Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 24:22
And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men got them up unto the hold.
22. gat them up unto the hold ] Returned to the fastnesses of En-gedi. Experience had proved that Saul’s repentance was not to be trusted.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Saul does not appear to have invited David to return to Gibeah, or to have given him any security of doing so with safety. David, with his intuitive sagacity, perceived that the softening of Sauls feelings was only momentary, and that the situation remained unchanged.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. Saul went home] Confounded at a sense of his own baseness, and overwhelmed with a sense of David’s generosity.
David and his men gat them up unto the hold.] Went up to Mizpeh, according to the Syriac and Arabic. David could not trust Saul with his life; the utmost he could expect from him was that he should cease from persecuting him; but even this was too much to expect from a man of such a character as Saul. He was no longer under the Divine guidance; an evil spirit had full dominion over his soul. What God fills not, the devil will occupy.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
David sware unto Saul.
Quest. How then could David destroy so many of Sauls sons, 2Sa 21:8,9?
Answ. David could bind himself by his oaths, but he could not bind God, to whose good pleasure all promises, vows, and oaths must in all reason be submitted; and that was done by Gods command, and God was well pleased with it, 2Sa 21:14. Nor is it to be supposed that David sware not to destroy any of them in case God should specially command it, or that should by miscarriage render themselves obnoxious to the sword of justice; but only that he would not do it barely on his own private account, nor seek occasions of so doing.
Unto the hold, to wit, of En-gedi, 1Sa 24:1; for having had so great and frequent experience of Sauls inconstancy, and malice, and perfidiousness, he would trust him no more.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And David sware unto Saul,…. That he would not cut, off his posterity; which oath he religiously observed, in sparing Mephibosheth, 2Sa 21:7, and in punishing the murderers of Ishbosheth, 2Sa 4:12; and as for the seven sons of Saul, delivered up to the Gibeonites, 2Sa 21:6, it may be questioned whether they were his genuine legitimate offspring; and if they were, it was by the appointment and command of God, and according to his will and pleasure they were executed, who is not bound by the oaths of men, and to whom they must be submitted, 2Sa 21:1;
and Saul went home; to his palace in Gibeah:
but David and his men got them up unto the hold; in Engedi, 1Sa 23:29; not trusting to Saul, whose inconstancy, perfidy, cruel hatred, and malice, David full well knew; and therefore thought it not safe to return to his own house, nor to dwell in the open country, but in the wilderness, and among the rocks, and in the caves there, such as were in the wilderness of Engedi; and here, and at this time, he penned the fifty seventh psalm, see Ps 57:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When David had sworn this, Saul returned home. But David remained upon the mountain heights, because he did not regard the passing change in Saul’s feelings as likely to continue. (translated “ the hold ”) is used here to denote the mountainous part of the desert of Judah. It is different in 1Sa 22:5.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(22) And David sware unto Saul.The generous son of Jesse at once complied with Sauls curious request, and for a time, at least, the persecution and pursuit of David ceased. Stricken with remorse, the gloomy king left him to himself; no word, however, seems to have passed as to restoring the exile to his home or rank. Bishop Wordsworth quotes here a characteristic passage from one of Chrysostoms eloquent homilies, in which the Patristic method of allegorising all these famous scenes of Old Testament history is well exemplified.
Meditate on the example of David, and do thou imitate it: imitate it in his self-control and in his love of his enemy. The cave in which he was became like a Christian Church, and he became like a Christian bishop, who first preaches a sermon and then offers the sacrifice of the altar.
So David preached a sermon by his example, and offered a true sacrificethe spiritual sacrifice of himself and of his own anger; he became as it were a priest, a sacrifice, and an altar, and having offered his victims, he gained a glorious victory.St. Chrysostom, tom. 4, p. 761.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. The hold The particular stronghold in this wilderness (chap. xxiii, 29) in which at the time David and his men had their headquarters. Yielding himself now to holy meditation and song, he commemorates his deliverance by the composition of Psalms 142.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
READ, my soul, in the character of this deluded, wretched, and unwise king of Israel, the sad history of every unrenewed man, by nature. Blind to all his own real interest and happiness; and giving himself up to work all malice with greediness. And is not every man in this state, that goes forth to the pursuit of persecution, and regardless of his own happiness. He sees not the light of life. He knows nothing of Jesus and his righteousness, but is full of envy, hatred, and every evil work. Alas! what shall open his eyes, or awaken his mind to the proper apprehension of good and evil?
Read, my soul, in the unwearied persecutions of poor David, the happy state, notwithstanding all outward circumstances, of the godly in Christ Jesus. Though cast out, and fugitives, and vagabonds, too frequently, in the sight of men, or, as David speaks, like a flea, or a dead dog, of no value; yet chosen of God, and precious. They are crucified with Christ; exposed to the rage and violence of Satan and bad men; and worse than all, to the remains of indwelling corruption in their own nature. But, O dearest Lord, how sweet and refreshing is the thought, more is He that is with us, than all that are against us. All the Sauls, which now persecute us, know as he did concerning David, that the Lord hath established his kingdom in the hearts of his people. Let this, O my God, be my everlasting comfort under every trial. Poor, wretched, persecuted, and deeply tried, as I may be in myself, yet Jesus will plead my cause, and bear me out through every difficulty. Lord! do thou carry me through all the caves of En-gedi, and the mountains, and wilderness state of my warfare; support me under every burden; lighten every care; bear one up under every trial; lead me through every opposition; bring me constantly near thy throne of grace, and finally bring me home to thy throne of glory.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 24:22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
Ver. 22. And David sware unto Saul. ] The same in effect that he had sworn before to Jonathan.
And Saul went home.
Gat them up unto the hold,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hold = stronghold.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
David and: Pro 26:24, Pro 26:25, Mat 10:16, Mat 10:17, Joh 2:24
the hold: 1Sa 23:29
Reciprocal: Gen 21:23 – swear Lev 5:4 – to do evil Jos 2:12 – that ye will 1Sa 26:25 – So David 2Sa 19:39 – returned 2Sa 23:14 – an hold 1Ch 12:8 – into the hold
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 24:22. David and his men get them up unto the hold Of Engedi, 1Sa 24:1. For having had so frequent experience of Sauls inconstancy, he would trust him no more. It is indeed dangerous to trust a reconciled enemy; and the son of Sirach advises, Never trust thine enemy; though he humble himself, yet take good heed and beware of him. Before we close our notes on this chapter, we beg leave to add one general remark; which is, that there is something so noble and generous in Davids whole behaviour, as related in it, that it is above all encomiums. We cannot say any thing in commendation of it, but what the relation itself far exceeds.