The men of David said to him, Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.
David’s men interpreted Saul’s vulnerable position as a divine provision whereby David could free himself from his enemy (1 Samuel 24:4). There is no record in the text that God had indeed told David what they said He had. He may have told David that he would overcome his enemy, but certainly He had not given David permission to assassinate His anointed, King Saul. David’s advisers seem to have been resorting to pious language to urge David to follow their counsel (cf. 1 Samuel 23:7). We must always evaluate the advice of friends in the light of God’s Word even when they claim divine authority. Their counsel moved David to take some action against Saul, which he soon regretted.