1 Samuel 26:5

1 Samuel 26:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
• New International Version (NIV)Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.

Context of 1 Samuel 26:5

3Saul and his men arrived at Hakilah hill, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. They put up their tents beside the road. David heard the news that Saul had followed him into the desert. 4So David sent some men to see if that was true. They discovered that Saul had arrived at Hakilah. One night, David went secretly to Saul's camp. Saul was asleep in the middle of the tents. The leader of his army, Ner's son Abner, was with him. He was asleep too. The army was all around them. David could see all this. 6David spoke to two of his men. One of them was Ahimelech, a Hittite man. The other man was Abishai, who was Joab's brother (Zeruiah was their mother). David asked them, ‘Which one of you will go down into Saul's camp with me?’ Abishai said, ‘I will come with you.’ 7So David and Abishai went among Saul's army that night. They saw that Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp. He had pushed his spear into the ground near his head. Abner and the army were asleep around Saul.

1 Samuel 26:5 word by word

וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֗ד וַיָּבֹא֮ אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָנָה־שָׁ֣ם שָׁאוּל֒ וַיַּ֣רְא דָּוִ֗ד אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁכַב־שָׁ֣ם שָׁא֔וּל וְאַבְנֵ֥ר בֶּן־נֵ֖ר שַׂר־צְבָא֑וֹ וְשָׁאוּל֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב בַּמַּעְגָּ֔ל וְהָעָ֖ם חֹנִ֥ים סְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• where Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• had pitchedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• beheldרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• layשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• and Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Nerנֵרnêr · NerH5369
• the captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of his hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
• in the trenchמַעְגָּלma‛gâl ma‛gâlâh · trackH4570
• and the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 26:5

• 1 Samuel 9:1Kish was an important man from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel. Abiel was the son of Zeror. Zeror was the son of Becorath. Becorath was the son of Aphiah. Aphiah was a descendant of Benjamin.
• 1 Samuel 14:50The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam. She was the daughter of Ahimaaz. Abner was the leader of Saul's army. He was the son of Saul's uncle, Ner.
• 1 Samuel 17:55Saul had watched David when he went out to fight the strong Philistine soldier. Saul said to Abner, the leader of his army, ‘Tell me Abner, who is that young man? Who is his father?’ Abner replied, ‘My king, I cannot tell you a lie. I do not know who he is.’
• 2 Samuel 2:8Ner's son Abner was the leader of Saul's army. He took Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim.
• 2 Samuel 3:7Saul had had slave wife called Rizpah. She was Aiah's daughter. One day, Ish-Bosheth asked Abner, ‘Why did you sleep with my father's woman?’
• 1 Chronicles 9:39Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
• 1 Samuel 17:20So David got up early the next morning. He left his father's sheep with another shepherd to take care of them. He did what his father had told him to do. He took the food to give to his brothers. When David arrived at the camp of the Israelite army, the soldiers were going out to fight. They were shouting their war songs while they went.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5David arose - As David and his men knew the country, they had many advantages over Saul and his men; and no doubt could often watch them without being discovered. Saul lay in the trench - The word במעגל bammaegal, which we translate in the trench, and in the margin in the midst of his carriages, is rendered by some in a ring of carriages, and by others in the circle, i.e., which was formed by his troops. Luther himself translates it wagenburg, a fortress…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Abner the son of Ner: See study note on 1 Samuel 20:2.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. David ... sent out spies ... and David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched--Having obtained certain information of the locality, he seems, accompanied by his nephew (1Sa 26:6), to have hid himself, perhaps disguised, in a neighboring wood, or hill, on the skirts of the royal camp towards night, and waited to approach it under covert of the darkness. 1Sa 26:5-25. David Stays Abishai from Killing Saul, but Takes His Spear and Cruse.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 26:5

• Abner
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• Abner
• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Abishai
• Ner
• Samuel, Books of
• War; Warfare
• Carriage

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