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

7And David rebuked his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul got up, left the cave, and went on his way. 8Afterward, however, David got up 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. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David is seeking to harm you’? 10Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had handed you over to me today in the cave, and someone said to kill you, but I spared you; and I said, ‘I will not reach out with my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11So, my father, look! Indeed, look at the edge of your robe in my hand! For by the fact that I cut off the edge of your robe but did not kill you, know and understand 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

• And 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
• is seekingבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:9

• 1 Samuel 26:19Now then, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may He accept an offering; but if it is people, cursed are they before the Lord, because they have driven me out today so that I would have no share in 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 jeopardize the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.
• Psalms 101:5Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; I will not endure one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart.
• 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 person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends.
• Proverbs 17:4An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
• Proverbs 18:8The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
• Proverbs 25:23The north wind brings rain, And a gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
• Proverbs 26:20For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no gossiper, quarreling quiets down.
• Proverbs 29:12If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.
• Ecclesiastes 7:21Also, do not take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant cursing you,
• James 3:6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole 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