1 Samuel 26:19

1 Samuel 26:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.
• New International Version (NIV)Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

Context of 1 Samuel 26:19

17Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?” “It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. 18Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed? Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have banished me from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go and worship other gods.’ 20So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.” 21Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”

1 Samuel 26:19 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה יִֽשְׁמַֽע־נָא֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑וֹ אִם־יְהוָ֞ה הֱסִֽיתְךָ֥ בִי֙ יָרַ֣ח מִנְחָ֔ה וְאִ֣ם׀ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֗ם אֲרוּרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־גֵרְשׁ֣וּנִי הַיּ֗וֹם מֵהִסְתַּפֵּ֜חַ בְּנַחֲלַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֵ֥ךְ עֲבֹ֖ד אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• If the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• have stirred thee upסוּתsûth · to inciteH5496
• against me, let him acceptרִיחַrûach · to smellH7306
• an offeringמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
• they beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• for they have drivenגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: drive outH1644
• me out this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• from abidingסָפַחsâphach ώâphach · to attachH5596
• in the inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 26:19

• 1 Samuel 25:24She knelt at his feet and said, “The guilt is mine, my lord, but please let your servant speak to you directly. Listen to the words of your servant.
• Genesis 44:18But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.
• 1 Samuel 16:14Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him,
• 1 Samuel 18:10The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear,
• 2 Samuel 16:11Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life — how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to.
• 2 Samuel 24:1The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”
• 1 Kings 22:22“The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ “He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail. Go and do that.’
• 1 Chronicles 21:1Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel.
• Genesis 8:21When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.
• Leviticus 26:31I will reduce your cities to ruins and devastate your sanctuaries. I will not smell the pleasing aroma of your sacrifices.
• Psalms 119:1How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!
• Proverbs 6:16The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him:
• Proverbs 30:10Don’t slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty.
• Galatians 1:8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!
• Galatians 5:12I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!
• 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Let him accept an offering - If God have stirred thee up against me, why, then, let him deliver my life into thy hand, and accept it as a sacrifice. But as the word is מנחה minchah, a gratitude-offering, perhaps the sense may be this: Let God accept a gratitude-offering from thee, for having purged the land of a worker of iniquity; for, were I not such, God would never stir thee up against me. But if they be the children of men - If men have, by false…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19If the Lord have stirred thee up - The meaning is clear from the preceding history. “An evil spirit from God troubling him” was the beginning of the persecution. And this evil spirit was sent in punishment of Saul‘s sin 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:14. If the continued persecution was merely the consequence of this evil spirit continuing to vex Saul, David advises Saul to seek God‘s pardon, and, as a consequence, the removal of the evil spirit, by offering…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 13-20 David reasoned seriously and affectionately with Saul. Those who forbid our attendance on God's ordinances, do what they can to estrange us from God, and to make us heathens. We are to reckon that which exposes us to sin the greatest injury that can be done us. If the Lord stirred thee up against me, either in displeasure to me, taking this way to punish me for my sins against him, or in displeasure to thee, if it be the effect of that evil…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19If the LORD has stirred you up against me: David was confused by Saul’s actions and worried he might have sinned without knowing. if men have done it: This might refer to Doeg (1 Samuel 22:9–10). serve other gods: This idea is similar to Psalm 137:4. People exiled from the holy land could not worship the Lord through sacrifices at the main sanctuary.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2013-20. Then David ... stood on the top of an hill afar off ... and cried to the people--(See on Jud 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine. Hostile parties can thus speak to each other, while completely beyond the reach of each other's attack. It…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 26:19

• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• David
• Hachilah
• God
• Omnipresence
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26

• 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