1 Samuel 26:19

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant, etc.] Whether David waited for an answer to his question is not certain; probably he did, and observing none returned, desired audience of what he had further to say: if the Lord have stirred thee up against me; if he had put it into his heart to persecute him after this manner, for some sin he had committed against him, though not against Saul: did that appear to be the case, let him accept an offering; my offering, as the Targum; or my prayer, as Jarchi; I would offer a sin offering according to the law, to make atonement for my offence, and might hope it would be accepted; or I would make my supplication to…”

“If the Lord have stirred thee up against me--By the evil spirit He had sent, or by any spiritual offenses by which we have mutually displeased Him. let him accept an offering--that is, let us conjointly offer a sacrifice for appeasing His wrath against us. if they be the children of men--The prudence, meekness, and address of David in ascribing the king's enmity to the instigations of some malicious traducers, and not to the jealousy of Saul himself, is worthy of notice. saying, Go, serve other gods--This was the drift of their conduct. By driving him from the land and ordinances of the true worship, into foreign and heathen countries, they were exposing him to all the seductions of…”

“If the Lord have stirred thee up - The meaning is clear from the preceding history. “An evil spirit from God troubling him” was the beginning of the persecution. And this evil spirit was sent in punishment of Saul’s sin 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:14. If the continued persecution was merely the consequence of this evil spirit continuing to vex Saul, David advises Saul to seek God’s pardon, and, as a consequence, the removal of the evil spirit, by offering a sacrifice. But if the persecution was the consequence of the false accusations of slanderers, then “cursed” be his enemies who, by their actions, drove David out from the only land where Yahweh was worshipped, and forced him to take refuge…”

“The Lord - If the Lord hath by the evil spirit which he hath sent, or by his secret providence, directed thy rage against me for the punishment of thine, or my sins. An offering - Let us offer up a sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us. Driven me - From the land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where he hath established his presence and worship. Go serve - This was the language of their actions. For by driving him from God's land, and the place of his worship, into foreign and idolatrous lands, they exposed him to the peril of being either ensnared by their counsels, or examples; or forced by their power to worship idols. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 26:20”

“26:19 If the Lord has stirred you up against me: David was perplexed by Saul’s behavior and concerned with the possibility of unintentional sin on his part. • a human scheme: Possibly a reference to Doeg (22:9-10). • worship pagan gods: The sentiment parallels Ps 137:4. Anyone who was exiled from the holy land was unable to worship the Lord by participating in sacrifice at the central sanctuary.”

“let my lord: Sa1 25:24; Gen 44:18 stirred: Sa1 16:14-23, Sa1 18:10; Sa2 16:11, Sa2 24:1; Kg1 22:22; Ch1 21:1 accept: Heb. smell, Gen 8:21; Lev 26:31; Psa 119:1-8 cursed: Pro 6:16-19, Pro 30:10; Gal 1:8, Gal 1:9, Gal 5:12; Ti2 4:14 they have driven: Deu 4:27, Deu 4:28; Jos 22:25-27; Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2, Psa 120:5; Isa 60:5; Rom 14:15 abiding: Heb. cleaving the inheritance: Sa2 14:16, Sa2 20:19 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 26:20”