1 Samuel 22:16

1 Samuel 22:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
• New International Version (NIV)But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”

Context of 1 Samuel 22:16

14Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house? 15Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.” But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 17Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

1 Samuel 22:16 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מ֥וֹת תָּמ֖וּת אֲחִימֶ֑לֶךְ אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear

• But the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• repliedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• You will surely dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• Ahimelechאֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăchîymelek · AhimelechH288
• youאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
• and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• your father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 22:16

• 1 Samuel 14:44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
• 1 Samuel 20:31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
• 1 Kings 18:4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
• 1 Kings 19:2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
• Proverbs 28:15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
• Daniel 2:5The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.
• Daniel 3:19At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,
• Acts 12:19After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.
• Deuteronomy 24:16Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
• Esther 3:6And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
• Matthew 2:16When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 22:16

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-19Verses 6-19 See the nature of jealous malice and its pitiful arts. Saul looks upon all about him as his enemies, because they do not just say as he says. In Ahimelech's answer to Saul we have the language of conscious innocence. But what wickedness will not the evil spirit hurry men to when he gets the dominion! Saul alleges that which was utterly false and unproved. But the most bloody tyrants have found instruments of their cruelty as barbarous as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23Saul’s character is clear here. He could not take revenge on David himself. Instead, Saul killed those he believed had helped David.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 22:16

• Abiathar
• Accusation, False
• Ahijah
• Ahimelech
• Falsehood
• Government
• Holy Spirit
• Malice
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Abiathar
• Ahimelech
• David
• Mizpah
• Jesse
• Judge
• Nob
• Samuel, Books of
• Law of Moses

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 22

• 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