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.
Said Abishai ... God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand. This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind; and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times.
Let me smite him ... even to the earth at once. The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language; but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Though Saul's cruelty and perfidy, and general want of right principle, had sunk him to a low pitch of degradation, yet that was no reason for David imitating him in doing wrong. Besides, he was the sovereign: David was a subject; and though God had rejected him from the kingdom, it was every way the best and most dutiful course, instead of precipitating his fall by imbruing their hands in his blood, and thereby contracting the guilt of a great crime, to await the awards of that retributive Providence which sooner or later would take him off by some sudden and mortal blow. He who with impetuous haste was going to exterminate Nabal, meekly spared Saul. But Nabal refused to give a tribute to which justice and gratitude, no less than custom, entitled David. Saul was under the judicial infatuation of heaven. Thus David withheld the hand of Abishai; but at the same time directed him to carry off some things which would show where they had been, and what they had done. Thus, he obtained the best of victories over him, by heaping coals of fire on his head.