Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(1 Samuel 26:1) And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Does David not hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, before Jeshimon?"
David had gone to Carmel where he met and married Abigail. He apparently then hid out in a hill of Hachilah before Jeshimon which was a wilderness north of Hachilah. Being in close proximity to Ziph, the Ziphites knew David's movements and went to Saul a second time to tell on David (1 Samuel 23:19). It seems strange that David would hide out in the same area where the Ziphites had told on him before, but perhaps he wanted to stay close to Abigail's home. This map at Bible Hub shows where Ziph and Hachilah were in relation to Carmel:
(2) Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
So much for the good will Saul had seemed to offer after David had spared his life in the cave (1 Samuel 24:17-20), when he heard where David was hiding, his anger toward David was renewed, and he went to the wilderness of Ziph to seek him, taking 3000 choice men, meaning surely men of war, with him.
(3) And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah before Jeshimon, by the road. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
Saul encamped at the hill of Hachilah by the road. David had moved to the wilderness around Hachilah and saw that Saul had come after him.
(4) David therefore sent out spies and understood that Saul had indeed come. (5) And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
David had sent out spies who confirmed that Saul had indeed come. He then went to where Saul was encamped and saw him in the trench with Abner, the captain of his army, and the rest of his army pitched around him.
(6) Then David answered 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 you."
David spoke to two men with him, Ahimelech, probably a Hittite at birth who had converted, and Abishai, who was the son of David's sister, Zeruiah, as was Joab. He asked which one of them would go with him down to Saul's camp, and his nephew, Abishai, said he would go with him.
(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, and Abner and the people lay round about him.
David and Abishai went to Saul's camp at night. Saul was sleeping in the trench with his spear stuck in the ground at his pillow, or whatever he was using as a headrest. Abner and the rest of his army lay all around him.
(8) Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day; now therefore, let me strike him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not strike him the second time."
I believe the sense of what Abishai said to David was that the Lord had delivered Saul to him, and he asked that he be allowed to strike Saul with a spear clear to the ground, and he would not have to strike a second time because Saul would surely be dead.
(9) And David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?"
However, David told Abishai not to kill Saul, because he believed no one was able to raise a hand against the Lord's anointed king and not incur guilt for his actions.
(10) David said furthermore, "As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish. (11) The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed, but I pray you, take now the spear that is at his bolster, and the jug of water, and let us go."
David told Abishai the Lord would take his own anointed king in His time in His manner, so he would not dream of doing it himself. However, he did tell Abishai to take Saul's spear and a jug of water which would be sufficient to let Saul know they had been there and what they could have done if they so desired.
(12) So David took the spear and the jug of water from Saul's bolster, and they got away, and no man saw nor knew, neither awaked, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
It was David, in fact, who took the spear and the jug of water. Perhaps the meaning of verse 11 was more like, "let us take the spear...and go." Even though Saul was surrounded by his captain and all his army, none of them awakened because the Lord had caused a deep sleep to come over them. David and Abishai got away unnoticed.
(13) Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great space between them, (14) 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?"
David went away from the camp and stood on a hill far away, but close enough, that the people would hear him when he shouted. It seems David must have been crying out before Abner actually heard him, as he cried out to Abner to answer him as if he had not answered his previous call. Abner asked who it was who was calling to the king. Again, it seems evident David had been calling out to Saul before he was heard or was acknowledged.
(15) And David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept your lord, the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord. (16) This thing is not good that you have done. As the Lord lives, you are worthy to die because you have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the jug of water that was at his bolster."
David sarcastically asked Abner if he was a man like no other in Israel, and if so, why then had he let someone have access to the king to destroy him? David told Abner he was worthy of death because he had not protected the king. He then showed him where the king's spear and jug of water were that had been at the king's headrest while he slept.
(17) And Saul knew David's voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "My voice, my lord, O king."
Saul knew David's voice and called out to ask if it was indeed David's voice he heard. It's interesting that Saul still called him, "my son," even though he had given David's wife to someone else and pursued him to kill him. David answered that it was indeed him.
(18) And he said, "Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil in my hand? (19) Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering, but if the children of men, cursed they before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, 'Go serve other gods.'"
David asked Saul why he pursued him and what he had done to stir him up against him. He said if it was the Lord who had stirred Saul up against him, then let Him receive an offering, probably meaning himself that he would give if it was indeed the Lord's will. I don't think David would have used such flippant language if he was sincere about an offering to the Lord to appease His anger toward himself or Saul, either one. His point was that if God had stirred Saul to kill him, then so be it. However, if it was men by lies and slanders, then let them be cursed before God because they had driven an innocent man away from his inheritance and forced him to dwell among pagan idolaters.
(20) "Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
David asked that Saul not spill his blood before the Lord who knew who was righteous and would surely avenge his death. And that was because Saul hunted someone as insignificant as a flea, or as one out bird hunting.
(21) Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm because my soul was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly."
Saul once again softened toward David, even acknowledging his sin this time which is more than he did the first time David spared his life (1 Samuel 24:17). He told David to return to his home for he would do him no harm because he had spared his life that day. He admitted that he had been foolish and mistaken about David.
(22) And David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear! Let one of the young men come over and fetch it."
David returned Saul's spear to him. However, he asked that one of Saul's young men go and fetch it from David, as he was not so trusting of Saul's apparent change of heart to go down and deliver it to him himself.
(23) "The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord delivered you into my hand today but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. (24) And behold, as your life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation."
David went on to suggest that the Lord be the one to render judgment to every man, or perhaps his point was that he had faith that the Lord would render to him according to his faithfulness. After all, the Lord had delivered Saul into his hand that day, but he would not dare to strike the Lord's anointed. Then he proposed to Saul that as he had valued Saul's life that day, so let the Lord value his (David's) life and deliver him out of his tribulation. It's noteworthy that he did not say that Saul should value his life as David had valued his. He had no confidence in Saul to do the fair thing, but he knew he could depend on his Lord.
(25) Then Saul said to David, "Blessed you, my son David; you shall both do great and also shall still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Saul offered a blessing to David and called him his son again. He acknowledged that David would go on to do great things, and he would prevail, which seems to be a realization that David would prevail against Saul himself and all his enemies. So he returned to his palace, and David went on his way. John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, tells us that this was the last time Saul and David saw each other. It seems Saul may have finally come to the full realization that the Lord was with David, and he would indeed prevail against him and his army of David's enemies.
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