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 the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you. 13It’s like the old proverb says: ‘From evil people evil proceeds.’ But my hand will not be against you. Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea? 15May the Lord be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!” 16When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Saul wept loudly.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• whom is the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• come outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• whom dost thou pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• a deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• dogכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
• aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• fleaפַּרְעֹשׁpar‛ôsh · fleaH6550

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:14

• 2 Samuel 6:20When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!”
• 1 Kings 21:7His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
• 1 Samuel 17:43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
• 2 Samuel 3:8These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!
• 2 Samuel 9:8Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”
• 2 Samuel 16:9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
• 1 Samuel 26:20Now don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge in the hill country.”
• Judges 8:1The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.

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