1 Samuel 26:8

⁶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

⁷ 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.

Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

⁹ And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?

¹⁰ David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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!”
KJV: Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
WEB: Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
ASV: Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.
DARBY: And Abishai said to David, God has delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day; and now let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the ground once, and I will not do it the second time.
BLB: And Abishai said to David, “God has delivered this day your enemy into your hand. And now let me strike him, please, with the spear and into the earth with one stroke; and I will not need repeat [it] to him.”

ÅB: Da sa Abisai til David: Gud har idag gitt din fiende i din hånd; la meg nå få støte spydet igjennom ham og ned i jorden med en eneste gang, så jeg ikke skal behøve å gi ham et støt til!
OTB: Da sa Abisjai til David, “I dag har Gud gitt fienden din i din hånd; så la meg nå slå ham med spydet til jorden med ett støt, og jeg trenger ikke å slå ham en gang til.”
B1930: Da sa Abisai til David: Gud har idag gitt din fiende i din hånd; la mig nu få støte spydet igjennem ham og ned i jorden med en eneste gang, så jeg ikke skal behøve å gi ham et støt til!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 24:4
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
Read in context
1 Samuel 26:23
The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed.
Read in context
Joshua 21:44
And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Read in context
1 Samuel 23:14
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 32:30
How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
Read in context
1 Samuel 24:18–19
And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
Read in context
Judges 1:4
And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
Read in context
Galatians 3:22–23
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Read in context