MPV Commentary

David in a Cave at Engedi Cuts Off Saul's Skirt, but Spares

Saul went to seek David among the rocky outcroppings of the wild goats, driven by an unrelenting fury that blinded him to reason. He took a large force with him, thinking he had every advantage, but God's providence thwarted his plans.

He came to the sheepcotes in the upper ridge of Wady Chareitun, where a large cave lies just east of the village ruin on the south side of the wadi. This cave has remained unchanged since David's time, with its narrow entrance and huge natural chamber inside. It was here that Saul lay down to rest in the heat of the day, unaware of David and his men hiding in the side vaults.

The men of David said, "Behold, this is the day the Lord promised you: 'I will deliver your enemy into your hand.'" However, God had never made a specific promise to deliver Saul into David's hands. Instead, they inferred that the king's death was to be carried out by taking advantage of an opportunity like this one, based on the repeated promises of the kingdom being given to him.

David opposed his followers' urgent advice to kill their persecutor, choosing instead to overcome evil with good and heap coals of fire upon Saul's head. However, he did cut off a fragment from the skirt of the royal robe. It is likely that this was done without arousing suspicion, considering the bustle and noise of Saul's men and beasts, as well as the darkness within the cave's interior divisions.

The probability that the garment David cut from might have been a loose or upper cloak lying on the ground, and that Saul might have been asleep, provides sufficient explanation for the events described.