New International Version
1 Samuel 24:9
9He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?
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?
- 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’?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you?
Context of 1 Samuel 24:9
7With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. 8Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.
Read all of 1 Samuel 241 Samuel 24:9 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לְשָׁא֔וּל לָ֧מָּה תִשְׁמַ֛ע אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֣ה דָוִ֔ד מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ רָעָתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:9
- 1 Samuel 26:19Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
- Leviticus 19:16“ ‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.
- Psalms 101:5Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.
- Psalms 141:6Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
- Proverbs 16:28A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
- Proverbs 17:4A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
- Proverbs 18:8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
- Proverbs 25:23Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.
- Proverbs 26:20Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
- Proverbs 29:12If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.
- Ecclesiastes 7:21Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—
- James 3:6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself 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
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries