David is blessed and recognized by Saul, reaffirming God’s promise that David would become king.
Saul, who reigned as Israel’s first king from around 1050 BC to 1010 BC, had been pursuing David through the hill country of Judah, specifically in regions such as the Wilderness of Ziph, which lies south of the city of Hebron. David, anointed to be king after Saul, would eventually lead Israel from approximately 1010 BC to 970 BC, but in this moment he is still on the run. It is in this tense environment that we hear these final words from King Saul in 1 Samuel 26. “Then Saul said to David, ‘Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.” (v.25) Despite the hostilities that characterized their relationship, Saul acknowledges David’s future success and pronounces a blessing upon him.
In this verse, Saul’s words of blessing, “Blessed are you, my son David” (v.25), reveal a wrenching internal conflict. Just moments prior, Saul had recognized David’s righteousness. By granting David a benediction, Saul essentially confirms what the prophet Samuel had foretold: that David would become the next ruler of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). The statement “you will both accomplish much and surely prevail” (v.25) indicates Saul’s reluctant admission that God’s favor rests upon David. Saul’s abrupt reversal from hostile pursuer to well-wisher underscores how powerfully God’s hand guides history and peoples’ hearts (Proverbs 21:1).
The verse closes with, “So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.” (v.25) This shows the temporary cessation of Saul’s hostile pursuit and highlights David’s decision to trust the Lord’s deliverance rather than take matters into his own hands. In the broader biblical narrative, David’s gracious restraint foreshadows Jesus’s teaching to love one’s enemies (Matthew 5:44) and to leave judgment to God (Romans 12:19). In that sense, David’s choice reflects a heart aligned with God’s purposes despite remarkable pressure.
Set to dark mode
1 Samuel 26:25 meaning
Saul, who reigned as Israel’s first king from around 1050 BC to 1010 BC, had been pursuing David through the hill country of Judah, specifically in regions such as the Wilderness of Ziph, which lies south of the city of Hebron. David, anointed to be king after Saul, would eventually lead Israel from approximately 1010 BC to 970 BC, but in this moment he is still on the run. It is in this tense environment that we hear these final words from King Saul in 1 Samuel 26. “Then Saul said to David, ‘Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.” (v.25) Despite the hostilities that characterized their relationship, Saul acknowledges David’s future success and pronounces a blessing upon him.
In this verse, Saul’s words of blessing, “Blessed are you, my son David” (v.25), reveal a wrenching internal conflict. Just moments prior, Saul had recognized David’s righteousness. By granting David a benediction, Saul essentially confirms what the prophet Samuel had foretold: that David would become the next ruler of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). The statement “you will both accomplish much and surely prevail” (v.25) indicates Saul’s reluctant admission that God’s favor rests upon David. Saul’s abrupt reversal from hostile pursuer to well-wisher underscores how powerfully God’s hand guides history and peoples’ hearts (Proverbs 21:1).
The verse closes with, “So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.” (v.25) This shows the temporary cessation of Saul’s hostile pursuit and highlights David’s decision to trust the Lord’s deliverance rather than take matters into his own hands. In the broader biblical narrative, David’s gracious restraint foreshadows Jesus’s teaching to love one’s enemies (Matthew 5:44) and to leave judgment to God (Romans 12:19). In that sense, David’s choice reflects a heart aligned with God’s purposes despite remarkable pressure.