1 Samuel 21:2

1 Samuel 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
• New International Version (NIV)David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.

Context of 1 Samuel 21:2

1Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. 3Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” 4“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”

1 Samuel 21:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ צִוַּ֣נִי דָבָר֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י אִ֣ישׁ אַל־יֵ֧דַע מְא֛וּמָה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֣ים יוֹדַ֔עְתִּי אֶל־מְק֥וֹם פְּלֹנִ֖י אַלְמוֹנִֽי׃Read the interlinear

• The kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• has given meצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• a missionדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• repliedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• ·אֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăchîymelek · AhimelechH288
• ·כֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• meאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• no oneאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• no oneאַל'al · notH408
• is to knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• ·מְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• aboutאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• on whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Iאָֽנֹכִ֫י'ânôkîy · IH595
• am sending youשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• young menנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• at a certain placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• at a certain placeפְּלֹנִיpelônîy · someoneH6423
• at a certain placeאַלְמֹנִי'almônîy · someoneH492

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 21:2

• 1 Samuel 19:17And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
• 1 Samuel 22:22Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house.
• Genesis 27:20But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied.
• 1 Kings 13:18Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was lying to him,
• Psalms 119:29Remove me from the path of deceit and graciously grant me Your law.
• Galatians 2:12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
• Colossians 3:9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The king hath commanded me a business - All said here is an untruth, and could not be dictated by the Spirit of the Lord; but there is no reason to believe that David was under the influence of Divine inspiration at this time. It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie, in order to save life. Thus Diphilus: - ̔ ͅ , . "I hold it right to tell a lie, in order to procure my personal safety; nothing should be avoided in order…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A fresh instance of David‘s unscrupulous readiness of invention (compare 1 Samuel 20:6).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2“The king has given me a mission,”: David lied to hide that he was an outlaw and to ease Ahimelech's concerns.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know--This was a direct falsehood, extorted through fear. David probably supposed, like many other persons, that a lie is quite excusable which is told for the sole purpose of saving the speaker's life. But what is essentially sinful, can never, from circumstances, change its immoral character; and David had to repent of this vice of lying (Psa 119:29).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 21:2

• Betrayal
• Confidence
• David
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• David
• Ahimelech
• Bread
• Judges, Book of
• Manner
• Quotations
• Require
• Shewbread
• Abiathar
• Business

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary