John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 26:11

"Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah`s anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go." — 1 Samuel 26:11 (ASV)

The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against
the Lord's anointed
Or suffer any about him to do it; he speaks of it with the utmost detestation and abhorrence:

but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that [is] at his bolster ;
not to smite him with, as he desired, but to carry off, and was no other than his sceptre; (See Gill on 1 Samuel 20:33);

and the cruse of water ;
which stood in the same place, as appears by (1 Samuel 26:12) . Some take this to be a pot to make water in; others an hourglass, to know the time of night, in which not sand, but water, flowed for that purpose: but rather this was for his refreshment should he be hot and thirsty in the night, or to purify him from any nocturnal pollution that might happen; for, according to Clemens of Alexandria {m}, it was a custom of the Jews often to purify themselves in bed: though Fortunatus Scacchus ^F14 thinks Saul had this pot or cup for a religious use; which he had with him, and with it gave thanks to God, the author of all good, whenever he sat down to a meal; such as the golden cup Philip king of Macedon always had under his pillow when he slept ^F15 :

and let us go ;
and do nothing more; which would be sufficient to convince they had been there, and to show what was in their power to do, had they been so inclined.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. I. c. 44. col. 224.
• F15: Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3.