18:1 When David 1 had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. 2 Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. 3 18:2 Saul retained David 4 on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 18:3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. 5 18:4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
18:5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. 6
18:6 When the men 7 arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. 8 18:7 The women who were playing the music sang,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”
18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, 9 “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre 10 that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 18:11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
18:12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 18:13 Saul removed David 11 from his presence and made him a commanding officer. 12 David led the army out to battle and back. 13 18:14 Now David achieved success in all he did, 14 for the Lord was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
18:17 15 Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior 16 for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
18:18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father 17 in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 18:19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.
18:20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it 18 pleased him. 18:21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” 19
18:22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.” 18:23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately 20 to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”
18:24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 18:25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his 21 enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
18:26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed 22 to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired 23 18:27 when David, along with his men, went out 24 and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
18:28 When Saul realized 25 that the Lord was with David and that his 26 daughter Michal loved David, 27 18:29 Saul became even more afraid of him. 28 Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. 29 18:30 30 Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.
19:1 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much. 31 19:2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying 32 to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find 33 a hiding place and stay in seclusion. 34 19:3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, 35 I will let you know.”
19:4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf 36 to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial 37 for you. 19:5 He risked his life 38 when he struck down the Philistine and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
19:6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice 39 and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” 19:7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. 40
19:8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly 41 and they ran away from him. 19:9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon 42 Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. 43 19:10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. 44 David escaped quickly 45 that night.
19:11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself 46 tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 19:12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped.
19:13 Then Michal took a household idol 47 and put it on the bed. She put a quilt 48 made of goat’s hair over its head 49 and then covered the idol with a garment. 19:14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”
19:15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 19:16 When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat’s hair at its head.
19:17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’” 50
19:18 Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19:19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 19:20 So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 19:21 When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 19:22 Finally Saul 51 himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.”
19:23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 19:24 He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there 52 naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)
20:1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, 53 “What have I done? What is my offense? 54 How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!”
20:2 Jonathan 55 said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing 56 large or small without making me aware of it. 57 Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”
20:3 Taking an oath, David again 58 said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact 59 that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, 60 ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!” 20:4 Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” 61
20:5 David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. 62 You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. 20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go 63 to his city Bethlehem, 64 for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’ 20:7 If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ 65 then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. 66 20:8 You must be loyal 67 to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord’s name. 68 If I am guilty, 69 you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?”
20:9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you to suggest this! If I were at all aware that my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?” 20:10 David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 20:11 Jonathan said to David, “Come on. Let’s go out to the field.”
When the two of them had gone out into the field, 20:12 Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness. 70 I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know? 71 20:13 But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don’t let you know 72 and send word to you so you can go safely on your way. 73 May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father. 20:14 While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the Lord, or else I will die! 20:15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 20:16 and called David’s enemies to account.” So Jonathan made a covenant 74 with the house of David. 75 20:17 Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. 76 20:18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. 20:19 On the third day 77 you should go down quickly 78 and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. 79 Stay near the stone Ezel. 20:20 I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target. 20:21 When I send a boy after them, I will say, “Go and find the arrows.” If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; 80 get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives, you will be safe and there will no problem. 20:22 But if I say to the boy, “Look, the arrows are on the other side of you,’ 81 get away. For in that case the Lord has sent you away. 20:23 With regard to the matter that you and I discussed, the Lord is the witness between us forever!” 82
20:24 So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. 20:25 The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him 83 and Abner at his side. 84 But David’s place was vacant. 20:26 However, Saul said nothing about it 85 that day, for he thought, 86 “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.” 20:27 But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?”
20:28 Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem. 20:29 He said, ‘Permit me to go, 87 for we are having a family sacrifice in the city, and my brother urged 88 me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go 89 to see my brothers.’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
20:30 Saul became angry with Jonathan 90 and said to him, “You stupid traitor! 91 Don’t I realize that to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness you have chosen this son of Jesse? 20:31 For as long as 92 this son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now, send some men 93 and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead!” 94
20:32 Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 20:33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan 95 in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced 96 that his father had decided to kill David. 20:34 Jonathan got up from the table enraged. He did not eat any food on that second day of the new moon, for he was upset that his father had humiliated David. 97
20:35 The next morning Jonathan, along with a young servant, went out to the field to meet David. 20:36 He said to his servant, “Run, find the arrows that I am about to shoot.” As the servant ran, Jonathan 98 shot the arrow beyond him. 20:37 When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called out to 99 the servant, “Isn’t the arrow further beyond you?” 20:38 Jonathan called out to the servant, “Hurry! Go faster! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master. 20:39 (Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) 100 20:40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the city.”
20:41 When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound, 101 knelt 102 with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David. 20:42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”
103 Then David 104 got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the city. 21:1 (21:2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met 105 David, and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?” 21:2 David replied to Ahimelech the priest, “The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ 106 I have told my soldiers 107 to wait at a certain place. 108 21:3 Now what do you have at your disposal? 109 Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
21:4 The priest replied to David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers 110 have abstained from sexual relations with women.” 111 21:5 David said to the priest, “Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out. The soldiers’ 112 equipment is holy, even on an ordinary journey. How much more so will they be holy today, along with their equipment!”
21:6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the Lord in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away. 21:7 (One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.) 21:8 David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions.”
21:9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there’s nothing here.” David said, “There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!” 21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath. 21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying,
‘Saul struck down his thousands,
But David his tens of thousands’?”
21:12 David thought about what they said 113 and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath. 21:13 He altered his behavior in their presence. 114 Since he was in their power, 115 he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.
21:14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me? 21:15 Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”
22:1 So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family 116 learned about it, they went down there to him. 22:2 All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented 117 gathered around 118 him, and he became their leader. He had about four hundred men with him.
22:3 Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay 119 with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 22:4 So he had them stay with the king of Moab; they stayed with him the whole time 120 that David was in the stronghold. 22:5 Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
22:6 But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him. 121 Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him. 22:7 Saul said to his servants who were stationed around him, “Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse’s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you 122 commanders and officers? 123 22:8 For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me 124 when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”
22:9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with the servants of Saul, replied, “I saw this son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 22:10 He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
22:11 Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king. 22:12 Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 22:13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave 125 him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes 126 me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”
22:14 Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house! 22:15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse 127 his servant or any of my father’s house. For your servant is not aware of all this – not in whole or in part!” 128
22:16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house! 22:17 Then the king said to the messengers 129 who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided 130 with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm 131 the priests of the Lord.
22:18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five 132 men who wore the linen ephod. 22:19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, he struck down with the sword men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep – all with the sword.
22:20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 22:21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22:22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty 133 of all the deaths in your father’s house! 22:23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid! Whoever 134 seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”
23:1 They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.” 23:2 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
23:3 But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 23:4 So David asked the Lord once again. But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
23:5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them. 135 David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.
23:6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. 136 23:7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered 137 him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.” 138 23:8 So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 139
23:9 When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, 140 he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod!” 23:10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning 141 to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. 23:11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, please inform your servant!”
Then the Lord said, “He will come down.” 23:12 David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”
23:13 So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. 142 When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. 23:14 David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, 143 but God did not deliver David 144 into his hand. 23:15 David realized 145 that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph.
23:16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him 146 through God. 23:17 He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.” 23:18 When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
23:19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 23:20 Now at your own discretion, 147 O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”
23:21 Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 23:22 Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely 148 where he is 149 and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23:23 Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. 150 Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him 151 among all the thousands of Judah.”
23:24 So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 23:25 Saul and his men went to look for him. 152 But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon. 23:26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men so they could capture them. 23:27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”
23:28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth. 153 23:29 (24:1) 154 Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.
24:1 (24:2) When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, “Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi.” 24:2 So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find 155 David and his men in the region of 156 the rocks of the mountain goats. 157 24:3 He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself. 158
Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave. 24:4 David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.’” 159 So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:5 Afterward David’s conscience bothered him 160 because he had cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:6 He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord’s chosen one, 161 by extending my hand against him. After all, 162 he is the Lord’s chosen one.” 163 24:7 David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down 164 the road.
24:8 Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, “My lord, O king!” When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground. 24:9 David said to Saul, “Why do you pay attention when men say, ‘David is seeking to do you harm’? 24:10 Today your own eyes see how the Lord delivered you – this very day – into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity 165 on you and said, ‘I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.’ 166 24:11 Look, my father, and see the edge of your robe in my hand! When I cut off the edge of your robe, I didn’t kill you. So realize and understand that I am not planning 167 evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life. 24:12 May the Lord judge between the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you. 24:13 It’s like the old proverb says: ‘From evil people evil proceeds.’ But my hand will not be against you. 24:14 Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea? 24:15 May the Lord be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!”
24:16 When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Saul wept loudly. 168 24:17 He said to David, “You are more innocent 169 than I, for you have treated me well, even though I have tried to harm you! 24:18 You have explained today how you have treated me well. The Lord delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me. 24:19 Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the Lord repay you with good this day for what you have done to me. 24:20 Now look, I realize that you will in fact be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 24:21 So now swear to me in the Lord’s name 170 that you will not kill 171 my descendants after me or destroy my name from the house of my father.”
24:22 David promised Saul this on oath. 172 Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
25:1 Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the desert of Paran. 173
25:2 There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy; 174 he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 25:3 The man’s name was Nabal, 175 and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was both wise 176 and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.
25:4 When David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 25:5 he 177 sent ten servants, 178 saying to them, 179 “Go up to Carmel to see Nabal and give him greetings in my name. 180 25:6 Then you will say to my brother, 181 “Peace to you and your house! Peace to all that is yours! 25:7 Now I hear that they are shearing sheep for you. When your shepherds were with us, we neither insulted them nor harmed them the whole time they were in Carmel. 25:8 Ask your own servants; they can tell you! May my servants find favor in your sight, for we have come 182 at the time of a holiday. Please provide us – your servants 183 and your son David – with whatever you can spare.” 184
25:9 So David’s servants went and spoke all these words to Nabal in David’s name. Then they paused. 25:10 But Nabal responded to David’s servants, “Who is David, and who is this son of Jesse? This is a time when many servants are breaking away from their masters! 25:11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t even know where they came from!”
25:12 So David’s servants went on their way. When they had returned, they came and told David 185 all these things. 25:13 Then David instructed his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So each one strapped on his sword, and David also strapped on his sword. About four hundred men followed David up, while two hundred stayed behind with the equipment.
25:14 But one of the servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail, “David sent messengers from the desert to greet 186 our lord, but he screamed at them. 25:15 These men were very good to us. They did not insult us, nor did we sustain any loss during the entire time we were together 187 in the field. 25:16 Both night and day they were a protective wall for us the entire time we were with them, while we were tending our flocks. 25:17 Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household. 188 He is such a wicked person 189 that no one tells him anything!”
25:18 So Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread, two containers 190 of wine, five prepared sheep, five seahs 191 of roasted grain, a hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred lumps of pressed figs. She loaded them on donkeys 25:19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead of me. I will come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
25:20 Riding on her donkey, she went down under cover of the mountain. David and his men were coming down to meet her, and she encountered them. 25:21 Now David had been thinking, 192 “In vain I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the desert. I didn’t take anything from him. But he has repaid my good with evil. 25:22 God will severely punish David, 193 if I leave alive until morning even one male 194 from all those who belong to him!”
25:23 When Abigail saw David, she got down quickly from the donkey, threw herself down before David, and bowed to the ground. 25:24 Falling at his feet, she said, “My lord, I accept all the guilt! But please let your female servant speak with my lord! Please listen to the words of your servant! 25:25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! 195 But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. 196
25:26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, it is the Lord who has kept you from shedding blood and taking matters into your own hands. Now may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be like Nabal. 25:27 Now let this present 197 that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the servants who follow 198 my lord. 25:28 Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the Lord will certainly establish the house of my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no evil be found in you all your days! 25:29 When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag 199 of the living by the Lord your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket! 25:30 The Lord will do for my lord everything that he promised you, 200 and he will make 201 you a leader over Israel. 25:31 Your conscience will not be overwhelmed with guilt 202 for having poured out innocent blood and for having taken matters into your own hands. When the Lord has granted my lord success, 203 please remember your servant.”
25:32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praised 204 be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! 25:33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded 205 for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands! 25:34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives – he who has prevented me from harming you – if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!” 25:35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back 206 to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you 207 and responded favorably.” 208
25:36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time 209 and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing 210 until morning’s light. 25:37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, 211 his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. 212 25:38 After about ten days the Lord struck Nabal down and he died.
25:39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! 213 The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” 214 Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.
25:40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.” 25:41 She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said, “Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash 215 the feet of the servants of my lord.” 25:42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. 216 She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
25:43 David had also married 217 Ahinoam from Jezreel; the two of them became his wives. 25:44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.)
26:1 The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hakilah near 218 Jeshimon?” 26:2 So Saul arose and
went down to the desert of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand select men of Israel, to look for David in the desert of Ziph. 26:3 Saul camped by the road on the hill of Hakilah near Jeshimon, but David was staying in the desert. When he realized that Saul had come to the desert to find 219 him, 26:4 David sent scouts and verified that Saul had indeed arrived. 220
26:5 So David set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general in command of his army, were sleeping. Now Saul was lying in the entrenchment, and the army was camped all around him. 26:6 David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” Abishai replied, “I will go down with you.”
26:7 So David and Abishai approached the army at night and found Saul lying asleep in the entrenchment with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were lying all around him. 26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear 221 right through him into the ground with one swift jab! 222 A second jab won’t be necessary!”
26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one 223 and remain guiltless?” 26:10 David went on to say, “As the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him down. Either his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. 26:11 But may the Lord prevent me from extending my hand against the Lord’s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul’s head and the jug of water, and let’s get out of here!” 26:12 So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got out of there. No one saw them or was aware of their presence or woke up. All of them were asleep, for the Lord had caused a deep sleep to fall on them.
26:13 Then David crossed to the other side and stood on the top of the hill some distance away; there was a considerable distance between them. 26:14 David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Won’t you answer, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you, that you have called to the king?” 26:15 David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? After all, who is like you in Israel? Why then haven’t you protected your lord the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your lord the king. 26:16 This failure on your part isn’t good! 224 As surely as the Lord lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the Lord’s chosen one, are as good as dead! 225 Now look where the king’s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!”
26:17 When Saul recognized David’s voice, he said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David replied, “Yes, it’s my voice, my lord the king.” 26:18 He went on to say, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done? 226 26:19 So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in 227 an offering. But if men have instigated this, 228 may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’ 26:20 Now don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge 229 in the hill country.”
26:21 Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you, for you treated my life with value 230 this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!” 231 26:22 David replied, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of your servants cross over and get it. 26:23 The Lord rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty. 232 Even though today the Lord delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. 26:24 In the same way that I valued your life this day, 233 may the Lord value my life 234 and deliver me from all danger.” 26:25 Saul replied to David, “May you be rewarded, 235 my son David! You will without question be successful!” 236 So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
27:1 David thought to himself, 237 “One of these days I’m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand.”
27:2 So David left and crossed over to King Achish son of Maoch of Gath accompanied by his six hundred men. 27:3 David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families. 238 David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 27:4 When Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he did not mount a new search for him.
27:5 David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the country towns so that I can live there. Why should your servant settle in the royal city with you?” 27:6 So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. (For that reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this very day.) 27:7 The length of time 239 that David lived in the Philistine countryside was a year 240 and four months.
27:8 Then David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (They had been living in that land for a long time, from the approach 241 to Shur as far as the land of Egypt.) 27:9 When David would attack a district, 242 he would leave neither man nor woman alive. He would take sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and would then go back to Achish. 27:10 When Achish would ask, “Where 243 did you raid today?” David would say, “The Negev of Judah” or “The Negev of Jeharmeel” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” 27:11 Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking, “This way they can’t tell on us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” Such was his practice the entire time 244 that he lived in the country of the Philistines. 27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself, 245 “He is really hated 246 among his own people in 247 Israel! From now on 248 he will be my servant.”
28:1 In those days the Philistines gathered their troops 249 for war in order to fight Israel. Achish said to David, “You should fully understand that you and your men must go with me into the battle.” 250 28:2 David replied to Achish, “That being the case, you will come to know what your servant can do!” Achish said to David, “Then I will make you my bodyguard 251 from now on.” 252
28:3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. 253 In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums 254 and magicians 255 from the land. 28:4 The Philistines assembled; they came and camped at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 28:5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified. 256 28:6 So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim 257 nor by the prophets. 28:7 So Saul instructed his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, 258 so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants replied to him, “There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.”
28:8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing and left, accompanied by two of his men. They came to the woman at night and said, “Use your ritual pit to conjure up for me the one I tell you.” 259
28:9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed 260 the mediums and magicians 261 from the land! Why are you trapping me 262 so you can put me to death?” 28:10 But Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not incur guilt in this matter!” 28:11 The woman replied, “Who is it that I should bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Samuel.”
28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. 263 The woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 28:13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! What have you seen?” The woman replied to Saul, “I have seen one like a god 264 coming up from the ground!” 28:14 He said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!”
Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down. 28:15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.”
28:16 Samuel said, “Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? 28:17 The Lord has done exactly as I prophesied! 265 The Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your neighbor David! 28:18 Since you did not obey the Lord 266 and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 28:19 The Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines! 267 Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me. 268 The Lord will also hand the army 269 of Israel over to the Philistines!”
28:20 Saul quickly fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. He was completely drained of energy, 270 not having eaten anything 271 all that day and night. 28:21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, “Your servant has done what you asked. 272 I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me. 273 28:22 Now it’s your turn to listen to your servant! Let me set before you a bit of bread so that you can eat. When you regain your strength, you can go on your way.”
28:23 But he refused, saying, “I won’t eat!” Both his servants and the woman urged 274 him to eat, so he gave in. 275 He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed. 28:24 Now the woman 276 had a well-fed calf 277 at her home that she quickly slaughtered. Taking some flour, she kneaded bread and baked it without leaven. 28:25 She brought it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and left that same night.
29:1 The Philistines assembled all their troops 278 at Aphek, while Israel camped at the spring that is in Jezreel. 29:2 When the leaders of the Philistines were passing in review at the head of their units of hundreds and thousands, 279 David and his men were passing in review in the rear with Achish.
29:3 The leaders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time? 280 I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!” 281
29:4 But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said 282 to him, “Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become 283 our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men? 284 29:5 Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced, 285
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands’?”
29:6 So Achish summoned David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you 286 serving 287 with me in the army. 288 I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion 289 of the leaders, you are not reliable. 290 29:7 So turn and leave 291 in peace. You must not do anything that the leaders of the Philistines consider improper!” 292
29:8 But David said to Achish, “What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?” 29:9 Achish replied to David, “I am convinced that you are as reliable 293 as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us in the battle.’ 29:10 So get up early in the morning along with the servants of your lord who have come with you. 294 When you get up early in the morning, as soon as it is light enough to see, leave.” 295
29:11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to return 296 to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
30:1 On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it. 297 30:2 They took captive the women who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way.
30:3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. 298 Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. 30:4 Then David and the men 299 who were with him wept loudly 300 until they could weep no more. 301 30:5 David’s two wives had been taken captive – Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 30:6 David was very upset, for the men 302 were thinking of stoning him; 303 each man grieved bitterly 304 over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.
30:7 Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 30:8 David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”
30:9 So David went, accompanied by his six hundred men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there. 305 30:10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, but two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.
30:11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink. 30:12 They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him, 306 for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. 30:13 David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” The young man said, “I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me when I was ill for three days. 30:14 We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag.” 307 30:15 David said to him, “Can you take us down to this raiding party?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party.”
30:16 So he took David 308 down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot 309 they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 30:17 But David struck them down from twilight until the following evening. None of them escaped, with the exception of four hundred young men who got away on camels. 310 30:18 David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he 311 also rescued his two wives. 30:19 There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken. 312 David brought everything back. 30:20 David took all the flocks and herds and drove them in front of the rest of the animals. People were saying, “This is David’s plunder!”
30:21 Then David approached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him, 313 those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing. 30:22 But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Since they didn’t go with us, 314 we won’t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!”
30:23 But David said, “No! You shouldn’t do this, my brothers. Look at what the Lord has given us! 315 He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 30:24 Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!”
30:25 From that time onward it was a binding ordinance 316 for Israel, right up to the present time.
30:26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, “Here’s a gift 317 for you from the looting of the Lord’s enemies!” 30:27 The gift was for those in the following locations: 318 for those in Bethel, 319 Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; 30:28 for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 30:29 and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; 30:30 for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, 30:31 and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled.
15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 320 15:2 Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed 321 Israel along the way when Israel 322 came up from Egypt. 15:3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare 323 them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”
15:4 So Saul assembled 324 the army 325 and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city 326 of Amalek, where he set an ambush 327 in the wadi. 328 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away 329 with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to 330 Shur, which is next to Egypt. 15:8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people 331 with the sword. 15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, 332 and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. 333 They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised 334 and worthless.
15:10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
15:12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where 335 he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left 336 and went down to Gilgal.” 337 15:13 When Samuel came to him, 338 Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”
15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, 339 then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15:15 Saul said, “They were brought 340 from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”
15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! 341 Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul 342 said to him, “Tell me.” 15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose 343 you as king over Israel. 15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign 344 saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you 345 have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed 346 the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 347
15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed 348 the Lord! I went on the campaign 349 the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
15:22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience? 350
Certainly, 351 obedience 352 is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than 353 the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as 354 king.”
15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded 355 and what you said as well. 356 For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 357 15:25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship 358 the Lord.”
15:26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!”
15:27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul 359 grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 15:28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 15:29 The Preeminent One 360 of Israel does not go back on his word 361 or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 362 15:30 Saul 363 again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 15:31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling, 364 thinking to himself, 365 “Surely death is bitter!” 366 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord.
15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 15:35 Until the day he 367 died Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. 368 Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, 369 for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.” 370
16:2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you 371 and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 16:3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out 372 to you.”
16:4 Samuel did what the Lord told him. 373 When he arrived in Bethlehem, 374 the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They 375 said, “Do you come in peace?” 16:5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they arrived, Samuel 376 noticed 377 Eliab and said to himself, 378 “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king!” 379 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by 380 his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. 381 People look on the outward appearance, 382 but the Lord looks at the heart.”
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. 383 But Samuel 384 said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” 16:9 Then Jesse presented 385 Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 16:10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. 386 But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?” Jesse 387 replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
16:12 So Jesse had him brought in. 388 Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one!” 16:13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit 389 from the Lord tormented him. 16:15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!” 16:16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre 390 and you will feel better.” 391 16:17 So Saul said to his servants, “Find 392 me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 16:18 One of his attendants replied, 393 “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem 394 who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior 395 and is articulate 396 and handsome, 397 for the Lord is with him.”
16:19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep. 16:20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat 398 and sent them to Saul with 399 his son David. 16:21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, 400 and he became his armor bearer. 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” 401
16:23 So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone. 402
17:1 403 The Philistines gathered their troops 404 for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 17:2 Saul and the Israelite army 405 assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against 406 the Philistines. 17:3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites 407 on another hill, with the valley between them.
17:4 Then a champion 408 came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall. 409 17:5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was five thousand shekels. 410 17:6 He had bronze shin guards 411 on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. 17:7 The shaft 412 of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels. 413 His shield bearer was walking before him.
17:8 Goliath 414 stood and called to Israel’s troops, 415 “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose 416 for yourselves a man so he may come down 417 to me! 17:9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 17:10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight 418 each other!” 17:11 When Saul and all the Israelites 419 heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.
17:12 420 Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem 421 in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. 422 17:13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the 423 three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest, and Shammah, the third oldest. 17:14 Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, 17:15 David was going back and forth 424 from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
17:16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. 17:17 Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly 425 to the camp to your brothers. 17:18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. 426 Find out how your brothers are doing 427 and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 428 17:19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army 429 in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
17:20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. 430 After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp 431 as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 17:21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 17:22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, 432 he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 17:23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, 433 and David heard it. 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated 434 from his presence and were very afraid.
17:25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so 435 to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”
17:26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? 436 For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 17:27 The soldiers 437 told him what had been promised, saying, 438 “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”
17:28 When David’s 439 oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry 440 with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! 441 You have come down here to watch the battle!”
17:29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” 442 17:30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, 443 but they 444 gave him the same answer as before. 17:31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. 445
17:32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. 446 Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 17:33 But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”
17:34 David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 17:35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 17:36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. 447 For he has defied the armies of the living God!” 17:37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” 448
17:38 Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. 17:39 David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. 449 David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 17:40 He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch 450 of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.
17:41 451 The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. 17:42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. 17:43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” 452 Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44 The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!” 453
17:45 But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied! 17:46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand! I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God 17:47 and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
17:48 The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine. 454 17:49 David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.
17:50 455 David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand. 456 17:51 David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s 457 sword, drew it from its sheath, 458 killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away.
17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry. 459 They chased the Philistines to the valley 460 and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 17:53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp. 17:54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, 461 and he put Goliath’s 462 weapons in his tent.
17:55 463 Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the general in command of the army, “Whose son is this young man, Abner?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.” 17:56 The king said, “Find out whose son this boy is!”
17:57 So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand. 17:58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.” 464
18:1 When David 465 had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. 466 Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. 467 18:2 Saul retained David 468 on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 18:3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. 469 18:4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
18:5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. 470
18:6 When the men 471 arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. 472 18:7 The women who were playing the music sang,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”
18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, 473 “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre 474 that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 18:11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
18:12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 18:13 Saul removed David 475 from his presence and made him a commanding officer. 476 David led the army out to battle and back. 477 18:14 Now David achieved success in all he did, 478 for the Lord was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
18:17 479 Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior 480 for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
18:18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father 481 in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 18:19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.
18:20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it 482 pleased him. 18:21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” 483
18:22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.” 18:23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately 484 to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”
18:24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 18:25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his 485 enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
18:26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed 486 to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired 487 18:27 when David, along with his men, went out 488 and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
18:28 When Saul realized 489 that the Lord was with David and that his 490 daughter Michal loved David, 491 18:29 Saul became even more afraid of him. 492 Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. 493 18:30 494 Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.
19:1 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much. 495 19:2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying 496 to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find 497 a hiding place and stay in seclusion. 498 19:3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, 499 I will let you know.”
19:4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf 500 to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial 501 for you. 19:5 He risked his life 502 when he struck down the Philistine and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
19:6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice 503 and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” 19:7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. 504
19:8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly 505 and they ran away from him. 19:9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon 506 Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. 507 19:10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. 508 David escaped quickly 509 that night.
19:11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself 510 tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 19:12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped.
19:13 Then Michal took a household idol 511 and put it on the bed. She put a quilt 512 made of goat’s hair over its head 513 and then covered the idol with a garment. 19:14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”
19:15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 19:16 When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat’s hair at its head.
19:17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’” 514
19:18 Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19:19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 19:20 So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 19:21 When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 19:22 Finally Saul 515 himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.”
19:23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 19:24 He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there 516 naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)
20:1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, 517 “What have I done? What is my offense? 518 How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!”
20:2 Jonathan 519 said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing 520 large or small without making me aware of it. 521 Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”
20:3 Taking an oath, David again 522 said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact 523 that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, 524 ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!” 20:4 Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” 525
20:5 David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. 526 You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. 20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go 527 to his city Bethlehem, 528 for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’ 20:7 If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ 529 then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. 530 20:8 You must be loyal 531 to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord’s name. 532 If I am guilty, 533 you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?”
20:9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you to suggest this! If I were at all aware that my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?” 20:10 David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 20:11 Jonathan said to David, “Come on. Let’s go out to the field.”
When the two of them had gone out into the field, 20:12 Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness. 534 I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know? 535 20:13 But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don’t let you know 536 and send word to you so you can go safely on your way. 537 May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father. 20:14 While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the Lord, or else I will die! 20:15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 20:16 and called David’s enemies to account.” So Jonathan made a covenant 538 with the house of David. 539 20:17 Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. 540 20:18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. 20:19 On the third day 541 you should go down quickly 542 and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. 543 Stay near the stone Ezel. 20:20 I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target. 20:21 When I send a boy after them, I will say, “Go and find the arrows.” If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; 544 get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives, you will be safe and there will no problem. 20:22 But if I say to the boy, “Look, the arrows are on the other side of you,’ 545 get away. For in that case the Lord has sent you away. 20:23 With regard to the matter that you and I discussed, the Lord is the witness between us forever!” 546
20:24 So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. 20:25 The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him 547 and Abner at his side. 548 But David’s place was vacant. 20:26 However, Saul said nothing about it 549 that day, for he thought, 550 “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.”
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
3 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
4 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
6 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
7 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
8 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
9 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
10 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
11 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
13 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
14 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
15 tc Much of the
16 tn Heb “son of valor.”
17 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
18 tn Heb “the matter.”
19 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX
20 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
21 tn Heb “the king’s.”
22 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
23 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
24 tn Heb “arose and went.”
25 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
26 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
27 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
28 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
29 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX
30 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX
31 tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”
32 tn Heb “seeking.”
33 tn Heb “stay in.”
34 tn Heb “and hide yourself.”
35 tn Heb “when I see.”
36 tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”
37 tn Heb “good.”
38 tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.”
39 tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”
40 tn Heb “and he was before him as before.”
41 tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”
42 tn Heb “[was] to.”
43 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
44 tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”
45 tn Heb “fled and escaped.”
46 tn Heb “your life.”
47 tn Heb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape.
48 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goat’s hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.”
49 tn Heb “at the place of its head.”
50 tn Heb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325, 26.
51 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 23). the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
52 tn Heb “and he fell down.”
53 tn Heb “and he came and said before Jonathan.”
54 tn Heb “What is my guilt?”
55 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
56 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
57 tn Heb “without uncovering my ear.”
58 tc The LXX and the Syriac Peshitta lack the word “again.”
59 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
60 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself. So also in v. 25.
61 tn Heb “whatever your soul says, I will do for you.”
62 tn Heb “and I must surely sit with the king to eat.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
63 tn Heb “to run.”
64 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
65 tn Heb “good.”
66 tn Heb “know that the evil is completed from with him.”
67 tn Heb “and you must do loyalty.”
68 tn Heb “for into a covenant of the
69 tn Heb “and if there is in me guilt.”
70 tc The Hebrew text has simply “the
71 tn Heb “and uncover your ear.”
72 tn Heb “uncover your ear.”
73 tn Heb “in peace.”
74 tn Heb “cut.” The object of the verb (“covenant”) must be supplied.
75 tn The word order is different in the Hebrew text, which reads “and Jonathan cut with the house of David, and the
76 tn Heb “for [with] the love of his [own] life he loved him.”
77 tc Heb “you will do [something] a third time.” The translation assumes an emendation of the verb from שִׁלַּשְׁתָּ (shillashta, “to do a third time”) to שִׁלִּישִׁית (shillishit, “[on the] third [day]”).
78 tn Heb “you must go down greatly.” See Judg 19:11 for the same idiom.
79 tn Heb “on the day of the deed.” This probably refers to the incident recorded in 19:2.
80 tn Heb “from you and here.”
81 tn Heb “from you and onward.”
82 tc Heb “the
83 tc Heb “and Jonathan arose.” Instead of MT’s וַיָּקָם (vayyaqam, “and he arose”; from the hollow verbal root קוּם, qum), the translation assumes a reading וַיִּקַדֵּם (vayyiqaddem, “and he was in front of”; from the verbal root קדם, qdm). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 338.
84 tn Heb “and Abner sat at the side of Saul.”
85 tn The words “about it” are not present in the Hebrew text, although they are implied.
86 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself.
87 tn Heb “send me.”
88 tn Heb “commanded.”
89 tn Heb “be released [from duty].”
90 tc Many medieval Hebrew
91 tn Heb “son of a perverse woman of rebelliousness.” But such an overly literal and domesticated translation of the Hebrew expression fails to capture the force of Saul’s unrestrained reaction. Saul, now incensed and enraged over Jonathan’s liaison with David, is actually hurling very coarse and emotionally charged words at his son. The translation of this phrase suggested by Koehler and Baumgartner is “bastard of a wayward woman” (HALOT 796 s.v. עוה), but this is not an expression commonly used in English. A better English approximation of the sentiments expressed here by the Hebrew phrase would be “You stupid son of a bitch!” However, sensitivity to the various public formats in which the Bible is read aloud has led to a less startling English rendering which focuses on the semantic value of Saul’s utterance (i.e., the behavior of his own son Jonathan, which he viewed as both a personal and a political betrayal [= “traitor”]). But this concession should not obscure the fact that Saul is full of bitterness and frustration. That he would address his son Jonathan with such language, not to mention his apparent readiness even to kill his own son over this friendship with David (v. 33), indicates something of the extreme depth of Saul’s jealousy and hatred of David.
92 tn Heb “all the days that.”
93 tn The words “some men” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
94 tn Heb “a son of death.”
95 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
96 tn Heb “knew.”
97 tn Heb “for he was upset concerning David for his father had humiliated him.” The referent of the pronoun “him” is not entirely clear, but the phrase “concerning David” suggests that it refers to David, rather than Jonathan.
98 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
99 tn Heb “called after” (also in v. 38).
100 tn Heb “knew the matter.”
101 tc The translation follows the LXX in reading “the mound,” rather than the MT’s “the south.” It is hard to see what meaning the MT reading “from beside the south” would have as it stands, since such a location lacks specificity. The NIV treats it as an elliptical expression, rendering the phrase as “from the south side of the stone (rock NCV).” This is perhaps possible, but it seems better to follow the LXX rather than the MT here.
102 tn Heb “fell.”
103 sn Beginning with 20:42b, the verse numbers through 21:15 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:42b ET = 21:1 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:2 ET = 21:3 HT, etc., through 21:15 ET = 21:16 HT. With 22:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
105 tn Heb “trembled to meet.”
106 tn Heb “let not a man know anything about the matter [for] which I am sending you and [about] which I commanded you.”
107 tn Heb “servants.”
108 tn The Hebrew expression here refers to a particular, but unnamed, place. It occurs in the OT only here, in 2 Kgs 6:8, and in Ruth 4:1, where Boaz uses it to refer to Naomi’s unnamed kinsman-redeemer. A contracted form of the expression appears in Dan 8:13.
109 tn Heb “under your hand.”
110 tn Heb “servants.”
111 tn Heb “have kept themselves from women” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “haven’t had sexual relations recently”; NLT “have not slept with any women recently.”
112 tn Heb “servants’.”
113 tn Heb “placed these matters in his heart.”
114 tn Heb “in their eyes.”
115 tn Heb “in their hand.”
116 tn Heb “house.”
117 tn Heb “bitter of soul.”
118 tn Heb “to.”
119 tn Heb “go forth.”
120 tn Heb “all the days.”
121 tn Heb “and Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were known.”
122 tc The MT has “to all of you.” If this reading is correct, we have here an example of a prepositional phrase functioning as the equivalent of a dative of advantage, which is not impossible from a grammatical point of view. However, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have “and.” A conjunction rather than a preposition should probably be read on the front of this phrase.
123 tn Heb “officers of a thousand and officers of a hundred.”
124 tn Heb “uncovers my ear.”
125 tn Heb “by giving.”
126 tn Heb “rises up against.”
127 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
128 tn Heb “small or great.”
129 tn Heb “runners.”
130 tn Heb “their hand is.”
131 tn Heb “to extend their hand to harm.”
132 tc The number is confused in the Greek
133 tc The translation follows the LXX, which reads “I am guilty,” rather than the MT, which has “I have turned.”
134 tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.
135 tn Heb “and struck them down with a great blow.”
136 tn Heb “an ephod went down in his hand.”
137 tn The MT reading (“God has alienated him into my hand”) in v. 7 is a difficult and uncommon idiom. The use of this verb in Jer 19:4 is somewhat parallel, but not entirely so. Many scholars have therefore suspected a textual problem here, emending the word נִכַּר (nikkar, “alienated”) to סִכַּר (sikkar, “he has shut up [i.e., delivered]”). This is the idea reflected in the translations of the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate, although it is not entirely clear whether they are reading something different from the MT or are simply paraphrasing what for them too may have been a difficult text. The LXX has “God has sold him into my hands,” apparently reading מַכַר (makar, “sold”) for MT’s נִכַּר. The present translation is a rather free interpretation.
138 tn Heb “with two gates and a bar.” Since in English “bar” could be understood as a saloon, it has been translated as an attributive: “two barred gates.”
139 tn Heb “So Saul mustered all his army for battle to go down to Keilah to besiege against David and his men.”
140 tn Heb “Saul was planning the evil against him.”
141 tn Heb “seeking.”
142 tn Heb “they went where they went.”
143 tn Heb “all the days.”
144 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
145 tn Heb “saw.”
146 tn Heb “strengthened his hand.”
147 tn Heb “to all the desire of your soul.”
148 tn Heb “know and see.” The expression is a hendiadys. See also v. 23.
149 tn Heb “his place where his foot is.”
150 tn Heb “established.”
151 tn Heb “I will search him out.”
152 tn Heb “to search.”
153 sn The name הַמַּחְלְקוֹת סֶלַע (Sela Hammakhleqoth) probably means “Rock of Divisions” in Hebrew, in the sense that Saul and David parted company there (cf. NAB “Gorge of Divisions”; TEV “Separation Hill”). This etymology assumes that the word derives from the Hebrew root II חלק (khlq, “to divide”; HALOT 322 s.v. II חלק). However, there is another root I חלק, which means “to be smooth or slippery” (HALOT 322 s.v. I חלק). If the word is taken from this root, the expression would mean “Slippery Rock.”
154 sn Beginning with 23:29, the verse numbers through 24:22 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 23:29 ET = 24:1 HT, 24:1 ET = 24:2 HT, 24:2 ET = 24:3 HT, etc., through 24:22 ET = 24:23 HT. With 25:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
155 tn Heb “to search [for].”
156 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
157 tn Or “the region of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats,” if this expression is understood as a place name (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV).
158 tn Heb “to cover his feet,” an idiom (euphemism) for relieving oneself (cf. NAB “to ease nature”).
159 tn Heb “is good in your eyes.”
160 tn Heb “the heart of David struck him.”
161 tn Heb “anointed.”
162 tn Or “for.”
163 tn Heb “anointed.”
164 tn Heb “went on.”
165 tn Heb “it had pity,” apparently with the understood subject being “my eye,” in accordance with a common expression.
166 tn Heb “anointed.”
167 tn Heb “there is not in my hand.”
168 tn Heb “lifted his voice and wept.”
169 tn Or “righteous” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “you are in the right”; NLT “are a better man than I am.”
170 tn Heb “by the
171 tn Heb “cut off.”
172 tn Heb “and David swore an oath to Saul.”
173 tc The LXX reads “Maon” here instead of “Paran,” perhaps because the following account of Nabal is said to be in Maon (v. 2). This reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT). The MT, however, reads “Paran,” a location which would parallel this portion of David’s life with that of the nation Israel which also spent time in Paran (Num 10:12). Also, the desert of Paran was on the southern border of Judah’s territory and would be the most isolated location for hiding from Saul.
174 tn Heb “great.”
175 sn The name נָבָל (Nabal) means “foolish” or “senseless” in Hebrew, and as an adjective the word is used especially of persons who have no perception of ethical or religious claims. It is an apt name for this character, who certainly typifies such behavior.
176 tn Heb “good of insight”; KJV “of good understanding”; NAB, NIV, TEV “intelligent”; NRSV “clever.”
177 tn Heb “David”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun has been used in the translation.
178 tn Or “young men.”
179 tn Heb “and David said to the young men.”
180 tn Heb “and inquire concerning him in my name in regard to peace.”
181 tc The text is difficult here. The MT and most of the early versions support the reading לֶחָי (lekhai, “to life,” or “to the one who lives”). Some of the older English versions (KJV, ASV; cf. NKJV) took the expression to mean “to him who lives (in prosperity),” but this translation requires reading a good deal into the words. While the expression could have the sense of “Long life to you!” (cf. NIV, NJPS) or perhaps “Good luck to you!” this seems somewhat redundant in light of the salutation that follows in the context. The Latin Vulgate has fratribus meis (“to my brothers”), which suggests that Jerome understood the Hebrew word to have an alef that is absent in the MT (i.e., לֶאֱחָי, le’ekhay). Jerome’s plural, however, remains a problem, since in the context David is addressing a single individual, namely Nabal, and not a group. However, it is likely that the Vulgate witnesses to a consonantal Hebrew text that is to be preferred here, especially if the word were to be revocalized as a singular rather than a plural. While it is impossible to be certain about this reading, the present translation essentially follows the Vulgate in reading “my brother” (so also NJB; cf. NAB, RSV, NRSV).
182 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
183 tn This refers to the ten servants sent by David.
184 tn Heb “whatever your hand will find.”
185 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
186 tn Heb “bless.”
187 tn Heb “all the days we walked about with them when we were.”
188 tn Heb “all his house” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “his whole family.”
189 tn Heb “he is a son of worthlessness.”
190 tn Heb “skins.”
191 sn The seah was a dry measure equal to one-third of an ephah, or not quite eleven quarts.
192 tn Heb “said.”
193 tc Heb “Thus God will do to the enemies of David and thus he will add.” Most of the Old Greek
194 tn Heb “one who urinates against a wall” (also in v. 34); KJV “any that pisseth against the wall.”
195 tn Heb “and foolishness is with him.”
196 tn Heb “my lord’s servants, whom you sent.”
197 tn Heb “blessing.”
198 tn Heb “are walking at the feet of.”
199 tn Cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “bundle”; NLT “treasure pouch.”
200 tn Heb “according to all which he spoke, the good concerning you.”
201 tn Heb “appoint.”
202 tn Heb “and this will not be for you for staggering and for stumbling of the heart of my lord.”
203 tn Heb “and the
204 tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39).
205 tn Heb “blessed.”
206 tn Heb “up.”
207 tn Heb “your voice.”
208 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face.”
209 tn Heb “and the heart of Nabal was good upon him”; NASB, NRSV “Nabal’s heart was merry within him”; NIV “he was in high spirits”; NCV, TEV “was in a good mood”; CEV “was very drunk and feeling good.”
210 tn Heb “and she did not tell him a thing, small or large.”
211 tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.”
212 tn Heb “and his heart died within him and he became a stone.” Cf. TEV, NLT “stroke”; CEV “heart attack.” For an alternative interpretation than that presented above, see Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle, “The Law of the Heart: The Death of a Fool (1 Samuel 25),” JBL 120 (2001): 401-27, who argues that a medical diagnosis is not necessary here. Instead, the passage makes a connection between the heart and the law; Nabal dies for his lawlessness.
213 tn Heb “who has argued the case of my insult from the hand of Nabal.”
214 tn Heb “his servant he has held back from evil, and the evil of Nabal the
215 tn Heb “Here is your maidservant, for a lowly servant to wash.”
216 tn Heb “going at her feet.”
217 tn Heb “taken.”
218 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
219 tn Heb “after.”
220 tn Heb “and David sent scouts and he knew that Saul had certainly come.”
221 tn Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.
222 tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”
223 tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23).
224 tn Heb “Not good [is] this thing which you have done.”
225 tn Heb “you are sons of death.”
226 tn Heb “What in my hand [is] evil?”
227 tn Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.
228 tn Heb “but if the sons of men.”
229 tn Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge.
230 tn Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.”
231 tn Heb “and I have erred very greatly.”
232 tn Heb “and the
233 tn Heb “your life was great this day in my eyes.”
234 tn Heb “may my life be great in the eyes of the
235 tn Heb “blessed.”
236 tn Heb “you will certainly do and also you will certainly be able.” The infinitive absolutes placed before the finite verbal forms lend emphasis to the statement.
237 tn Heb “said to his heart.”
238 tn Heb “a man and his house.”
239 tn Heb “the number of the days.”
240 tn Heb “days.” The plural of the word “day” is sometimes used idiomatically to refer specifically to a year. In addition to this occurrence in v. 7 see also 1 Sam 1:3, 21; 2:19; 20:6; Lev 25:29; Judg 17:10.
241 tn Heb “from where you come.”
242 tn Heb “the land.”
243 tc The translation follows the LXX (ἐπι τίνα, epi tina) and Vulgate (in quem) which assume אֶל מִי (’el mi, “to whom”) rather than the MT אַל (’al, “not”). The MT makes no sense here. Another possibility is that the text originally had אַן (’an, “where”), which has been distorted in the MT to אַל. Cf. the Syriac Peshitta and the Targum, which have “where.”
244 tn Heb “all the days.”
245 tn Heb “saying.”
246 tn Heb “he really stinks.” The expression is used figuratively here to describe the rejection and ostracism that David had experienced as a result of Saul’s hatred of him.
247 tc Many medieval Hebrew
248 tn Heb “permanently.”
249 tn Heb “their camps.”
250 tc The translation follows the LXX (εἰς πόλεμον, eis polemon) and a Qumran
251 tn Heb “the guardian for my head.”
252 tn Heb “all the days.”
253 tn Heb “in Ramah, even in his city.”
254 tn The Hebrew term translated “mediums” actually refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits (see 2 Kgs 21:6). In v. 7 the witch of Endor is called the owner of a ritual pit. See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401. Here the term refers by metonymy to the owner of such a pit (see H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 1:133).
255 sn See Isa 8:19 for another reference to magicians who attempted to conjure up underworld spirits.
256 tn Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.”
257 sn See the note at 1 Sam 14:41.
258 tn Heb “an owner of a ritual pit.” See the note at v. 3.
259 tn Heb “Use divination for me with the ritual pit and bring up for me the one whom I say to you.”
260 tn Heb “how he has cut off.”
261 tn See the note at v. 3.
262 tn Heb “my life.”
263 tn Heb “in a great voice.”
264 tn Heb “gods.” The modifying participle (translated “coming up”) is plural, suggesting that underworld spirits are the referent. But in the following verse Saul understands the plural word to refer to a singular being. The reference is to the spirit of Samuel.
265 tn Heb “just as he said by my hand.”
266 tn Heb “listen to the voice of the
267 tn Heb “And the
268 tc With the exception of the Lucianic recension, the LXX has here “and tomorrow you and your sons with you will fall.”
269 tn Heb “camp.”
270 tn Heb “also there was no strength in him.”
271 tn Heb “food.”
272 tn Heb “listened to your voice.”
273 tn Heb “listened to your words that you spoke to me.”
274 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
275 tn Heb “he listened to their voice.”
276 sn Masoretic
277 tn Heb “a calf of the stall.”
278 tn Heb “camps.”
279 tn Heb “passing by with respect to hundreds and thousands.” This apparently describes a mustering of troops for the purpose of inspection and readiness.
280 tn Heb “these days or these years.”
281 tn Heb “from the day of his falling [away] until this day.”
282 tn Heb “and the leaders of the Philistines said.”
283 tn Heb “so that he might not become.”
284 tn Or perhaps, “our men.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.e.
285 tn Heb “in dances.”
286 tn Heb “it is good in my eyes.” Cf. v. 7.
287 tn Heb “your going forth and your coming in.” The expression is a merism.
288 tn Heb “camp.”
289 tn Heb “eyes.”
290 tn Heb “good.”
291 tn Heb “go.”
