And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
David was a shepherd lad to whom God had promised the throne, yet helpless in himself, standing against Saul the established monarch who was bent on holding fast his power. While Saul was seeking David's life, he came into the wilderness and entered unattended into the very cave where David with his men of war lay hidden, and David's men urged him to do to his enemy as seemed good to him. David could have killed Saul but spared his life, refusing to stretch forth his hand against him and refusing to let his men harm him.
David only secretly cut off the edge or piece of Saul's skirt or robe. In cutting the robe he meant to prove that he would not harm Saul. Afterward his heart smote him, his conscience troubled and reproached him and he felt remorse and repentance, showing his tender, courteous and forbearing character and sensitive conscience, since even damaging the king's garment or this lesser act of disrespect weighed on him as wrong though he had spared Saul's life.
His remorse was because Saul was the Lord's anointed, anointed king over Israel by God's command and David's master to be honored for his position, even though the Lord had declared the kingdom should be taken from Saul because of disobedience. The cutting of the robe therefore stands as proof that David had not harmed Saul or his house. God places men in positions of responsibility and He alone has power to correct or remove them when they err, so men must not take God's work of judging into their own hands.
The verse teaches forbearance under wrong and shows what trusting the word of God does, enabling one to withstand the power of the whole world. Forbearance means that when suffering real or supposed wrong the spirit is not to chafe, remembering that one's own life record will soon pass in review before God. In bearing wrong, self is the enemy most to be feared, no vice harms character more than human passion not under control of the Holy Spirit, and no victory is so precious as victory gained over self.
David was a shepherd lad to whom God had promised the throne, yet helpless in himself, standing against Saul the established monarch who was bent on holding fast his power. While Saul was seeking David's life, he came into the wilderness and entered unattended into the very cave where David with his men of war lay hidden, and David's men urged him to do to his enemy as seemed good to him. David could have killed Saul but spared his life, refusing to stretch forth his hand against him and refusing to let his men harm him.
David only secretly cut off the edge or piece of Saul's skirt or robe. In cutting the robe he meant to prove that he would not harm Saul. Afterward his heart smote him, his conscience troubled and reproached him and he felt remorse and repentance, showing his tender, courteous and forbearing character and sensitive conscience, since even damaging the king's garment or this lesser act of disrespect weighed on him as wrong though he had spared Saul's life.
His remorse was because Saul was the Lord's anointed, anointed king over Israel by God's command and David's master to be honored for his position, even though the Lord had declared the kingdom should be taken from Saul because of disobedience. The cutting of the robe therefore stands as proof that David had not harmed Saul or his house. God places men in positions of responsibility and He alone has power to correct or remove them when they err, so men must not take God's work of judging into their own hands.
The verse teaches forbearance under wrong and shows what trusting the word of God does, enabling one to withstand the power of the whole world. Forbearance means that when suffering real or supposed wrong the spirit is not to chafe, remembering that one's own life record will soon pass in review before God. In bearing wrong, self is the enemy most to be feared, no vice harms character more than human passion not under control of the Holy Spirit, and no victory is so precious as victory gained over self.