1 Samuel 26:5

1 Samuel 26:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.
• New Living Translation (NLT)David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors.

Context of 1 Samuel 26:5

3Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, 4he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived. Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him. 6David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” said Abishai. 7So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

1 Samuel 26:5 word by word

וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֗ד וַיָּבֹא֮ אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָנָה־שָׁ֣ם שָׁאוּל֒ וַיַּ֣רְא דָּוִ֗ד אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁכַב־שָׁ֣ם שָׁא֔וּל וְאַבְנֵ֥ר בֶּן־נֵ֖ר שַׂר־צְבָא֑וֹ וְשָׁאוּל֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב בַּמַּעְגָּ֔ל וְהָעָ֖ם חֹנִ֥ים סְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• where Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• had pitchedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• beheldרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• layשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• and Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Nerנֵרnêr · NerH5369
• the captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of his hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
• in the trenchמַעְגָּלma‛gâl ma‛gâlâh · trackH4570
• and the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 26:5

• 1 Samuel 9:1There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.
• 1 Samuel 14:50His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle.
• 1 Samuel 17:55As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
• 2 Samuel 2:8Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
• 2 Samuel 3:7Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
• 1 Chronicles 9:39Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
• 1 Samuel 17:20Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5David arose - As David and his men knew the country, they had many advantages over Saul and his men; and no doubt could often watch them without being discovered. Saul lay in the trench - The word במעגל bammaegal, which we translate in the trench, and in the margin in the midst of his carriages, is rendered by some in a ring of carriages, and by others in the circle, i.e., which was formed by his troops. Luther himself translates it wagenburg, a fortress…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Abner the son of Ner: See study note on 1 Samuel 20:2.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. David ... sent out spies ... and David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched--Having obtained certain information of the locality, he seems, accompanied by his nephew (1Sa 26:6), to have hid himself, perhaps disguised, in a neighboring wood, or hill, on the skirts of the royal camp towards night, and waited to approach it under covert of the darkness. 1Sa 26:5-25. David Stays Abishai from Killing Saul, but Takes His Spear and Cruse.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 26:5

• Abner
• Self-Control

In the dictionaries

• Abner
• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Abishai
• Ner
• Samuel, Books of
• War; Warfare
• Carriage

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 26

• 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