292 tn Heb “and you must not do evil in the eyes of the leaders of the Philistines.”
293 tn Heb “I know that you are good in my eyes.”
294 tc The LXX and a couple of Old Latin
295 tn Heb “when you get up early in the morning and you have light, go.”
296 tc Heb “to go in the morning to return.” With the exception of Origen and the Lucianic recension, the Old Greek tradition lacks the phrase “in the morning.” The Syriac Peshitta also omits it.
297 tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.”
298 tn Heb “and David and his men came to the city, and look, it was burned with fire.”
299 tn Heb “people.”
300 tn Heb “lifted up their voice and wept.”
301 tn Heb “until there was no longer in them strength to weep.”
302 tn Heb “people.”
303 tn Heb “said to stone him.”
304 tn Heb “for bitter was the soul of all the people, each one.”
305 tn Heb “stood.” So also in v. 10.
306 tn Heb “his spirit returned to him.”
307 tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.”
308 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
309 tn Heb “because of all the large plunder.”
310 tn Heb “who rode on camels and fled.”
311 tn Heb “David.” The pronoun (“he”) has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
312 tn Heb “there was nothing missing to them, from the small even unto the great, and unto sons and daughters, and from loot even unto all which they had taken for themselves.”
313 tn Heb “David.” The pronoun (“him”) has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
314 tc Heb “with me.” The singular is used rather than the plural because the group is being treated as a singular entity, in keeping with Hebrew idiom. It is not necessary to read “with us,” rather than the MT “with me,” although the plural can be found here in a few medieval Hebrew
315 tc This clause is difficult in the MT. The present translation accepts the text as found in the MT and understands this clause to be elliptical, with an understood verb such as “look” or “consider.” On the other hand, the LXX seems to reflect a slightly different Hebrew text, reading “after” where the MT has “my brothers.” The Greek translation yields the following translation: “You should not do this after the
316 tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
317 tn Heb “blessing.”
318 tn This sentence is not in the Hebrew text. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
319 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
320 tn Heb “to the voice of the words of the
321 tn Heb “what Amalek did to Israel, how he placed against him.”
322 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
323 tn Or perhaps “don’t take pity on” (cf. CEV).
324 tn Heb “caused the people to hear.”
325 tn Heb “people.”
326 tc The LXX has the plural here, “cities.”
327 tc The translation follows the LXX and Vulgate which assume a reading וַיָּאָרֶב (vayya’arev, “and he set an ambush,” from the root ארב [’rv] with quiescence of alef) rather than the MT, which has וַיָּרֶב (vayyareb, “and he contended,” from the root ריב [ryv]).
328 tn That is, “the dry stream bed.”
329 tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate which assume a reading אֶסִפְךָ (’esfÿka, “I sweep you away,” from the root ספה [sfh]) rather than the MT אֹסִפְךָ (’osifÿka, “I am gathering you,” from the root אסף[’sf]).
330 tn Heb “[as] you enter.”
331 tn Heb “all the people.” For clarity “Agag’s” has been supplied in the translation.
332 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. We should probably read וְהַמַּשְׂמַנִּים (vÿhammasmannim, “the fat ones”) rather than the MT וְהַמִּשְׂנִים (vÿhammisnim, “the second ones”). However, if the MT is retained, the sense may be as the Jewish commentator Kimchi supposed: the second-born young, thought to be better than the firstlings. (For discussion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 123-24.)
333 tn Heb “good.”
334 tc The MT has here the very odd form נְמִבְזָה (nÿmivzah), but this is apparently due to a scribal error. The translation follows instead the Niphal participle נִבְזָה (nivzah).
335 tn Heb “and look.”
336 tn Heb “and he turned and crossed over.”
337 tc At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin
338 tn Heb “to Saul.”
339 tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
340 tn Heb “they brought them.”
341 tn Or perhaps “be quiet.”
342 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
343 tn Heb “anointed.”
344 tn Heb “journey.”
345 tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”).
346 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
347 tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the
348 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
349 tn Heb “journey.”
350 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the
351 tn Heb “look.”
352 tn Heb “listening.”
353 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
354 tn Or “from [being].”
355 tn Heb “the mouth of the
356 tn Heb “and your words.”
357 tn Heb “and I listened to their voice.”
358 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
359 tn Heb “he,” but Saul is clearly the referent. A Qumran
360 tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the
361 tn Or perhaps “does not lie.”
362 sn This observation marks the preceding statement (v. 28) as an unconditional, unalterable decree. When God makes such a decree he will not alter it or change his mind. This does not mean that God never deviates from his stated intentions or changes his mind. On the contrary, several passages describe him as changing his mind. In fact, his willingness to do so is one of his fundamental divine attributes (see Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Change His Mind?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
363 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
364 tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (ma’adannot, literally, “bonds,” used here adverbially, “in bonds”) is difficult. The word is found only here and in Job 38:31. Part of the problem lies in determining the root of the word. Some scholars have taken it to be from the root ענד (’nd, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עדן (’dn) with the meaning “voluptuously,” but this does not seem to fit the context. It seems better to understand the word to be from the root מעד (m’d, “to totter” or “shake”). In that case it describes the fear that Agag experienced in realizing the mortal danger that he faced as he approached Samuel. This is the way that the LXX translators understood the word, rendering it by the Greek participle τρέμον (tremon, “trembling”).
365 tn Heb “and Agag said.”
366 tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin
367 tn That is, Samuel.
368 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And the Lord said to Samuel.”
369 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
370 tn Heb “for I have seen among his sons for me a king.”
371 tn Heb “in your hand.”
372 tn Heb “say”; KJV, NRSV “name”; NIV “indicate.”
373 tn Heb “said.”
374 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
375 tc In the MT the verb is singular (“he said”), but the translation follows many medieval Hebrew
376 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
377 tn Heb “saw.”
378 tn Heb “said”; the words “to himself” are implied, given the secrecy surrounding Samuel’s mission to Bethlehem (v. 2).
379 tn Heb “his anointed one.”
380 tn Heb “don’t look toward.”
381 tn Heb “for not that which the man sees.” The translation follows the LXX, which reads, “for not as man sees does God see.” The MT has suffered from homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 274.
382 tn Heb “to the eyes.”
383 tn Heb “and caused him to pass before.”
384 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 9); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
385 tn Heb “caused to pass by.”
386 tn Heb “caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” This could be taken as referring to seven sons in addition to the three mentioned before this, but 1 Sam 17:12 says Jesse had eight sons, not eleven. 1 Chr 2:13-15 lists only seven sons, including David. However, 1 Chr 27:18 mentions an additional son, named Elihu.
387 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jesse) has been specified in the translation both here and in v. 12 for clarity.
388 tn Heb “and he sent and brought him.”
389 tn Or “an injurious spirit”; cf. NLT “a tormenting spirit.” The phrase need not refer to an evil, demonic spirit. The Hebrew word translated “evil” may refer to the character of the spirit or to its effect upon Saul. If the latter, another translation option might be “a mischief-making spirit.”
390 tn Heb “and he will play with his hand.”
391 tn Heb “and it will be better for you.”
392 tn Heb “see.”
393 tn Heb “answered and said.”
394 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
395 tn Heb “mighty man of valor and a man of war.”
396 tn Heb “discerning of word.”
397 tn Heb “a man of form.”
398 tn Heb “a kid of the goats.”
399 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
400 tn Heb “he loved him.”
401 tn Heb “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
402 tn Heb “would turn aside from upon him.”
