David's heart smote him - He thought the action inconsistent with the respect which he owed to the king.

And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him,.... His conscience accused him, and he repented of what he had done:

because he had cut off Saul's skirt; which though less than what his servants put him upon, and he might have thoughts of doing, yet was considered by him as a great indignity to his sovereign, and therefore sat uneasy on his mind.

But his heart smote him after he had done it; i.e., his conscience reproached him, because he regarded this as an injury done to the king himself.

And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart {d} smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

(d) For seeing it was his own private cause, he repented that he had touched his enemy.

24:1-7 God delivered Saul into David's hand. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. He had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the king. He reasons strongly, both with himself and with his men, against doing Saul any hurt. Sin is a thing which it becomes us to startle at, and to resist temptations thereto. He not only would not do this bad thing himself, but he would not suffer those about him to do it. Thus he rendered good for evil, to him from whom he received evil for good; and was herein an example to all who are called Christians, not to be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good.