1 Samuel 24:3

1 Samuel 24:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)
• New Living Translation (NLT)At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!

Context of 1 Samuel 24:3

1After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.

1 Samuel 24:3 word by word

וַ֠יָּבֹא אֶל־גִּדְר֨וֹת הַצֹּ֤אן עַל־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ וְשָׁ֣ם מְעָרָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א שָׁא֖וּל לְהָסֵ֣ךְ אֶת־רַגְלָ֑יו וְדָוִד֙ וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י הַמְּעָרָ֖ה יֹשְׁבִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the sheepcotesצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• to the sheepcotesגְּדֵרָהgedêrâh · wallH1448
• by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• a caveמְעָרָהme‛ârâh · caveH4631
• and Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• to coverסָכַךְsâkak ώâkak · to coverH5526
• his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• and Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• and his menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• remainedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in the sidesיַרְכָהyerêkâh · flankH3411

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:3

• Psalms 141:6Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
• Judges 3:24After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.”
• Psalms 57:1Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
• Psalms 142:1I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The sheep-cotes - Caves in the rocks, in which it is common, even to the present time, for shepherds and their flocks to lodge. According to Strabo there are caverns in Syria, one of which is capable of containing four thousand men: ̔ ̔ ; lib. xvi. p. 1096. Edit. 1707. Saul went in to cover his feet - Perhaps this phrase signifies exactly what the Vulgate has rendered it, ut purparet ventrem. The Septuagint, the Targum, and the Arabic understand it in the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Remained in the sides - Rather, “were in the sides of the cave dwelling or abiding there.” Some of these caverns are very deep and spacious. Any one near the mouth of the cave would be visible, but those in the recesses would be quite in the dark and invisible, especially if the incident occurred at night. Psalm 67:1-7, according to the title, was composed on this occasion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. he came to the sheepcotes--most probably in the upper ridge of Wady Chareitun. There a large cave--I am quite disposed to say the cave--lies hardly five minutes to the east of the village ruin, on the south side of the wady. It is high upon the side of the calcareous rock, and it has undergone no change since David's time. The same narrow natural vaulting at the entrance; the same huge natural chamber in the rock, probably the place where Saul lay down…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:3

• Cave
• En-Gedi
• Magnanimity
• Saul
• Self-Control
• Shepherd

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Reward
• Flea
• Foot
• Male
• Palestine
• Samuel, Books of
• Sheep

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