שמואל א כ״ב:י״ד-י״ז

וסר אל משמעתך. כמו (בראשית יט ג): ויסורו אליו, וקרב לשמושך ואל שמע דבריך, וכי היה לי להבין שאינו הולך בשליחותך:

Who bows to your bidding. As in "And they turned [וַיָסֻרוּ] to him,"⁶Bereishis 19:3. meaning that he is near to service you and to obey your orders. How then was I to know that he was not going on your mission?

היום החלותי לשאל לו. בתמיה, זה ימים רבים שצורך הצבור בו, שמינהו מוציא ומביא את ישראל, ומאז אני שואל לו באלהים:

Did I begin today to inquire. This is in the form of a question, meaning, it is already a long time that the concern of the community is his, for they appointed him as the one who leads [the Bnei] Yisroel to and [from battle], and ever since then, I inquire of God on his behalf.

חלילה לי. מעשות דבר זה למרד ומעל:

Far be it from me. To have done this thing with the intent of rebellion or treason.⁷I.e., I never would have acted against the king’s interests had I known that Dovid was fleeing.

לרצים הנצבים עליו. אבנר ועמשא היו:

To the runners who stood near him. Referring to Avneir and Amoso.

ולא אבו. דרשו אכין ורקין (יהושע א יח): כל איש אשר ימרה את פיך וגו', יכול אפילו לדבר עבירה תלמוד לומר 'רק':

Did not want. They expounded [Scripture's] "but's and only's." Scripture states: "Every man who rebels against your command [shall be put to death]."⁸Yehoshua 1:18. One may think that this means even [if "your command" was] to commit a sin; Scripture, therefore states: "Only" [to exclude this condition].