1 Samuel 24:14

1 Samuel 24:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
• New International Version (NIV)“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
• English Standard Version (ESV)After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
• New King James Version (NKJV)After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?

Context of 1 Samuel 24:14

12May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 13As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? 15The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.” 16When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

1 Samuel 24:14 word by word

אַחֲרֵ֨י מִ֤י יָצָא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַחֲרֵ֥י מִ֖י אַתָּ֣ה רֹדֵ֑ף אַֽחֲרֵי֙ כֶּ֣לֶב מֵ֔ת אַחֲרֵ֖י פַּרְעֹ֥שׁ אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear

• Afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• whomמִיmîy · who?H4310
• has the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• comeיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• are you pursuingרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• A deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• dogכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
• a singleאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• fleaפַּרְעֹשׁpar‛ôsh · fleaH6550

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:14

• 2 Samuel 6:20But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!”
• 1 Kings 21:7Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
• 1 Samuel 17:43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
• 2 Samuel 3:8Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman.
• 2 Samuel 9:8Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”
• 2 Samuel 16:9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.”
• 1 Samuel 26:20Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
• Judges 8:1Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him vigorously.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14After a dead dog - A term used among the Hebrews to signify the most sovereign contempt; see 2 Samuel 16:9. One utterly incapable of making the least resistance against Saul, and the troops of Israel. The same idea is expressed in the term flea. The Targum properly expresses both thus: one who is weak, one who is contemptible.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14After whom … - i. e., was it consistent with the dignity of the king of Israel to lead armies in pursuit of a weak and helpless individual like David?Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-15Verses 8-15 David was falsely charged with seeking Saul's hurt; he shows Saul that God's providence had given him opportunity to do it. And it was upon a good principle that he refused to do it. He declares his fixed resolution never to be his own avenger. If men wrong us, God will right us, at farthest, in the judgment of the great day.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-158-15. David also arose ... and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul--The closeness of the precipitous cliffs, though divided by deep wadies, and the transparent purity of the air enable a person standing on one rock to hear distinctly the words uttered by a speaker standing on another (Jud 9:7). The expostulation of David, followed by the visible tokens he furnished of his cherishing no evil design against either the person or the government of the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:14

• Dog (Sodomite?)
• Flea
• Humility
• Proverbs
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• David
• Dog
• Flea
• Providence
• Reward
• Dead
• Samuel, Books of

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