As Hashem lives, nay, but Hashem shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle, and be swept away.
verse value 1642
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "and·nay" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hashem·lives" (חַי־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "will·strike·us" (יִגֳּפֶ֑נּוּ), "or·day" (אֽוֹ־יוֹמ֤וֹ), "and·will·be·swept·away" (וְנִסְפָּֽה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem·lives" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·strike·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + חַי־יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem·lives] (44) + כִּ֥י [and·nay] (30) + אִם־יְהֹוָ֖ה [but·Hashem] (67) + יִגֳּפֶ֑נּוּ [will·strike·us] (149) + אֽוֹ־יוֹמ֤וֹ [or·day] (69) + יָבוֹא֙ [will·go·in] (19) + וָמֵ֔ת [and·he·will·die] (446) + א֧וֹ [or] (7) + בַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה [in·the·battle] (125) + יֵרֵ֖ד [will·go·down] (214) + וְנִסְפָּֽה [and·will·be·swept·away] (201) = 1642.
Rashi
As the Lord lives. Some say: He swore to his yetzer. And some say: He swore to Avishai — if you kill the righteous man, I will mix your blood with his.
For only the Lord will strike him. He will bring his death near.
Or his day will come. The day that his time of death is in it.
Radak
"As the Lord liveth." The oath, that he should not be put to death by my hand, for the Lord will smite him; and he swore on Abishai's account, that he should not transgress his will and smite him. And in the midrash: "but the Lord shall smite him" — why is the Lord mentioned twice? He said: as the Lord liveth, thou shalt not slay him; and if thou slay him, as the Lord liveth I will slay thee.
"But the Lord shall smite him." With a sickness before his time, like "and the Lord smote Nabal" — that is to say, by the hand of God shall he die, and not by mine; and his death shall be near, in one of the three ways. And concerning the nearness of his death he said this; for if not, what has he said? Every man too dies in one of the three ways he mentioned. Rather he said this to Abishai, to quiet him — that is to say: have no concern for him, for his time shall not be long until he dies; or he will die of a sickness wherewith the Lord shall smite him before his day, which was allotted him when he was born; and this shall befall him for his iniquity.
"Or his day shall come." That is to say, or his appointed time, which was fixed at the time of his birth, is near. This is what King David said in his heart: Since God, blessed be He, rejected him from being king and commanded that I be anointed, it cannot be that the time will be prolonged. Or perhaps it is possible that from the mouth of Samuel it was said that he would die soon, and if so, it is possible to interpret "As the Lord lives" as follows: Regarding these matters he said, "As the Lord lives," for thus it will be for him, that he will die soon by one of the three [means], for since it was said to him from the mouth of prophecy, he can swear by this.
Or perhaps he went down to war and perished. And "perished" means before his allotted day, for a person dies before his allotted day in these two ways: either through illness or by the sword. And this death [by the sword] is on account of a greater sin than that of one who dies through illness before his allotted day. And if a person has merit, they add to his allotted time as well. And we find a dispute among our Sages of blessed memory regarding this matter: "I will fill the number of your days" — these are two generations. If he merited, they complete them for him; if he did not merit, they subtract from them. These are the words of Rabbi Akiva. And the explanation is that "two generations" is as it is written, "The days of our years are in them seventy years," etc. And this is what He said, "I will fill" — I will complete them for you, so that they will not be diminished. And the Sages say: If he merited, they add to them; if he did not merit, they subtract from them. And the explanation of "I will fill the number of your days" is: I will make an addition and supplement to them. They said to Rabbi Akiva: Behold, it is stated, "And I will add fifteen years to your days." He said to them: They added them from his own [allotted time].
Ralbag
"As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him down." This means: to put him to death out of his proper time, by way of punishment.
Or his day will come and he will die. This means the fixed limit allotted to him for life, for this limit changes according to the time of birth:
Or, he went down in war and perished. This means that he himself, by his own choice, brings about that he dies before his time. For one whose time has not yet come, it is possible that when he enters a place of danger, he may die before his time. The masters of the wisdom of the laws of the stars have already mentioned this in their books. And this is also the view of our complete Torah. Therefore, it commanded the making of a parapet for roofs, to save those who come there from falling.
Metzudat David
"As the Lord lives": He returned to swear an oath and said: "As the Lord lives, he shall not live many more days, for either the Lord will strike him before his appointed time, or his appointed time will come quickly and he will die a natural death, or he will die in battle."
Metzudat Zion
And be consumed. A matter of destruction, similarly (below 27:1): 'now I am consumed'.
Malbim
And David said, “He added to say: Do not consider that because I too have been anointed, you should kill him to establish my kingdom, for the word of the Lord, which anointed me, will not return empty.” Regarding this it is said, “For His end will be fulfilled,” in one of three ways in which death is possible: either through a plague before his appointed time, or through natural death because his appointed time is near, or through warfare.
Hashem forbid it me, that I should put forth my hand against Hashem’S anointed; but now take, I pray you, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water and let us go.’
verse value 5216
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִּי֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·let·us·go·for·ourselves" (וְנֵלְכָה־לָּֽנוּ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "from·sending" (מִשְּׁלֹ֥חַ), "and·let·us·go·for·ourselves" (וְנֵלְכָה־לָּֽנוּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "my·hand" (root יד, 99x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root צפחת ("and·the·cruse·of") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Rashi
The jar. A pitcher.
Radak
"Cruse." Its meaning: a flask.
Metzudat David
Heaven forbid. Even though I too am the anointed of the Lord as he is, nevertheless, on account of the commandment of the Lord, it is forbidden for me to extend my hand, etc.
Metzudat Zion
Jar. A pitcher, similarly (I Kings 17:14): 'and the jar of the oil'.
Malbim
The questions: What he wrote, “Far be it from sending, etc.” – is it redundant?
"Far be it from Me," etc. "Take now" – this implies: Do not assume that there is no sin in his death, for he is a pursuer. And this is the meaning: Since there is another means of salvation, namely, "Take now the spear," by which means [the king] was saved from him, as indeed occurred; therefore, it is forbidden to kill him. And regarding this, [David] said: "Far be it from Me from the Lord."
So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s head; and they got them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from Hashem was fallen upon them.
verse value 6214
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 6214 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·spear" (אֶֽת־הַחֲנִ֜ית, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: knows, all·of·them. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "head-places·of" (מֵרַאֲשֹׁתֵ֣י), "knows" (יוֹדֵ֜עַ), "awaking" (מֵקִ֗יץ). The root אין appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 14 words.
Radak
"And David took." After he had said to Abishai, "Take, I pray you," he repented of this and did not want Abishai to approach him, lest he be unable to subdue his evil inclination and strike him down. Therefore, David went himself and took the spear and the jug of water.
“From the head of Saul.” The mem is for the purpose of service; therefore, it is pointed with a tsere. But the mem in “from his head” [m’roshav] is with a shva, and it is an added letter, not for the purpose of service.
"And none saw." There was no person in the entire camp who was awake and saw him taking the jar and the spear.
And none knew. None perceived his coming:
"And none awaked." That not one of them awoke at the sound of their going and their taking, nor at the sound of their words which they spoke among themselves.
"For a deep sleep from the Lord." The construct is [to be understood] in one of two ways: either its meaning is a great slumber — for a thing one wishes to magnify he joins to God, blessed be He, as in "a land of thick darkness," "a most vehement flame," "like the mighty mountains," "an exceeding great city," "and it became a very great trembling" — or its meaning is to make known that the slumber was caused by God, so that they should not perceive David and Abishai when they took the cruse and the spear.
Metzudat David
"And David took." David returned to take it himself, for he did not trust Abishai, lest along with it he strike the life of Saul.
"And there was no one who saw..." Because of the sleep, no one saw them, nor did they know through the sense of hearing from the sound of the walking and the speaking, and none of them awoke from sleep during that time, for a deep sleep fell upon them from the Lord, and the matter was not in the natural course.
Metzudat Zion
Awakening. A matter of arousing from sleep.
