The Bible records two occasions when David could have easily killed Saul, but refused. The first (1 Sam. 24) occurred in the Desert of En Gedi, as Saul was looking for David with 3,000 men. He slipped into a cave "to relieve himself," ignorant that David and his men were in the deepest recesses of the cave. David quietly crept up to Saul and cut off a corner of his robe. After Saul left the cave, David called out to him, revealing what had just occurred. The second occasion (1 Sam. 26) took place in the Desert of Ziph. David, along with Abishai, went to Saul's camp at night and walked unchallenged to where the king was sleeping. Rejecting Abishai's plan to kill Saul, David took the king's spear and water jug. Once outside of the camp, David called to Saul, again demonstrating his refusal to "lay a hand on the LORD's anointed" (v. 23).
