The Secret Of The Success Of Their Venture And David's Rebuke of Abner For Failing To Watch Over Saul (1 Samuel 26:12-16).
We now learn, in a verse which in one sense stands by itself, being itself central to the chiasmus of the whole passage as outlined above, why it was that they had been symbolically able to take both Saul's kingship and his very life. It was because YHWH had caused a deep sleep to fall on the whole army. This whole situation was thus of YHWH's doing, because David's life was in the hands of YHWH. Even Saul's attempt to hunt David down must therefore be seen as in the hands of YHWH and as contributing towards his own death and David's reception of the kingship.
This fact is then followed up by David's taunting of Abner for failing in his responsibility to watch over Saul's life as he illustrated by means of the spear and the water jar how close Saul had come to being slain.
Analysis.
a So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head (1 Samuel 26:12 a).
b And they took themselves away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from YHWH was fallen on them (1 Samuel 26:12 b).
c Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them, and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” (1 Samuel 26:13-14 a).
d Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you who cries to the king?” (1 Samuel 26:14 b).
c And David said to Abner, “Are you not a valiant man? And who is like to you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord” (1 Samuel 26:15).
b “This thing is not good that you have done. As YHWH lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, YHWH's anointed” (1 Samuel 26:16 a).
a “And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head” (1 Samuel 26:16 b).
Note that in ‘a' David takes the spear and jar of water from by Saul's head, and in the parallel holds it aloft in order to illustrate what has happened. In ‘b' YHWH had kept watch over David by causing Saul's army to remain asleep, while in the parallel Abner had failed to keep watch over Saul who was YHWH's anointed, illustrating that it is better to be watched over by YHWH than by man. In ‘c' David calls to Abner and asks why he does not answer, and in the parallel describes what Abner has to answer for, his failure to keep watch over the king so that those who would destroy him were able to approach him. Central in ‘d' is Abner's question both illustrating their total ignorance of David's presence, and emphasising the question, ‘who are you?'. Compare Nabal's question, ‘who is David? (1 Samuel 25:10). The answer in both cases is that he is the one whom YHWH has chosen to be His champion and king of Israel after Saul.
‘ So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head, and they took themselves away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from YHWH was fallen on them.'
As a result of their activities David was able to appropriate both Saul's ceremonial spear, symbol of his kingship, and Saul's water jar, symbol of his very life. And the two were then able to steal away, and none knew that they had come and gone, nor did any awake, because YHWH had put them all into deep slumber, a situation no doubt aided by the fact that they were exhausted after their long march in the hot sun. The writer, however, is concerned that we recognise that it was all YHWH's doing, because YHWH was with David. It was for that reason that YHWH had placed Saul's kingship and Saul's life in David's hands in order that all might know both of David's loyalty to the king in spite of all, and of the fact that he himself would shortly receive the kingship..
‘ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them.'
David and Abishai then returned to Ahimelech waiting on the peak on the other side of the plateau or ravine that lay between the two mountain peaks, and having put a suitable space between himself and the enemy camp, turned in order to awaken the camp so as to inform them of what had happened while they all slept. (The space could not, however, have been too great for he expected to be seen and heard, and it would seem that there was probably a ravine between).
‘ And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you who cries to the king?”'
Yelling with a strident voice across the plateau David sought to awaken Abner in order to taunt him with his failure to watch over the king. ‘Do you not answer' was a mocking question indicating that he was aware that Abner was asleep. Awoken as a result of the noise, and possibly also by the sentries, Abner, having been informed that someone was calling to them from another hilltop, asked who it was, informing the caller at the same time if he realised that he was actually awaking the king. It was an indication of the total lack of awareness of Saul and his men of the presence of David and his men so close at hand. They had probably assumed that he had fled southwards as he had done previously
“Who are you who cries to the king?” The question is highly symbolic. We are reminded of how Nabal had asked, ‘Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?' Both are questions that the writer wanted answered. Abner meant his question to indicate to whoever it was who had awoken the camp that he should be silent in view of the king's presence, unless he had something very important to say, his assumption being that whoever it was would not know that the king was there. But the writer intends us to see that the answer to the question was ‘David, the anointed of YHWH and successor to Saul in the kingship'.
‘ And David said to Abner, “Are you not a real man? And who is like to you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord.” '
David then taunted Abner with the fact that while he was certainly an able warrior, and in fact the highest authority in Israel after Saul, he had failed in that he had not kept proper watch over his lord, the king. Why he did not even appear to realise that there had been intruders in the camp, one of whom had wished to slay the king while they slept, and that when he was supposed to be arranging for watch to be kept.
“ This thing is not good that you have done. As YHWH lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, YHWH's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.”
He then rebuked Abner for his failure, which he pointed out was not a very good thing at all. Indeed it was a sign of slackness (someone was no doubt later severely punished as a result). Thus he should recognise that he had made himself worthy of death as sure as YHWH was the living God, because he had failed to keep watch over what belonged to YHWH, even over Saul, YHWH's anointed.
He then produced Saul's ceremonial spear and water jar in order to emphasise his point. These made clear that he, or one of his men, had actually approached Saul while he was asleep and had stolen them unobserved. By this he was emphasising that Saul's kingship and very life had been at his mercy. David was no doubt hoping by this that he might once again persuade Saul to give up his search, and he also wanted it known that David and his men were no longer afraid of Saul and his army.