403 tc The content of 1 Sam 17–18, which includes the David and Goliath story, differs considerably in the LXX as compared to the MT, suggesting that this story circulated in ancient times in more than one form. The LXX for chs. 17–18 is much shorter than the MT, lacking almost half of the material (39 of a total of 88 verses). Many scholars (e.g., McCarter, Klein) think that the shorter text of the LXX is preferable to the MT, which in their view has been expanded by incorporation of later material. Other scholars (e.g., Wellhausen, Driver) conclude that the shorter Greek text (or the Hebrew text that underlies it) reflects an attempt to harmonize certain alleged inconsistencies that appear in the longer version of the story. Given the translation characteristics of the LXX elsewhere in this section, it does not seem likely that these differences are due to deliberate omission of these verses on the part of the translator. It seems more likely that the Greek translator has faithfully rendered here a Hebrew text that itself was much shorter than the MT in these chapters. Whether or not the shorter text represented by the LXX is to be preferred over the MT in 1 Sam 17–18 is a matter over which textual scholars are divided. For a helpful discussion of the major textual issues in this unit see D. Barthélemy, D. W. Gooding, J. Lust, and E. Tov, The Story of David and Goliath (OBO). Overall it seems preferable to stay with the MT, at least for the most part. However, the major textual differences between the LXX and the MT will be mentioned in the notes that accompany the translation so that the reader may be alert to the major problem passages.
404 tn Heb “camps.”
405 tn Heb “the men of Israel” (so KJV, NASB); NAB, NIV, NRSV “the Israelites.”
406 tn Heb “to meet.”
407 tn Heb “Israel.”
408 tn Heb “the man of the space between the two [armies].” See v. 23.
409 tc Heb “his height was six cubits and a span” (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV). A cubit was approximately eighteen inches, a span nine inches. So, according to the Hebrew tradition, Goliath was about nine feet, nine inches tall (cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “over nine feet”; NCV “nine feet, four inches”; TEV “nearly 3 metres”). However, some Greek witnesses, Josephus, and a manuscript of 1 Samuel from Qumran read “four cubits and a span” here, that is, about six feet, nine inches (cf. NAB “six and a half feet”). This seems more reasonable; it is likely that Goliath’s height was exaggerated as the story was retold. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 286, 291.
410 sn Although the exact weight of Goliath’s defensive body armor is difficult to estimate in terms of modern equivalency, it was obviously quite heavy. Driver, following Kennedy, suggests a modern equivalent of about 220 pounds (100 kg); see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 139. Klein, taking the shekel to be equal to .403 ounces, arrives at a somewhat smaller weight of about 126 pounds (57 kg); see R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 175. But by any estimate it is clear that Goliath presented himself as a formidable foe indeed.
411 sn Or “greaves.” These were coverings (probably lined for comfort) that extended from about the knee to the ankle, affording protection for the shins of a warrior.
412 tn The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
413 sn That is, about fifteen or sixteen pounds.
414 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
415 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to them.”
416 tc The translation follows the ancient versions in reading “choose,” (from the root בחר, bkhr), rather than the MT. The verb in MT (ברה, brh) elsewhere means “to eat food”; the sense of “to choose,” required here by the context, is not attested for this root. The MT apparently reflects an early scribal error.
417 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (either an imperfect or jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result here.
418 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative verbal form indicates purpose/result here.
419 tn Heb “all Israel.”
420 tc Some
421 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
422 tc The translation follows the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “in years,” rather than MT “among men.”
423 tn Heb “his.”
424 tn Heb “was going and returning.”
425 tn Heb “run.”
426 tn Heb “officer of the thousand.”
427 tn Heb “and your brothers, observe with respect to welfare.”
428 tn Heb “and their pledge take.” This probably refers to some type of confirmation that the goods arrived safely. See R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 177. Cf. NIV “bring back some assurance”; NCV “some proof to show me they are all right”; NLT “bring me back a letter from them.”
429 tn Heb “all the men of Israel.”
430 tn Heb “to a guard”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “with a keeper”; NIV “with a shepherd.” Since in contemporary English “guard” sounds like someone at a military installation or a prison, the present translation uses “to someone else who would watch over it.”
431 tn Or “entrenchment.”
432 tn Heb “the guard of the equipment.”
433 tn Heb “according to these words.”
434 tn Or “fled.”
435 tn Heb “he is coming up.”
436 tn Heb “and turns aside humiliation from upon Israel.”
437 tn Heb “people.”
438 tn Heb “according to this word, saying.”
439 tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
440 tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”
441 tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”
442 tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”
443 tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”
444 tn Heb “the people.”
445 tn Heb “he took him.”
446 tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”
447 tc The LXX includes here the following words not found in the MT: “Should I not go and smite him, and remove today reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?”
448 tn Or “Go, and may the
449 tn Heb “he had not tested.”
450 tn This Hebrew word occurs only here and its exact meaning is not entirely clear. It refers to a receptacle of some sort and apparently was a common part of a shepherd’s equipment. Here it serves as a depository for the stones that David will use in his sling.
451 tc Most LXX
452 sn Sticks is a pejorative reference to David’s staff (v. 40); the same Hebrew word (מַקֵּל, maqqel) is used for both.
453 tc Many medieval Hebrew
454 tc Most LXX
455 tc Most LXX
456 tn Verse 50 is a summary statement; v. 51 gives a more detailed account of how David killed the Philistine.
457 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
458 tc Most LXX
459 tn Heb “arose and cried out.”
460 tc Most of the LXX
461 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
462 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
463 tc Most LXX
464 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
465 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
466 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
467 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
468 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
469 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
470 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
471 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
472 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
473 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
474 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
475 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
476 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
477 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
478 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
479 tc Much of the
480 tn Heb “son of valor.”
481 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
482 tn Heb “the matter.”
483 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX
484 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
485 tn Heb “the king’s.”
486 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
487 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
488 tn Heb “arose and went.”
489 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
490 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
491 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
492 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
493 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX
494 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX
495 tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”
496 tn Heb “seeking.”
497 tn Heb “stay in.”
498 tn Heb “and hide yourself.”
499 tn Heb “when I see.”
500 tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”
501 tn Heb “good.”
502 tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.”
503 tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”
504 tn Heb “and he was before him as before.”
505 tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”
506 tn Heb “[was] to.”
507 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
508 tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”
509 tn Heb “fled and escaped.”
510 tn Heb “your life.”
511 tn Heb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape.
512 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goat’s hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.”
513 tn Heb “at the place of its head.”
514 tn Heb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325, 26.
515 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 23). the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
516 tn Heb “and he fell down.”
517 tn Heb “and he came and said before Jonathan.”
518 tn Heb “What is my guilt?”
519 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
520 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
521 tn Heb “without uncovering my ear.”
522 tc The LXX and the Syriac Peshitta lack the word “again.”
523 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
524 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself. So also in v. 25.
525 tn Heb “whatever your soul says, I will do for you.”
526 tn Heb “and I must surely sit with the king to eat.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
527 tn Heb “to run.”
528 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
529 tn Heb “good.”
530 tn Heb “know that the evil is completed from with him.”
531 tn Heb “and you must do loyalty.”
532 tn Heb “for into a covenant of the
533 tn Heb “and if there is in me guilt.”
534 tc The Hebrew text has simply “the
535 tn Heb “and uncover your ear.”
536 tn Heb “uncover your ear.”
537 tn Heb “in peace.”
538 tn Heb “cut.” The object of the verb (“covenant”) must be supplied.
539 tn The word order is different in the Hebrew text, which reads “and Jonathan cut with the house of David, and the
540 tn Heb “for [with] the love of his [own] life he loved him.”
541 tc Heb “you will do [something] a third time.” The translation assumes an emendation of the verb from שִׁלַּשְׁתָּ (shillashta, “to do a third time”) to שִׁלִּישִׁית (shillishit, “[on the] third [day]”).
542 tn Heb “you must go down greatly.” See Judg 19:11 for the same idiom.
543 tn Heb “on the day of the deed.” This probably refers to the incident recorded in 19:2.
544 tn Heb “from you and here.”
545 tn Heb “from you and onward.”
546 tc Heb “the
547 tc Heb “and Jonathan arose.” Instead of MT’s וַיָּקָם (vayyaqam, “and he arose”; from the hollow verbal root קוּם, qum), the translation assumes a reading וַיִּקַדֵּם (vayyiqaddem, “and he was in front of”; from the verbal root קדם, qdm). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 338.
548 tn Heb “and Abner sat at the side of Saul.”
549 tn The words “about it” are not present in the Hebrew text, although they are implied.
550 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself.