And he said to his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, to put forth my hand against him — David's *chililah li me'et YHWH asher asah et yadeh b'YHWH meshicho* (far be it from me that I should do this to the LORD's anointed) asserts a theological principle: the anointed king cannot be harmed, even in self-defense. The *meshicho*, his anointed, invokes the sanctity conferred by Samuel's anointing, a sanctity that transcends political enmity.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse