Bible Strands
1 Samuel 26:7
That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David and Abishai arrive at Saul’s camp at night to find the king asleep in the inner circle, with his spear in the ground and Abner’s troops surrounding him. (1 Samuel 26:7)
The words — The Hebrew וַיָּבֹא (va-yavo) and לַיְלָה (laylah) literally render “and he went” and “night,” marking the covert timing of the approach. וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinnêh) translates “and there!” to emphasize the sudden visual confirmation of Saul’s vulnerable position.
The thread — The narrative of a sleeping ruler encountered in the dark parallels the warning that the Day of the Lord arrives unexpectedly, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:2.
Why it lands — The account demands recognition of divine restraint over human opportunity, showing that God’s timing supersedes immediate violent action.
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
So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
Cross-references
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.