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. “Is that your voice, my servant David?” he asked. “It is my voice, Your Royal Majesty,” David answered. 18“Why are you pursuing me?” he added. “What have I done? What crime have I committed? Your Majesty, please listen to my words. If the Lord has turned you against me, let him be satisfied with an offering. But if mere mortals ⌞have turned you against me⌟, let them be cursed by the Lord. They have prevented me from having a share of the Lord’s inheritance. ‘Go and serve other gods,’ they tell me. 20Don’t let my blood fall to the ground, away from the Lord’s presence. The king of Israel has come to search for one flea like someone hunting a partridge in the hills.” 21“My servant David,” Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again, because you valued my life today. I’ve acted like a fool and made a terrible mistake.”

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 25:24After she bowed at his feet, she said, “Sir, let me be held responsible for this wrong. Please let me speak with you. Please listen to my words.
• Genesis 44:18Then Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, let me speak openly with you. Don’t be angry with me, although you are equal to Pharaoh.
• 1 Samuel 16:14Now, the Lord’s Spirit had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
• 1 Samuel 18:10The next day an evil spirit from God seized Saul. He began to prophesy in his house while David strummed a tune on the lyre as he did every day. Now, Saul had a spear in his hand.
• 2 Samuel 16:11David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it.
• 2 Samuel 24:1The Lord became angry with Israel again, so he provoked David to turn against Israel. He said, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”
• 1 Kings 22:22“The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’ “The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’
• 1 Chronicles 21:1Satan attempted to attack Israel by provoking David to count the Israelites.
• Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. He said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humans, even though from birth their hearts are set on nothing but evil. I will never again kill every living creature as I have just done.
• Leviticus 26:31I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices.
• Psalms 119:1Blessed are those whose lives have integrity, those who follow the teachings of the Lord.
• Proverbs 6:16There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven that are disgusting to him:
• Proverbs 30:10“Do not slander a slave to his master. The slave will curse you, and you will be found guilty.”
• Galatians 1:8Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven.
• Galatians 5:12I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves.
• 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will pay him back for what he did.

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