1Sa 26:19-20 | NETfull | STEP | So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in an offering. But if men have instigated this, may they be cursed before the Lord ! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord ’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’

1 Samuel 26:19-20

19 So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in ^{▼▼ Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.} an offering. But if men have instigated this, ^{▼▼ Heb “but if the sons of men.”} may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’ 20 Now don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge ^{▼▼ Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge.} in the hill country.”