“I noticed at all the encampments which we passed, that the sheikh’s tent was distinguished from the rest by a tall spear stuck upright in the ground in front of it; and it is the custom, when a party is out on an excursion for robbery or for war, that when they halt to rest, the spot where the chief reclines or sleeps is thus designated. So Saul, when he lay sleeping, had his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, and Abner and the people lay round about him. The whole of that scene is eminently Oriental and perfectly natural, even to the deep sleep into which all had fallen, so that David and Abishai could walk among them in safety. The Arabs sleep heavily, especially when fatigued. Often when traveling, my muleteers and servants have resolved to watch by turns in places thought to be dangerous, but in every instance, I soon found them fast asleep, and generally their slumbers were so profound that I could not only walk among them without their waking, but might have taken the very ‘aba (or outer garment) with which they were covered. Then the cruse of water at Saul’s head is in exact accordance with the customs of the people at this day. No one ventures to travel over these deserts without his cruse of water, and it is very common to place one at the “bolster” so that the owner can reach it during the night. The Arabs eat their dinner in the evening, and it is generally of such a nature as to create thirst; and the quantity of water which they drink is enormous. The cruse is therefore in perpetual demand. Saul and his party lay in a shady valley steeped in heavy sleep after the fatigue of a hot day. David from above marks the spot where the king slumbers, creeps cautiously down and stands over his unconscious persecutor.
Abishai asks permission to smite him once, only once, and promises not to smite a second time; but David forbade him, and taking the spear and cruse of water, ascended to the top of the hill afar off and cried aloud to Abner “Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel?... As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.” What a strange sensation must have run through the camp as David’s voice rang out these taunts from the top of the hill! But David was perfectly safe, and there are thousands of ravines where the whole scene could be enacted, every word be heard, and yet the speaker be quite beyond the reach of his enemies.
Dr. Thomson.