Deep sleep. Deep sleep, similarly (Jonah 1:6): 'what is to you, O sleeper'.
Malbim
And there is no one who sees and interprets against “there is no one who sees and there is no one who knows, for they are all asleep” (meaning that not only is there no one who sees, because it was dark, but also there was no one who knew and was aware of their speech, their coming, and their going); and against “there is no one who awakens,” it says that the sleep of the Lord has fallen upon them, for according to natural law, it would have been fitting for a person from the camp to awaken at this commotion; rather, it was by Divine providence that the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon them.
Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them.
verse value 2378
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "great" (רַ֥ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "on·top·of·the·mountain" (עַל־רֹאשׁ־הָהָ֖ר, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·other·side" (הָעֵ֔בֶר), "on·top·of·the·mountain" (עַל־רֹאשׁ־הָהָ֖ר), "from·afar" (מֵרָחֹ֑ק). The root עבר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "between" (root בין, 67x in I Samuel); "and·he·crossed·over" (root עבר, 33x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·afar', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר [and·he·crossed·over] (288) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + הָעֵ֔בֶר [the·other·side] (277) + וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד [and·stood] (130) + עַל־רֹאשׁ־הָהָ֖ר [on·top·of·the·mountain] (811) + מֵרָחֹ֑ק [from·afar] (348) + רַ֥ב [great] (202) + הַמָּק֖וֹם [the·place] (191) + בֵּינֵיהֶֽם [between] (117) = 2378.
Ralbag
"And he stood on the top of the hill, far off; there was a great space between them." Behold, he stood on the top of the hill so that his voice would be heard more clearly, for he desired to speak to Saul from a distance, to save himself from danger, lest they agree to pursue him.
Metzudat David
The crossing. The crossing of the waters that was there:
“On the top of the mountain.” To cause his voice to be heard from afar:
The space was great. For he feared for his life, lest they seize him:
Malbim
The term "place" (makom) is used in a broad sense, for it may happen that the path is distant while the place is near, as with one who ascends to the top of a high mountain: his path is distant from the one standing at the base of the mountain, yet the place is near, as is stated regarding "darkening on the mountains." Therefore, it is said that He distanced Himself even in terms of place.
And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying: ‘Answer you not, Abner?’ Then Abner answered and said: ‘Who are you that cry to the king?’
verse value 4089
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Abner" (וְאֶל־אַבְנֵ֤ר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 253: Abner, Abner. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·to·Abner" (וְאֶל־אַבְנֵ֤ר), "you·will·answer" (תַעֲנֶ֖ה). The root אבנר appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·the·people" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Abner', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Radak
“Do you not answer, Abner?” After he had called out to the people and to Abner, and they did not answer him, he called again to Abner by name and said, “Do you not answer, Abner?” And in its interpretation, David said to him: “What do you have to answer, Abner? Did you not say regarding the cave, ‘If he were to do anything, we would enter there and cut him limb by limb’? Or perhaps, thou wilt say, on a thorn ‘the spear and the cruse were torn away.’ What do you have to answer? ‘Do you not answer, Abner?’ You had nothing to answer, and you became as one who is mute. This is what is written: ‘Truly, you shall speak righteousness in silence’” (Psalms 58:2).
“Who are you, that you called out to the king?”—this is akin to saying “upon the king,” meaning that he did not fear calling out in a place where the king was sleeping; he did not worry that his loud voice would awaken the king from his slumber. For he was not calling out to the king, but rather to Abner. Similarly, “And he struck the Philistine on his forehead” is akin to saying “upon his forehead.” “unto the mountains he hath not eaten” is akin to saying “upon the mountains.” And in this sense, the Targum translates: “Who is this man who called out at the head of the king?”
Metzudat David
"Would Abner not answer?" This means: You ought to reply to his words.
"Who are you?" This means: How can your heart bear to call out in a loud voice to the king, to awaken him from his sleep?
Metzudat Zion
To the king. Like 'upon the king'.
Malbim
The questions: What is meant by “Who are you?”—he called out to the king, whereas in truth he called out to Abner, not to the king?
