Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that [there is] neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
Ver. 11. And killed thee not.] Chrysostom saith that David, by his sparing of Saul, gave a deep wound to the devil, that old manslayer, qui non nisi caedes sitit, et suscitat. The Rabbins say that David went toward Saul with a purpose to have killed him, but that, as he went, he better bethought himself. See to the contrary of this, 1 Samuel 26:10, which the Vulgate hath here inserted.
That there is neither evil nor trangression in mine hand.] For that had been to have taken vengeance into his own hand, and to have raised trouble in the commonwealth. David was of his temper, - or rather of a far better, - who had escaped three tyrants, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, - who had slain many good men, - and being asked how, answered, Iniurias accipiendo, et insuper gratias agendo, by bearing wrongs, and returning thanks for them.