1 Samuel 26:13
Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them.
Sermons
The Reproach of the EnemyF. B. Meyer, B. A.1 Samuel 26:1-25
ManlinessB. Dale 1 Samuel 26:13-16
David's Last Meeting with SaulB. Dale 1 Samuel 26:13-25














1 Samuel 26:13-16. (THE HILL OF HACHILAH.)
Art not thou a man? (ver. 15). A man should prove worthy of himself; his nature, power, dignity, and responsibility. Every man should do so (not only everyone who, like Abner, occupies an exceptional position), forevery man (fallen though he be) is great. "Let us not disparage that nature which is common to all men; for no thought can measure its grandeur. It is the image of God, the image of his infinity; for no limits can be set to its unfolding. He who possesses the Divine powers of the soul is a great being, be his place what it may. You may clothe him with rags, may immure him in a dungeon, may chain him to slavish tasks; but he is Still great. Man is a greater name than president or king" (Channing, 'Self-culture').

"A beam ethereal, sullied and absorpt;
Though sullied and dishonoured, still Divine!"


(Young) In order that he may act according to his true nature, and not unworthily of it -

1. The body must be the servant of the soul. It was designed, with its various passions, to obey, and not to rule; and to keep it "in subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27) requires watchfulness, self-control, and manly strength.

"Call to mind from whence ye sprang;
Ye were not form'd to live the life of brutes,
But virtue to pursue and knowledge high"


(Dante, 'Inferno')

2. The mind must be faithful to the truth; esteeming it as more precious than gold, searching for it as for hid treasure, receiving it on proper evidence, cleaving to it when discovered, and confessing it without fear. Here is room for the exercise of the highest virtue or martial courage. "In understanding be men" (1 Corinthians 14:20).

3. The heart must be set on the supreme good; resisting and overcoming the temptation to set its affections on wealth, pleasure, fame, that "satisfy not" (Psalm 4:6).

"Let thy heels spurn the earth, and thy raised ken
Fix on the lure which heaven's eternal King
Whirls in the rolling spheres.
O ye misguided souls!
Infatuate, who from such a good estrange
Your hearts, and bend your gaze on vanity,
Alas for you!"


(Dante)

4. The conscience must be reverenced as the king; its integrity defended against all foes, its voice obeyed at all risks, and its favour desired above all earthly dignities. "Reverence thyself" (1 Samuel 22:22).

5. The will must be fixed on doing the will of God - resolutely, firmly, and constantly; in striving against sin, advancing in holiness, and promoting his kingdom. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).

"Be as the tower that, firmly set,
Shakes not its top for any blast that blows."

6. The character must be conformed to that of "the man Christ Jesus," the highest and only perfect pattern of true manhood (John 13:15; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 2:5), and the Saviour and Helper of all who endeavour to be like him.

7. The present life must be a preparations for the future. Man is made to live forever, and it is not manly to live only for the passing moment. He who sleeps at his post of duty and neglects to watch and pray is surely "worthy to die" (ver. 16). "Look up to heaven, look down to hell, live for eternity!" - D.

Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah.
Dr. Maclaren is specially emphatic in connecting Psalm 7 with this part of David's history, and indicates its value in helping us to understand the rapid vacillations is Saul's behaviour.

1. It is headed Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord. That is, it is an irregular ode; like a stream broken over a bed of rocks and stones, expressing by its uneven measure and sudden changes the emotion of its author. We have often to sing these Shiggaion metres; our songs are frequently broken with sighs and groans. — Happy are they who can find themes for singing to the Lord in every sad and bitter experience!

2. The title proceeds, concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. Who was this Cush? The word means black. It may possibly refer to the colour of the skin and hair, and been given as a familiar designation to some swarthy Benjamite. Some have supposed that it was David's title for Saul. Others have referred it to Shimei, the Benjamite, whose furious abuse of the king, in the hour of his calamity, elicited such plaintive resignation from him, such passionate resentment from Abishai. If the psalm be carefully examined, it will be found to hear a close resemblance to the words spoken by David, when Saul and he held the brief colloquy outside the cave at Engedi, and afterwards at the hill Hachilah. On comparison of psalm and narrative it seems more than likely that, Cush was one of Saul's intimate friends and constant companions, and that he was incessantly at work poisoning the king's mind with malignant and deliberate falsehoods about David.

I. SEARCH YOUR HEART TO SEE IF THESE SLANDERS HAVE FOUNDATION IN FACT. Perhaps those quick, envious eyes have discerned weaknesses in your character, of which your closest friends are aware, but they have shrunk from telling you.

II. IF THERE IS NO BASIS FOR THEM, REJOICE! How thankful we should be that God has kept us from being actually guilty of the things whereof we are accused! We might have clone them, and worse.

III. TAKE SHELTER IN THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD. We are his servants, and if He is satisfied with us, why should we break our hearts over what our fellow servants say? It is, after all, but a small matter with us to be judged of man's judgment.

IV. ABJURE MORE COMPLETELY THE CARNAL LIFE. Why do we smart under these unkind and slanderous words, which are as baseless as uncharitable? Is it not because we set too high a value upon the favour and applause of men?

V. LEAVE GOD TO VINDICATE YOUR GOOD NAME.

(F. B. Meyer, B. A.)

People
Abishai, Abner, Ahimelech, David, Joab, Ner, Saul, Zeruiah, Ziphites
Places
Gibeah, Hachilah, Jeshimon, Ziph
Topics
Afar, Area, Crossed, David, Distance, Hill, Large, Mountain, Passeth, Space, Standeth, Stood, Wide
Outline
1. Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, comes to Hachilah against David
4. David coming into the trench keeps Abishai from killing Saul,
11. but takes his spear and jug
13. David reproves Abner
17. and exhorts Saul
21. Saul acknowledges his sin

Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Samuel 26:13

     5619   measures, distance and area

1 Samuel 26:1-25

     5088   David, character

1 Samuel 26:5-24

     5545   spear

1 Samuel 26:7-25

     5086   David, rise of

Library
Love and Remorse
'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 Xer, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6. 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 thee. 7. So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
Syria: the part played by it in the ancient world--Babylon and the first Chaldaean empire--The dominion of the Hyksos: Ahmosis. Some countries seem destined from their origin to become the battle-fields of the contending nations which environ them. Into such regions, and to their cost, neighbouring peoples come from century to century to settle their quarrels and bring to an issue the questions of supremacy which disturb their little corner of the world. The nations around are eager for the possession
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 4

Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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