1 Samuel 26:16 kjv
This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
1 Samuel 26:16 nkjv
This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head."
1 Samuel 26:16 niv
What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the LORD's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"
1 Samuel 26:16 esv
This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the jar of water that was at his head."
1 Samuel 26:16 nlt
This isn't good at all! I swear by the LORD that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the LORD's anointed! Look around! Where are the king's spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?"
1 Samuel 26 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 35:30 | "Whoever kills any person...the murderer shall be put to death..." | Law on capital punishment for offenses. |
| Deut 19:15 | "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime..." | Principle of just accusation and punishment. |
| Ps 2:2 | "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed..." | Foreshadowing resistance to God's chosen Messiah. |
| Ps 20:6 | "Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him..." | God's deliverance of His chosen. |
| Ps 105:15 | "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!" | Divine protection and warning against harming God's servants. |
| 2 Sam 1:14-16 | "David said to him, 'How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?' And David called one of the young men and said, 'Come near and strike him down.' And he struck him down, and he died." | David's strong judgment on one who claimed to kill Saul. |
| 2 Sam 3:28 | "When David heard of it afterward... 'I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner..." | David distancing himself from innocent blood. |
| 2 Sam 19:21 | "Abishai... said, 'Shall not Shimei be put to death for this... because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?'" | The zeal for defending the king, Lord's anointed. |
| 1 Chr 16:22 | "Saying, 'Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!'" | Echoes Ps 105:15, reaffirming the sacred status. |
| Prov 24:11-12 | "Rescue those who are being taken away to death...if you say, 'Behold, we did not know this'..." | Responsibility to prevent harm; negligence condemned. |
| Isa 61:1 | "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news..." | Prophecy of the ultimate Anointed One, Messiah. |
| Lk 2:11 | "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." | Jesus, the ultimate "Christ" (Anointed One). |
| Lk 4:18-19 | "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me..." | Jesus' self-declaration as the fulfilment of Isa 61. |
| Acts 4:26 | "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed..." | NT application of Ps 2 to Jesus. |
| Rom 13:1 | "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God..." | Respect for established authority, implicitly God-given. |
| 1 Cor 11:2 | "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions as I delivered them to you." | Duty to keep what is entrusted, applies to vigilance. |
| Heb 13:17 | "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account..." | Leaders' duty to watch; believers' duty to obey. |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him..." | Submission to governing authorities. |
| Judg 9:56 | "Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech..." | Divine retribution for evil deeds, even if by proxy. |
| Prov 6:10-11 | "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come upon you like a robber..." | General warning against laziness and neglect, applied to duties. |
| Job 33:15-16 | "In a dream, in a vision of the night...then he opens the ears of men..." | God's intervention, including causing deep sleep or visions. |
| Gen 2:21 | "So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man..." | First mention of God inducing deep sleep. |
1 Samuel 26 verses
1 Samuel 26 16 Meaning
This verse is David's powerful and condemnatory rebuke to Abner, Saul's chief commander, and indirectly to Saul himself. David exposes Abner's grave negligence in failing to guard King Saul, his master and "the Lord's anointed." He highlights the extreme danger Saul was in by pointing out the removed spear and water jug from Saul's head, proving David's close proximity and the ease with which he could have killed the king. David declares Abner's failure so severe that he, by military and potentially religious law, deserves death for neglecting his sworn duty to protect God's chosen king.
1 Samuel 26 16 Context
Chapter 26 of 1 Samuel narrates David's second opportunity to kill King Saul, but again David refuses, demonstrating his unwavering respect for God's anointed and his trust in the Lord's timing for his own enthronement. Saul, pursuing David in the wilderness of Ziph, encamp for the night. The Lord casts a "deep sleep" (a divinely induced slumber, akin to Gen 2:21) upon Saul and his entire army. David, accompanied by Abishai, ventures into Saul's camp unnoticed. Abishai offers to pin Saul to the ground with his own spear, but David restrains him, declaring, "Who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" (1 Sam 26:9). Instead, David takes Saul's spear and water jug from beside his head. This specific verse, 1 Samuel 26:16, is David's public accusation to Abner the next morning, shouting from a distance, about the immense negligence in guarding their king. Historically and culturally, a king's personal guard, especially his chief general, bore ultimate responsibility for the king's safety. Failure meant disgrace and deserved punishment, potentially death. This scenario starkly contrasts David's righteous respect for Saul, the legitimate (though fallen) king, with Abner's grave failure and Saul's misplaced priorities in chasing David instead of ensuring his own security.
1 Samuel 26 16 Word analysis
- "This thing" (hadavar hazeh): Refers directly to the utter lack of vigilance and protection shown to the king, an act so severe it demands direct condemnation. It is an indictment of the immediate event: Saul's profound vulnerability.
- "that you have done" (asher asitem): The use of the plural implies Abner's personal responsibility as chief general, but also implicitly holds the entire guard unit, for whom Abner was responsible, accountable. It highlights their shared culpability.
- "is not good" (lo tov): More than just "bad." In biblical Hebrew, lo tov often implies something displeasing to God, morally reprehensible, and contrary to divine order or proper conduct. It signifies a profound dereliction of duty and a serious ethical and professional failing.
- "As the Lord lives" (Hay Adonai): A solemn oath, a potent declaration, invoking God as the living witness and enforcer of justice. It underscores the absolute truth and severity of David's charge. This oath gives his pronouncement the weight of divine judgment.
- "you deserve to die" (beney mavet): Literally "sons of death." A strong Hebraism meaning "deserving of death," or "appointed to die." It indicates that Abner and his men have committed a capital offense, a transgression worthy of capital punishment under military or societal law for the chief general entrusted with the king's life.
- "because you have not kept watch" (ki lo sh’martem): The direct accusation. Shamar (שמר) means "to watch," "to guard," "to preserve," or "to keep." Their fundamental duty was vigilant protection of the king, and they utterly failed. This negligence, supernaturally induced by God, exposed them as unfit.
- "over your master" (al adoneichem): Your lord, the king. It highlights the direct personal responsibility of Abner and the guard towards their superior.
- "the Lord's anointed" (meshiaẖ Yahweh): This is the most significant phrase. Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ) means "anointed one," from the verb mashah (מָשַׁח) "to anoint." It refers to King Saul, whom God Himself had chosen and designated for his role. This status rendered him sacred, making any harm against him (or failing to protect him from harm) a transgression against God's appointed authority. David's profound respect for this title, even when Saul was actively trying to kill him, contrasts sharply with Abner's negligent disregard for the sacredness of his king.
- "And now see where the king's spear" (w'atta re'eh 'eiphoh chenit hammelek): The spear (khanit) was a personal weapon and a symbol of royal authority, presence, and power, often standing near the king's head. Its absence confirms David's access and vulnerability.
- "and water jug are that were at his head!" (we'et tsappakhath hammaim 'asher merashotaw): The water jug (tsappakhath mayim) was a practical necessity in the desert, kept close at hand. Its removal, along with the spear, provides undeniable physical evidence of David's unchallenged access, proving the guards' profound failure and validating David's words.
1 Samuel 26 16 Bonus section
The "deep sleep" (תרדמה, tardemah) that fell upon Saul and his men in 1 Sam 26:12 is a significant biblical motif often associated with divine intervention, indicating God's direct hand in manipulating human circumstances. Examples include God causing a deep sleep for Adam to form Eve (Gen 2:21) or for Abram during His covenant promise (Gen 15:12). This supernatural slumber, not mere tiredness, implies that Abner and his men were incapacitated by God Himself. This does not absolve them of responsibility in David's eyes, as they should have been awake; it rather underscores God's control, protecting David from the temptation to harm Saul directly and providentially establishing David's integrity for all to see. David's challenge to Abner also serves as a polemic against Abner's pride and Saul's spiritual blindness. They are pursuing David, a man after God's own heart, while failing to protect their own divinely appointed leader, demonstrating misplaced zeal and trust.
1 Samuel 26 16 Commentary
David's rebuke in 1 Samuel 26:16 is not just an angry outburst but a precise legal and theological accusation. It condemns Abner and Saul's elite guard for a fundamental dereliction of their primary duty: to protect "the Lord's anointed." By declaring them "sons of death," David pronounces a severe verdict consistent with ancient Near Eastern and Israelite law concerning negligence resulting in grave danger to the monarch. The very existence of Saul's spear and water jug in David's possession serves as incontrovertible proof of their colossal failure. David underscores his own innocence and piety, choosing not to "stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed," thereby illustrating that God’s hand protected Saul from David, and also implicitly from his own negligent guards. This passage highlights the profound biblical concept of respecting divine appointment, even when the appointed individual is personally hostile. It demonstrates God's sovereignty, as He induced the deep sleep to facilitate David's demonstration, thus orchestrating events to protect David's character and maintain the sanctity of the office of the king, ultimately pointing to the reverence due to God's ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah.