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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Samuel 26:5

3Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, 4he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul’s arrival. 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. 6“Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. “I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied. 7So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep 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 wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin.
• 1 Samuel 14:50Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.
• 1 Samuel 17:55As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “I really don’t know,” Abner declared.
• 2 Samuel 2:8But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.
• 2 Samuel 3:7One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.
• 1 Chronicles 9:39Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
• 1 Samuel 17:20So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.

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