1 Samuel 24:9

1 Samuel 24:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
• New International Version (NIV)He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'?
• New King James Version (NKJV)And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’?

Context of 1 Samuel 24:9

7David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. 8Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? 10Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.

1 Samuel 24:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לְשָׁא֔וּל לָ֧מָּה תִשְׁמַ֛ע אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֣ה דָוִ֔ד מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ רָעָתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• Whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• do you listenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• to the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• Beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• seeksבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:9

• 1 Samuel 26:19Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before the Lord, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
• Leviticus 19:16You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the Lord.
• Psalms 101:5Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
• Psalms 141:6Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
• Proverbs 16:28A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
• Proverbs 17:4An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
• Proverbs 18:8The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
• Proverbs 25:23The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
• Proverbs 26:20For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
• Proverbs 29:12If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.
• Ecclesiastes 7:21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.
• James 3:6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9David was quite aware that there were flatterers at Saul‘s court who were continually inflaming the King‘s mind by their false accusations against him. This explains the language of many of the Psalms, e. g. Psalm 11:1-7; Psalm 12:1-8; 35; and many more.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 24:9

• Citizens
• Loyalty
• Magnanimity
• Self-Control
• Slander

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Providence
• Reward
• Flea
• Hurt
• 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