2 Samuel 1:14 Meaning and Explanation
“And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David asks the man how he dared not to fear stretching out his hand to destroy the Lord's anointed.
What Does 2 Samuel 1:14 Mean?
David confronts the messenger with the heart of the matter: how did he not fear to raise his hand against the Lord's anointed? The crime is not merely killing a king but laying hands on one whom God Himself had set apart with oil.
David's own life had been governed by this reverence. Twice he had spared Saul when he could have struck, refusing to harm the anointed of the Lord. What David would not do for his own gain, this stranger boasts of doing for reward. The question exposes the gulf between a man who feared God and a man who feared nothing, weighing only his own advantage.
2 Samuel 1:14 in the Original Language
mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ), 'anointed' -- one set apart by sacred oil, the title from which the word Messiah comes.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 1:14
What does 2 Samuel 1:14 mean?
David asks the man how he dared not to fear stretching out his hand to destroy the Lord's anointed.