1 Samuel 24:2

1 Samuel 24:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
• New International Version (NIV)So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Context of 1 Samuel 24:2

1When Saul had finished fighting against the Philistines, he returned to his home. Someone told him that David was in the desert at En Gedi. So Saul chose 3,000 of the best soldiers in Israel. They went to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks. 3Saul came to the place near the road where the shepherds keep their sheep. There was a cave near to this place. Saul went in there to use it as a toilet. David and his men were hiding at the back of the same cave. 4David's men said to him, ‘This is the day that the Lord told you about! The Lord said to you, “I will give your enemy to you. Then you can decide what is the right thing to do to him.” ’ So David stood up very quietly. He went and he cut off a small piece of cloth from Saul's coat. Saul did not know what had happened.

1 Samuel 24:2 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֣ח שָׁא֗וּל שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֛ים אִ֥ישׁ בָּח֖וּר מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ אֶת־דָּוִד֙ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֔יו עַל־פְּנֵ֖י צוּרֵ֥י הַיְּעֵלִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• out of all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• and his menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• uponפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the rocksצוּרtsûr tsûr · Rocks (of Goats)H6697
• of the wild goatsיָעֵלyâ‛êl · Wildgoats'H3277

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:2

• 1 Samuel 13:2He chose 3,000 men from Israel's army to be with him. 2,000 of those men stayed with him at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. Then 1,000 men were with his son Jonathan at Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin's tribe. Saul sent all the other men of the army back to their homes.
• Psalms 37:32Evil people wait for a chance to kill righteous people.
• Psalms 38:12My enemies prepare traps, because they want to kill me. They talk about ways to destroy me. They want to hurt me, so they talk about that all through the day.
• Psalms 104:18The wild goats live high up in the mountains. Rock badgers hide among the rocks.
• Psalms 141:6They will throw their rulers down from high rocks. Then they will agree that my words were true.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Rocks of the wild goats - The original (היעלים צורי tsurey haiyeelim ) is variously understood. The Vulgate makes a paraphrase: Super abruptissimas petras quae solis ibicibus perviae sunt; "On the most precipitous rocks over which the ibexes alone can travel." The Targum: the caverns of the rocks. The Septuagint make the original a proper name; for out of היעלים צרוי tsurey haiyeelim, they make Saddaiem, and in some copies Aeiamein, which are evidently…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The rocks of the wild goats - To signify the craggy precipitous character of the country.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2three thousand chosen men: David's force was outnumbered five to one (1 Samuel 23:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71Sa 24:1-7. David in a Cave at Engedi Cuts Off Saul's Skirt, but Spares His Life. 2. Saul ... went ... to seek David ... upon the rocks of the wild goats--Nothing but the blind infatuation of fiendish rage could have led the king to pursue his outlawed son-in-law among those craggy and perpendicular precipices, where were inaccessible hiding places. The large force he took with him seemed to give him every prospect of success. But the overruling…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:2

• Goat
• Saul
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Saul
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• Army
• Goat
• Host
• Reward

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