1 Samuel 24:10

Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — David addresses King Saul inside the cave at En-gedi, immediately after sparing his life despite having the opportunity to strike him down.

The words — הִנֵּה (hi.Neh) functions as a demonstrative pointer meaning "behold" or "here," directing Saul’s attention to the immediate reality. נְתָנְךָ (ne.ta.ne./Kha) translates literally as "he gave you," marking the transfer of the king into David’s grasp as a divine act.

The thread — The text grounds David’s restraint in the divine boundary stated in Psalm 105:15 against harming God’s anointed, while the narrative situation directly parallels the later cave encounter recorded in 1 Samuel 26:8.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that seized opportunity does not override divine appointment, demanding obedience to God’s timing rather than personal retaliation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הִנֵּה֩hi.Nehhere!הַיּ֨וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּ֜הha./Zeh<the>/ this רָא֣וּra.'Uthey have seen עֵינֶ֗יךָ'ei.Nei./khaeyes/ your אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-this:נְתָנְךָ֩ne.ta.ne./Khahe gave/ you יְהוָ֨ה׀Yah.wehYahweh הַיּ֤וֹם׀hai./Yomthis/ day בְּיָדִי֙be./ya.D/iin/ hand/ my בַּמְּעָרָ֔הba./me.'a.Rahin the/ cave וְאָמַ֥רve./'a.Marand/ someone said לַהֲרָגֲךָ֖la./ha.ra.ga./Khato/ kill/ you וַתָּ֣חָסva./Ta.chosand/ it looked with compassion עָלֶ֑יךָ'a.Lei./khaon/ you וָאֹמַ֗רva./'o.Marand/ I said לֹא־lo'-not אֶשְׁלַ֤ח'esh.LachI will stretch out יָדִי֙ya.D/ihand/ my בַּֽאדֹנִ֔יba./do.N/ion/ lord/ my כִּי־ki-for מְשִׁ֥יחַme.Shi.ach[is] [the] [one] anointed of יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh הֽוּא׃Hu'he

King James Version

Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.

Cross-references

1 Samuel 24:4 So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
Psalms 105:15 “Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
1 Samuel 26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”