"Who are you, that you have called out to the king?" The intent is to say that one who calls out to the commander of the army will call his servant, so that he may inform his master that he wishes to speak with him; and one who calls out to the king will call the commander of the army, who is the king’s servant. And Abner reasoned: since he has called out, "Will Abner not answer?" it is necessary to say that someone is seeking an audience with the king.
And David said to Abner: ‘Are not you a valiant man? and who is like to you in Israel? wherefore then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord.
verse value 4757
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "like·you" (כָמ֙וֹךָ֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "not?" (הֲלוֹא־אִ֣ישׁ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "not?" (הֲלוֹא־אִ֣ישׁ), "like·you" (כָמ֙וֹךָ֙), "to·your·lord" (אֶל־אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָ). The root אדון appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "not?" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Radak
"Are you not a man?" – A great man. And likewise Gideon, son of Joash, was a great man of Israel. And so were all of them: men, great men. And the Targum renders it: "A mighty man, a hero are you."
"You have not guarded your master." – [This is] like "over your master," and so it says afterward, "over your masters." And the Targum renders it "over your lord." And similarly, "unto the mountains he has not eaten," is like "upon the mountains."
Metzudat David
"Are you not a man?" This means: Are you not great and distinguished, and who is like you in importance? And according to the greatness of your stature, so too will your guilt be magnified.
"Ki ba." Lest he come, and as indeed Abishai came and desired to destroy him.
Metzudat Zion
A man. He means great and important, similarly (Numbers 13:3): 'all of them men'.
To your lord. Upon your lord.
Malbim
The Questions: What is meant by "Art not thou a man?" etc.? And why did he first say "Why hast thou not kept" (singular) and afterwards "in that ye have not kept" (plural)?
And David said to him, “He replied to him: For this is the rule, that if one has a matter to address to the commander of the army, he does not summon him in person, but only through his servant. This applies only if the summons is for the benefit of the summoner or for some particular matter. Not so, however, if the summons is for a general matter concerning the kingdom; then the rule is that he summons the commander of the army in person, not through an intermediary, since the content of the summons is specific to him by virtue of his rank. This is what is written: ‘Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel?’ Meaning: The summons is directed specifically to you, according to your great rank, in two respects. For since it has been established that the camp and the king were without guards, to the extent that a strange man approached even to the king’s bed to take the spear from his head—which is a great transgression—it follows that this occurred either through the negligence of the commander of the army, who did not post guards to protect the king’s head, or (if he did post guards) the guards were negligent and did not stand their watch. In this case, the guards deserve great punishment, and furthermore, it is incumbent upon him to punish them for not fulfilling their duty. This is what is written: Regarding the first aspect, ‘Are you not a man?’ meaning: You are the man upon whom it is incumbent to post guards for the king’s head. And regarding the second aspect, ‘And who is like you in Israel?’ meaning: Upon you it is incumbent to punish the transgressor. Now, the explanation of his words: Regarding the first aspect, when he said to him, ‘Are you not a man? And why did you not guard your lord the king?’ he meant: Why did you not post guards? For behold, one of the people came to cause harm, and where were the guards? And behold, there was an open danger, and therefore:
This thing is not good that you have done. As Hashem lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, Hashem’S anointed. And now, see, where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.’
verse value 8590
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 101 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "over·your·lord" (עַל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֖ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, because, that. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "sons·of·death" (בְנֵֽי־מָ֙וֶת֙), "not·you·kept" (לֹֽא־שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם), "over·your·lord" (עַל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֖ם). The root אשר appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "living·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 8 words.
Metzudat David
"For you are children of death." On account of the honor of Abner, he returned to speak to all of them and to decree death upon them.
"See if there is a spear." He means to say: And if you say that you guarded it, where is the spear? Who took it?
"asher mirasheiyav." That is, those that were at his headrests:
Metzudat Zion
Sons of death. Men of death, he means those deserving of death.
Where is the spear. Where is the spear.
And the jar. And with the jar.
Malbim
"This thing which you have done is not good" means: Do not say that you have sinned only by omission, for this is considered as an actual deed, since you did not perform what was incumbent upon you; the harm resulting from it is regarded as if you had actually committed it. And if one considers the second aspect, regarding which it is said, "And who is like you in Israel to punish those who have transgressed in their watch?" [then the text] says, "As the Lord lives, you shall surely die, because you did not keep watch, etc." For it says, "And now see where the king's spear is," and it is clear that there was no guard present, and that the king was in great danger.
And Saul knew David’s voice, and said: ‘Is this your voice, my son David?’ And David said: ‘It is my voice, my lord, O king.’
verse value 2207
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "voice" (אֶת־ק֣וֹל, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·recognized" (וַיַּכֵּ֤ר), "the·your·voice" (הֲקֽוֹלְךָ֥), "my·voice" (קוֹלִ֖י). The root קול appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיַּכֵּ֤ר [and·recognized] (236) + שָׁאוּל֙ [Saul] (337) + אֶת־ק֣וֹל [voice] (537) + דָּוִ֔ד [David] (14) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הֲקֽוֹלְךָ֥ [the·your·voice] (161) + זֶ֖ה [this] (12) + בְּנִ֣י [my·son] (62) + דָוִ֑ד [David] (14) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִ֔ד [David] (14) + קוֹלִ֖י [my·voice] (146) + אֲדֹנִ֥י [my·lord] (65) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 2207.
And he said: ‘Wherefore does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
verse value 2211
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶּ֛ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·what·in·my·hand" (וּמַה־בְּיָדִ֖י, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·what·in·my·hand" (וּמַה־בְּיָדִ֖י). The root מה appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel); "this" (root זה, 79x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לָ֥מָּה [why] (75) + זֶּ֛ה [this] (12) + אֲדֹנִ֥י [my·lord] (65) + רֹדֵ֖ף [pursuing] (284) + אַחֲרֵ֣י [after] (219) + עַבְדּ֑וֹ [His·servant] (82) + כִּ֚י [for] (30) + מֶ֣ה [what] (45) + עָשִׂ֔יתִי [I·did] (790) + וּמַה־בְּיָדִ֖י [and·what·in·my·hand] (77) + רָעָֽה [evil] (275) = 2211.
Malbim
What have I done against Your kingdom, and what evil have I committed in other matters?
Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Hashem that has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Hashem; for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave to the inheritance of Hashem, saying: Go, serve other gods.
verse value 6074
Insights
Verse structure: 29 words, 120 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "against·me" (בִי֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·they·drove·out·me" (כִּֽי־גֵרְשׁ֣וּנִי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: man, go. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "let·him·hear·now" (יִֽשְׁמַֽע־נָא֙), "incited·you" (הֱסִֽיתְךָ֥), "month" (יָרַ֣ח). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 26 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "if·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 22 words.
Rashi
Has incited you against me. To hate me — every incitement is a term of placing, amitment in the foreign tongue.
Let Him smell an offering. May He receive my prayer in mercy, to turn Your wrath away from me.
For they have driven me out. From the Land of Israel.
Go, serve other gods. One who leaves the Land of Israel for outside the Land in the time of the Temple is as though he serves idolatry. And Yonatan translated: Go, David, among the nations that worship idols.
Radak
“Who incited you against me?”—namely, in your heart, to do me harm in my distress. And the Targum [reads]: “If from before the Lord you were incited against me.” And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: Because he spoke words of incitement against the Creator, blessed be He, he sinned with incitement, and thus he incited David through them.
"Let Him accept an offering." That is to say: I will offer before Him an offering, that He may smell it and accept it, to atone for my iniquity and to remove thy hatred from me.
"מהסתפח" – [meaning] kept from dwelling and cleaving to the inheritance of the Lord.
“Go, serve other gods.” It is as if He were saying to him, “Go, serve other gods,” for they are exiling me from the inheritance of the Lord to dwell among the nations. Even though he had not yet left the land of Judah, he knew that he would need to leave, for he could not escape from Saul afterward. And even while he was in the land of Judah and Israel, he was compelled to leave when he went to Achish, king of Gath. Likewise, he went to Mizpah of Moab, leaving his father and mother before the king of Moab, and they dwelt there. Even though he and his men were going and returning in the land of Judah, the Targum states: “David went among the peoples to serve idolatry.”
Ralbag
"If the Lord have incited thee against me, let Him accept an offering." He said this to mean that if it had been instigated by God, blessed be He, then it would have been a sin for David; therefore, he said that God, blessed be He, should accept an offering from him, and it would be acceptable to God, blessed be He.
"For today they have driven me out from adhering to the inheritance of the Lord..." He said this because, due to the circumstances surrounding him, Israel would pursue him, causing David to flee from all the land of Israel to save his life from the king of Israel, and he would go among those who serve idolatry.
Metzudat David
"If the Lord..." – If the matter is from the Lord and stems from punishment, I will bring an offering to the Lord, and may it be His will that He accept it as a pleasing aroma, and He will relent from punishing me.
“And if the sons of men—they incited you against me, for choice is free in man, without restraint.”
Cursed are they. These human beings:
"From joining." From being gathered into the Land of Israel. Until now I had reasoned that, when the king saw that he had been delivered into my hand in the cave and I did not kill him, he would cease from pursuing me. But now, since despite all this he continues to pursue me, I am forced to wander far from the Land of Israel.
“Saying” – as if they were saying to me, “Go and serve,” etc., for they are driving me out from among Israel, to go among the Philistines. And the Targum translates: “David went among the peoples to serve idols.”
Metzudat Zion
He incited you. From the word 'incitement' and 'persuasion'.
Let Him smell. From the word 'smell'.
An offering. He means a present and a sacrifice.
From attaching. A matter of gathering and clinging, and the gathering of one thing to another, similarly (above 2:36): 'attach me, please'.
Malbim
The questions: Why did he adopt the expression "let him smell an offering"? And why did he say, "for they have driven me out this day," when he had been driven out many days since?
“If the Lord has incited you against me,” the definition of incitement (and its distinction from deception, which is to mislead) is that the instigator advises the one being incited that he will derive some benefit from the matter. That is to say, if the thought you are thinking—that you will derive benefit from my killing—is a cause from the Lord, then let Him smell an offering. The meal-offering is always attached to the sacrifice and is subordinate to it. And he means that the burnt offering I have already offered has been accepted favorably, and now I have added the meal offering that comes with the burnt offering, as it is written, “a burnt offering and a meal offering.” And he means that what you did not kill me for the first time, when you cut off the corner of his garment, shall be considered as a sacrifice brought to appease. And what you do not kill me now, a second time, shall be considered as the meal offering attached to the sacrifice, and it shall be counted for me as righteousness. But if it is human beings who are inciting you, cursed are they before the Lord. That is to say, even though I may forgive them for the pain they caused me, I will not forgive them for what concerns the Lord and His service. For they have driven me out today—that is to say, now I have resolved in my mind to leave the Land of Israel for the land of the Philistines, as it is written in the next chapter. And if so, because of them I am driven out from being attached (the definition of the verb *safach* is an addition of a subordinate element to the principal; that is to say, he was content to be subordinate in the Lord’s inheritance and did not desire any position, portion, or inheritance there) to the Lord’s inheritance, in order to fulfill the commandments dependent on the Land. To say, “Go, serve other gods,” so that I will be outside the Land, under the shadow of the upper princes, far from the Lord’s providence, which is attached to the Holy Land.
Cross-references: Genesis 8:21; II Samuel 14:16; Amos 5:21; Psalms 11:1
Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Hashem; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when one does hunt a partridge in the mountains.’
verse value 4881
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "my·blood" (דָּמִי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "flea" (אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֣שׁ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "my·blood" (דָּמִי֙), "away·from" (מִנֶּ֖גֶד), "flea" (אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֣שׁ). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "let·not·fall" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "as" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 10 words.
Rashi
The partridge. A bird whose name is 'korea' — and in the foreign tongue, perdi'ts. And so (Jeremiah 17:11): A partridge broods but does not hatch. And it pursues the nests of other birds, and sits upon them.
Radak
“Let not my blood fall to the ground.” Let my blood stand before the Lord continually to avenge my vengeance, as if my blood were spilled, for every day I am in danger of my blood being shed.
"As when one doth hunt the partridge in the mountains." As the pursuer pursues the partridge; and the kore is a bird called in the foreign tongue perdiz. And the Targum renders yirdof as though yeradef, of the nifal, or as though yitradef, of the hitpael — for it rendered: as a partridge is pursued in the mountains.
Metzudat David
“Let not my blood fall.” This means: Since I am always in danger, as if my blood were being shed, that blood shall not fall to the ground in the presence of the Lord; rather, You shall stand against it to seek vengeance.
"As he pursues." This means: The king takes delight and finds pleasure in seeking a flea that jumps from place to place, just as a king among kings takes delight in pursuing a partridge in the mountains. The partridge is a bird after which kings delight to hunt and pursue. And the verse intends to say: He pursues an ordinary person as if he were pursuing a great and distinguished prince.
Metzudat Zion
A flea. It is a black louse.
The partridge. The name of a bird, similarly (Jeremiah 17:11): 'a partridge that broods'.
Malbim
The questions: In this expression the commentators were hard put.
“And now, let my blood not fall to the ground” means: Now that I have resolved in my mind to dwell outside the Land, my blood shall not be shed, nor will you be able to kill me, for the King of Israel has gone out. Therefore, I am compelled to flee outside the Land. As for the phrase “as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains,” he spoke of himself, saying: “The one who calls out in the mountains,” meaning one who stands in the mountains and calls out from afar, just as he is doing now. And in that he pursues this one who calls out, it is like one pursuing a flea that jumps from place to place.
Then said Saul: ‘I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day; behold, I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.’
verse value 5329
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 83 letters. Verse gematria: 5329 = 73². The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "my·son·David" (בְּנִֽי־דָוִ֗ד, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 315: was·precious, and·I·went·astray. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "my·son·David" (בְּנִֽי־דָוִ֗ד), "not·I·will·harm" (לֹֽא־אָרַ֤ע), "was·precious" (יָקְרָ֥ה). 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "my·son·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "because" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 5 words.
Ralbag
Behold, I have acted foolishly and have erred exceedingly. The intention is that, were it not for the good that You have recompensed me with now, I would have been greatly enslaved, so as not to pursue You, as has been explained regarding the matter of David cutting off the corner of Saul’s cloak; and thus there was great foolishness on my part and error. However, the foolishness is that it had already become known to me the intensity of God’s blessed and exalted providence over You, and therefore it was fitting that I refrain from pursuing You. And the error is that I did not recall the good that You had recompensed me with when I fell into Your hands while I was in the cave.
Metzudat David
"Return. Return to my house, for I will no longer do you harm, because my soul was precious and dear in your eyes."
Behold, I have acted foolishly. In that I pursued you, I have done foolishly, because I saw that the Lord is with you, and I have even multiplied my errors by pursuing you for no cause.
Metzudat Zion
Precious. A matter of importance.
I acted foolishly. From the word 'foolishness' and 'stupidity'.
And I erred. From the word 'error' and 'mistake'.
Malbim
"I have sinned. Return, my son David," he pleaded, that he might return and not go beyond the Land, for no harm would befall him anymore. This is for two reasons: 1. Because he saw that his life was precious in his eyes; 2. Because he also repented concerning the past, seeing that he had acted foolishly in pursuing him and had erred in his reasoning about this, and the error was exceedingly great.
And David answered and said: ‘Behold the king’s spear! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.
verse value 2348
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֥ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·the·servants" (מֵהַנְּעָרִ֖ים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "spear" ((החנית)), "and·he·will·take·it" (וְיִקָּחֶֽהָ). The root חנית appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 102x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֤עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + וַיֹּ֔אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הִנֵּ֖ה [they] (60) + (החנית) [spear] (473) + חֲנִ֣ית [spear] (468) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [king] (95) + וְיַעֲבֹ֛ר [and·let·it·pass] (288) + אֶחָ֥ד [one] (13) + מֵהַנְּעָרִ֖ים [from·the·servants] (415) + וְיִקָּחֶֽהָ [and·he·will·take·it] (129) = 2348.
Radak
"Behold the spear." Ha-chanit is written and chanit is read, and the sense is one.
Metzudat David
"And let one cross over." For with all this, he did not trust Saul enough to bring it back himself:
And Hashem will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Hashem delivered you into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against Hashem’S anointed.
verse value 4962
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "because" (אֲשֶׁר֩, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·faithfulness" (וְאֶת־אֱמֻנָת֑וֹ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "will·repay" (יָשִׁ֣יב), "his·righteousness" (אֶת־צִדְקָת֖וֹ), "and·his·faithfulness" (וְאֶת־אֱמֻנָת֑וֹ). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "because" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "to·the·man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·his·faithfulness', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Rashi
He will repay each man. To every single righteous one.
Radak
"And the Lord will restore to the man." To the man who acts as I acted, by doing charity and faithfulness.
“Which the Lord has given into your hand today.” Just as it is written “into my hand,” so too does the Targum render it, and similarly, “my strength and song is the Lord,” just as it is written “and my song.” And it is possible to interpret “into your hand” as being attached (smikhut), even though it is spelled with a qamats and the attached word is defective (haser), and its meaning is “into the hand of one of the men,” and I did not desire that he should stretch out his hand against you.
Metzudat David
"A man." To every man He shall render his righteousness, and he included himself in his prayer for the community.
Metzudat Zion
In my hand. He means in my hand.
And I did not consent. And I did not want.
Malbim
“And the Lord shall return to a man his righteousness and his faithfulness” – this means that the Lord shall return to a man the righteousness and merit that he performed. Specifically, this means that He will prepare for him a second opportunity to perform that same act of righteousness. Just as, through the fact that David acted righteously and did not kill Saul, who was in his power, the Lord prepared for him this commandment a second time, so that it came into his hands again, and David acted righteously and did not kill him. This is what is written: “The Lord has given you into my hand today a second time, yet I was unwilling to stretch out my hand.” And in this way, the Lord returned my righteousness, so that I might perform it a second time. Now, he will explain what is written: “And the Lord shall return to a man his faithfulness,” for:
And, behold, as your life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Hashem, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.’
verse value 2995
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·let·Him·deliver·me" (וְיַצִּלֵ֖נִי, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 142: in·the·eyes·of, in·eyes·of. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "was·great" (גָּדְלָ֧ה), "will·grow" (תִּגְדַּ֤ל), "and·let·Him·deliver·me" (וְיַצִּלֵ֖נִי). The root גדל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "as" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·eyes·of', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְהִנֵּ֗ה [and·behold] (66) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר [as] (521) + גָּדְלָ֧ה [was·great] (42) + נַפְשְׁךָ֛ [soul] (450) + הַיּ֥וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + בְּעֵינָ֑י [in·the·eyes·of] (142) + כֵּ֣ן [so] (70) + תִּגְדַּ֤ל [will·grow] (437) + נַפְשִׁי֙ [my·soul] (440) + בְּעֵינֵ֣י [in·eyes·of] (142) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וְיַצִּלֵ֖נִי [and·let·Him·deliver·me] (196) + מִכׇּל־צָרָֽה [from·all·trouble] (385) = 2995.
Metzudat David
"Your soul has grown great." – Your soul is precious.
Malbim
And behold, just as your soul has grown great in my eyes on this day, so shall my soul grow great in the eyes of the Lord, who is faithful to repay measure for measure.
Then Saul said to David: ‘Blessed be you, my son David; you shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail.’ So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
verse value 4314
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֚ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·his·place" (לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "he·prevailed" (יָכֹ֣ל), "to·his·way" (לְדַרְכּ֔וֹ). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·can', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
"Blessed are you." This implies: I see that you are blessed, and also that you will perform wondrous deeds, and moreover, you will succeed in them.
Metzudat David