KJV ORIGINAL
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
But David said to Abishai, 'Don't kill him! Who can harm the Lord's chosen king and be innocent of wrongdoing?'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
David is refusing to harm King Saul because he believes God chose Saul as king, and it would be wrong to attack someone God has appointed.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs when David and Abishai snuck into Saul's camp at night and found the king sleeping. Abishai wanted to kill Saul with one spear thrust, but David stopped him. Even though Saul was pursuing David to kill him, David respected Saul's position as God's anointed king.
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