שמואל א, פרק כ״ד, פסוק י״א

A dramatic encounter unfolds outside a cave, where a hunted man confronts the king who seeks his life. Presenting undeniable proof of a missed opportunity for assassination, David highlights his moral choice to show mercy. This moment exposes a deep tension between the justified right to strike down an attacker and the profound reverence owed to a sitting monarch.

The narrative leaves a deliberate ambiguity regarding who exactly urged the killing and who ultimately showed mercy [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that David’s men were the ones pressing him, with each soldier advising him to take the king's life [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Conversely, some suggest that this was an entirely internal struggle. In this view, David’s own heart initially prompted him to strike the king, but he immediately regretted the thought [רלב״ג]. A third perspective views the urge to kill not as a human voice, but as the voice of the law itself. Because the king was actively pursuing David with lethal intent, the legal principle of self-defense fully permitted David to act first to save his own life [רד״ק, חומת אנך].

When it comes to the source of the mercy that followed, most commentators agree that it was David’s own soul that decided to spare his pursuer [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, another tradition suggests that the king's inherent modesty is what actually protected him, acting as a spiritual shield that saved him from the harsh judgment of the law that otherwise permitted his death [רד״ק, חומת אנך].

Ultimately, David declares his absolute refusal to harm his master, recognizing him as God's anointed. Despite living under constant, mortal threat from a dangerous pursuer, David completely restrained himself. He chose not to lay a hand on the king, refusing to inflict even the slightest wound to neutralize the danger. This restraint was born purely out of awe and respect for the leader chosen and anointed by God [חומת אנך].