Amplified Bible
1 Samuel 24:3
3On the way he came to the sheepfolds where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the cave’s innermost recesses.
1 Samuel 24:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
- New International Version (NIV)He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)
Context of 1 Samuel 24:3
1When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the Wilderness of Engedi.” 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. On the way he came to the sheepfolds where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the cave’s innermost recesses. 4David’s men said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will hand over your enemy to you, and you shall do to him as seems good to you.’ ” Then David arose [in the darkness] and stealthily cut off the hem (edge) of Saul’s robe. 5Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the hem of Saul’s robe.
Read all of 1 Samuel 241 Samuel 24:3 word by word
וַ֠יָּבֹא אֶל־גִּדְר֨וֹת הַצֹּ֤אן עַל־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ וְשָׁ֣ם מְעָרָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א שָׁא֖וּל לְהָסֵ֣ךְ אֶת־רַגְלָ֑יו וְדָוִד֙ וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י הַמְּעָרָ֖ה יֹשְׁבִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the sheepcotesצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- to the sheepcotesגְּדֵרָהgedêrâh · wallH1448
- by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- a caveמְעָרָהme‛ârâh · caveH4631
- and Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- to coverסָכַךְsâkak ώâkak · to coverH5526
- his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- and Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- and his menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- remainedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the sidesיַרְכָהyerêkâh · flankH3411
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:3
- Psalms 141:6Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff, And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just).
- Judges 3:24When Ehud departed, Eglon’s servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, “He is only relieving himself in the cool room.”
- Psalms 57:1Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me, For my soul finds shelter and safety in You, And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure Until destruction passes by.
- Psalms 142:1I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The sheep-cotes - Caves in the rocks, in which it is common, even to the present time, for shepherds and their flocks to lodge. According to Strabo there are caverns in Syria, one of which is capable of containing four thousand men: ̔ ̔ ; lib. xvi. p. 1096. Edit. 1707. Saul went in to cover his feet - Perhaps this phrase signifies exactly what the Vulgate has rendered it, ut purparet ventrem. The Septuagint, the Targum, and the Arabic understand it in the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Remained in the sides - Rather, “were in the sides of the cave dwelling or abiding there.” Some of these caverns are very deep and spacious. Any one near the mouth of the cave would be visible, but those in the recesses would be quite in the dark and invisible, especially if the incident occurred at night. Psalm 67:1-7, according to the title, was composed on this occasion.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. he came to the sheepcotes--most probably in the upper ridge of Wady Chareitun. There a large cave--I am quite disposed to say the cave--lies hardly five minutes to the east of the village ruin, on the south side of the wady. It is high upon the side of the calcareous rock, and it has undergone no change since David's time. The same narrow natural vaulting at the entrance; the same huge natural chamber in the rock, probably the place where Saul lay down…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Amplified Bible — © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
Commentaries