1 Samuel 24 4

1 Samuel 24:4 kjv

And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

1 Samuel 24:4 nkjv

Then the men of David said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.' " And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

1 Samuel 24:4 niv

The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'?" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

1 Samuel 24:4 esv

And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

1 Samuel 24:4 nlt

"Now's your opportunity!" David's men whispered to him. "Today the LORD is telling you, 'I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.'" So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul's robe.

1 Samuel 24 verses

1 Samuel 24 4 Meaning

1 Samuel 24:4 depicts David's men urging him to act decisively against King Saul, interpreting Saul's presence in their hiding cave as a direct fulfillment of a divine promise. They believed the Lord had delivered Saul into David's hands, granting David full permission to deal with Saul as he saw fit, thereby suggesting that David should kill him and seize the kingship immediately.

1 Samuel 24 4 Context

1 Samuel chapter 24 details an encounter between David and King Saul in a cave near En Gedi. Saul, relentlessly pursuing David to kill him, enters the very cave where David and his 600 men are hiding, likely "to relieve himself" (1 Sam 24:3). The verse immediately follows this precarious situation, setting the scene for a significant moral test for David. Historically, this occurs during David's flight from Saul, after Saul has been rejected as king and David has been anointed by Samuel. The cultural context emphasizes respect for God's anointed king, even if that king is acting contrary to God's will. The men's statement reflects the common human tendency to interpret events as explicit divine sanction for desired actions, rather than waiting for God's clear, expressed will or acting according to God's broader moral commands. It challenges the presumption of interpreting an opportune moment as God's direct command for immediate, often violent, action.

1 Samuel 24 4 Word analysis

• Then the men of David: These are David's loyal and experienced warriors. Their words reflect the prevailing human and military logic of the moment, exerting pressure on David to take a seemingly advantageous opportunity.
• said to him: Direct communication, indicating their clear intent to influence David's actions.
• Here is the day: Hayyom (הַיּוֹם). Emphasizes the immediacy and perceived unique timing of the opportunity. It carries a sense of conviction and urgency, marking it as a critical moment.
• of which the Lord said to you: This crucial phrase (אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהוָה אֵלֶיךָ – 'asher 'amar YHWH 'eleykha) claims direct divine revelation to David. There is no prior explicit biblical record of the Lord specifically saying to David that "this day" He would deliver Saul into his hand with permission to "do as seems good." This statement is best understood as David's men interpreting previous divine promises (such as David's anointing by Samuel in 1 Sam 16, which implied his eventual kingship) or general prophetic assurances that God would establish David and deal with his enemies. Their words are a human interpretation of Providence, rather than a direct quote from God. This highlights the danger of misinterpreting favorable circumstances as divine endorsement for self-serving actions.
• "Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand...": The Hebrew phrase for "I will give... into your hand" (nothen b'yadekha) signifies placing someone or something entirely under one's power and control. Saul is identified as "your enemy" (oyev). This is the men's interpretation of divine empowerment for immediate action, seeing Saul as David's adversary to be overcome.
• "...and you shall do to him as seems good to you.": This is the culmination of their persuasion. "As seems good to you" (ka'asher yitav b'eineykha) translates to "as is good in your eyes" or "as it pleases you." It implies full discretion and unrestricted permission, which for them would mean taking Saul's life to secure the throne. This phrase starkly contrasts with David's moral conviction of respecting God's anointed, as shown in the following verses. It reveals the men's pragmatism and their misunderstanding of God's perfect timing and David's respect for divine ordination.

1 Samuel 24 4 Bonus section

This verse serves as a crucial setup for David's demonstration of exceptional character. While David's men acted from loyalty and a seemingly reasonable deduction, their advice underscores a frequent challenge: discerning divine will from circumstantial opportunity or human desire. The idea that "the Lord said to you" without any previous specific record is significant, as it shows that people often attribute their own interpretations or desires to God's direct words, which can be spiritually dangerous (see Jer 23). David's refusal in subsequent verses (1 Sam 24:5-7) reveals his deeper understanding of the sacredness of God's anointing, even on a flawed king, and his commitment to allowing God, not man, to establish and remove rulers. This act cemented David's moral authority and foreshadowed his status as a king "after God's own heart."

1 Samuel 24 4 Commentary

1 Samuel 24:4 encapsulates a profound theological and moral dilemma. David's men, driven by pragmatism and a desire for David's immediate ascent to the throne, interpret a highly opportune situation—Saul, their pursuer, unknowingly vulnerable—as a clear sign of God's will. They present their interpretation as a fulfilled prophecy, effectively giving David divine permission to kill Saul and end his trials. This interpretation is pivotal, revealing a common human tendency to project desired outcomes onto divine Providence. However, David's response (1 Sam 24:6-7) highlights the crucial distinction between what appears to be a God-given opportunity and what truly is God's will according to His character and existing commands (e.g., respecting the Lord's anointed). David's actions subsequently demonstrate that true faith involves patiently waiting on God's timing and means, rather than taking matters into one's own hands, even when presented with a seemingly perfect chance.

Examples of potential misinterpretation of opportune moments:

1. Seeing an opportunity to gain personal advantage through unethical means and rationalizing it as "God's blessing."
2. Pressuring a leader to act against their conscience because a situation appears divinely opened for a particular, ungodly action.