241 When Saul came back after dealing with the Philistines, he was told, "David is now in the wilderness of En Gedi." 2 Saul took three companies - the best he could find in all Israel - and set out in search of David and his men in the region of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to some sheep pens along the road. There was a cave there and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were huddled far back in the same cave. 4 David's men whispered to him, "Can you believe it? This is the day God was talking about when he said, 'I'll put your enemy in your hands. You can do whatever you want with him.'" Quiet as a cat, David crept up and cut off a piece of Saul's royal robe. 5 Immediately, he felt guilty. 6 He said to his men, "God forbid that I should have done this to my master, God's anointed, that I should so much as raise a finger against him. He's God's anointed!" 7 David held his men in check with these words and wouldn't let them pounce on Saul. Saul got up, left the cave, and went on down the road.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 24:1-7
Commentary on 1 Samuel 24:1-7
(Read 1 Samuel 24:1-7)
God delivered Saul into David's hand. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. He had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the king. He reasons strongly, both with himself and with his men, against doing Saul any hurt. Sin is a thing which it becomes us to startle at, and to resist temptations thereto. He not only would not do this bad thing himself, but he would not suffer those about him to do it. Thus he rendered good for evil, to him from whom he received evil for good; and was herein an example to all who are called Christians, not to be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good.