from Shmuel I (editor).
I Samuel, Chapter 26
1-3 The Ziphites Again Betray David
א. ויבאו הזפים אל שאול הגבעתה לאמר הלוא דוד מסתתר בגבעת החכילה על פני הישימון
1. The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself in Hachilah Hill, facing Jeshimon?”
ויבאו הזפים אל שאול הגבעתה לאמר הלוא דוד מסתתר...—The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself...”
The Ziphites had similarly betrayed David once before (above 23:19). At that time, Saul would have captured David had God not intervened and sent him a dire warning about an impending Philistine attack. Later, after David spared Saul’s life in the cave (Ch. 24), Saul apologized for having persecuted David and committed himself to do so no more. What then prompted the Ziphites to think that they could instigate Saul to pursue David yet again?
According to Kli Yakar, the fact that David remained in hiding even though Saul had pledged himself to peace indicated—so the Ziphites told Saul—that David was preparing to attack him.
Chomas Anoch states that, unsure of Saul’s reaction to the idea of reneging on his pact, the Ziphites did not offer to help him capture David, as they had previously, but merely told him where David was hiding. If Saul responded to their implicit betrayal with indignation, they would backtrack and explain that they meant only to notify him that David was preparing to ambush the Philistines (Chomas Anoch).
Meam Loez suggests that the proximate cause of the Ziphites’ new betrayal was the death of Samuel. Previously, the Ziphites argued, Samuel’s merit had protected David. This time, with Samuel gone, David would fall easily to Saul.
What was the Ziphites’ motive in seeking David’s ruin? Initially, they may have feared that if they concealed David Saul would massacre them, as he had the inhabitants of Nob. Now, however, that Saul and David had come to terms, that was no longer a concern, and their incitement could only be malicious. Thus, in Psalm 45, David denounced them as malevolent “strangers who have risen against me” (ibid. v. 5).
How may we know that Psalm 54 refers to this episode and not to the Ziphites’ first denunciation of David? The answer is implicit in the language of the psalm’s opening verse.
The first time that the Ziphites had informed on David, Scripture states that ויעלו הזפים, the Ziphites went up. The present verse, on the other hand, states that ויבאו הזפים, the Ziphites came (Kli Yakar). Psalms 54 mirrors that latter expression, opening with the words,בבוא הזפים ויאמרו לשאול הלא דוד מסתתר עמנו—When the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (54:2) (Kli Yakar).
ב. ויקם שאול וירד אל מדבר זיף ואתו שלשת אלפים איש בחורי ישראל לבקש לבקש דוד במדבר זיף.
2. Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand choice men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.
איש בחורי ישראל--Choice men of Israel.
Had the word בחורי been vowelized as bachurei, it would have meant young men (as in Ezekiel 23:6, בחורי חמד
--pleasant young men). Since it is vowelized as b’churei, its root is rבחר--chose—and it means choice men (Malbim).
ג. ויחן שאול בגבעת החכילה אשר על פני הישימון על הדרך ודוד ישב במדבר וירא כי בא שאול אחריו המדברה.
3. Saul camped in Hachilah Hill facing the Jeshimon on the road, as David was dwelling in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul was coming after him to the wilderness.
4-12 David’s Restrained Preemptive Strike
ד. וישלח דוד מרגלים וידע כי בא שאול אל נכון.
4. David sent out scouts and ascertained that Saul was indeed coming.
Although the previous verse related that David saw that Saul was coming after him, he sent men to ascertain Saul’s identity.
According to Kli Yakar, David knew that the camp was that of Saul but he found it hard to believe that Saul himself had come to attack him.
Alternatively, David wished to determine whether Saul was anxious or self-assured. His inquiry indicated that Saul was
coming אל נכון—which may be translated as confidently.
אל נכון--Indeed.
Our translation follows the Targum.
Possibly, however, נכון is a place-name; hence, David discovered that Saul had come to the district called Nachon (Kli
Yakar).
1-3 The Ziphites Again Betray David
א. ויבאו הזפים אל שאול הגבעתה לאמר הלוא דוד מסתתר בגבעת החכילה על פני הישימון
1. The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself in Hachilah Hill, facing Jeshimon?”
ויבאו הזפים אל שאול הגבעתה לאמר הלוא דוד מסתתר...—The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself...”
The Ziphites had similarly betrayed David once before (above 23:19). At that time, Saul would have captured David had God not intervened and sent him a dire warning about an impending Philistine attack. Later, after David spared Saul’s life in the cave (Ch. 24), Saul apologized for having persecuted David and committed himself to do so no more. What then prompted the Ziphites to think that they could instigate Saul to pursue David yet again?
According to Kli Yakar, the fact that David remained in hiding even though Saul had pledged himself to peace indicated—so the Ziphites told Saul—that David was preparing to attack him.
Chomas Anoch states that, unsure of Saul’s reaction to the idea of reneging on his pact, the Ziphites did not offer to help him capture David, as they had previously, but merely told him where David was hiding. If Saul responded to their implicit betrayal with indignation, they would backtrack and explain that they meant only to notify him that David was preparing to ambush the Philistines (Chomas Anoch).
Meam Loez suggests that the proximate cause of the Ziphites’ new betrayal was the death of Samuel. Previously, the Ziphites argued, Samuel’s merit had protected David. This time, with Samuel gone, David would fall easily to Saul.
What was the Ziphites’ motive in seeking David’s ruin? Initially, they may have feared that if they concealed David Saul would massacre them, as he had the inhabitants of Nob. Now, however, that Saul and David had come to terms, that was no longer a concern, and their incitement could only be malicious. Thus, in Psalm 45, David denounced them as malevolent “strangers who have risen against me” (ibid. v. 5).
How may we know that Psalm 54 refers to this episode and not to the Ziphites’ first denunciation of David? The answer is implicit in the language of the psalm’s opening verse.
The first time that the Ziphites had informed on David, Scripture states that ויעלו הזפים, the Ziphites went up. The present verse, on the other hand, states that ויבאו הזפים, the Ziphites came (Kli Yakar). Psalms 54 mirrors that latter expression, opening with the words,בבוא הזפים ויאמרו לשאול הלא דוד מסתתר עמנו—When the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (54:2) (Kli Yakar).
ב. ויקם שאול וירד אל מדבר זיף ואתו שלשת אלפים איש בחורי ישראל לבקש לבקש דוד במדבר זיף.
2. Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand choice men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.
איש בחורי ישראל--Choice men of Israel.
Had the word בחורי been vowelized as bachurei, it would have meant young men (as in Ezekiel 23:6, בחורי חמד
--pleasant young men). Since it is vowelized as b’churei, its root is rבחר--chose—and it means choice men (Malbim).
ג. ויחן שאול בגבעת החכילה אשר על פני הישימון על הדרך ודוד ישב במדבר וירא כי בא שאול אחריו המדברה.
3. Saul camped in Hachilah Hill facing the Jeshimon on the road, as David was dwelling in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul was coming after him to the wilderness.
4-12 David’s Restrained Preemptive Strike
ד. וישלח דוד מרגלים וידע כי בא שאול אל נכון.
4. David sent out scouts and ascertained that Saul was indeed coming.
Although the previous verse related that David saw that Saul was coming after him, he sent men to ascertain Saul’s identity.
According to Kli Yakar, David knew that the camp was that of Saul but he found it hard to believe that Saul himself had come to attack him.
Alternatively, David wished to determine whether Saul was anxious or self-assured. His inquiry indicated that Saul was
coming אל נכון—which may be translated as confidently.
אל נכון--Indeed.
Our translation follows the Targum.
Possibly, however, נכון is a place-name; hence, David discovered that Saul had come to the district called Nachon (Kli
Yakar).