Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David moves to the far side of the camp while Saul and his army remain asleep, positioning himself on a hilltop across a wide gulf before shouting to the troops and Abner.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֤ר (va/i.ya.'a.Vor) literally means "and he passed over," and מֵֽ/רָחֹ֑ק (me./ra.Chok) denotes "from a distance," emphasizing the physical separation David maintains from the king.
The thread — This deliberate positioning echoes Jotham’s ascent to Mount Gerizim to address the assembly (Judges 9:7) and David’s earlier emergence from the cave to call out to Saul (1 Samuel 24:8).
Why it lands — The text establishes that David’s restraint is enforced by geography and divine action, requiring the reader to acknowledge that opportunity for violence was deliberately neutralized before any confrontation occurs.
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
King James Version
Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
Cross-references
- Judges 9:7 When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
- 1 Samuel 24:8 After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence