Revised Literal Translation

1 Samuel 21

1Then cameH935Davidדָוִד֙da.VidH1732to Nobנֹ֔בֶהNoehH5011to Ahimelechאֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְ'a.chi.Me.lekhH288the priestהַכֹּהֵ֑ןha.ko.HenH3548:and Ahimelechאֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְ'a.chi.Me.lekhH288was afraidוַיֶּחֱרַ֨דvai.ye.che.RadH2729at the meetingH7125of Davidדָּוִ֗דda.VidH1732,and saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto him, Why artthou alone, and no manוְאִ֖ישׁve.'IshH376with thee?

2And DavidH1732saidH559unto AhimelechH288the priestH3548,The kingהַמֶּלֶךְ֮ha.me.leKhH4428hath commandedצִוַּ֣נִיtzi.Va.niH6680me a businessדָבָר֒da.VarH1697,and hath saidH559unto me, Let no manH376knowיֵ֧דַעYe.da'H3045any thingמְא֛וּמָהme.'U.mahH3972of the businessהַדָּבָ֛רha.da.VarH1697whereabout I sendשֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖sho.le.cha.KhaH7971thee, and what I have commandedצִוִּיתִ֑ךָtzi.vi.Ti.khaH6680thee: and I have appointedיוֹדַ֔עְתִּיyo.Da'.tiH3045myservantsהַנְּעָרִ֣יםha.ne.'a.RimH5288to suchפְּלֹנִ֖יpe.lo.NiH6423and suchאַלְמוֹנִֽי׃'al.mo.NiH492a placeמְק֥וֹםme.KomH4725.

3Now therefore what isיֵּ֧שׁyeshH3426under thine handיָדְךָ֛ya.de.KhaH3027?giveתְּנָ֣הte.NahH5414mefiveחֲמִשָּׁה־cha.mi.shah-H2568loaves ofbreadלֶ֖חֶםLe.chemH3899in mine handבְיָדִ֑יve.ya.DiH3027,or what there is presentהַנִּמְצָֽא׃ha.nim.Tza'H4672.

4And the priestהַכֹּהֵ֤ןha.ko.HenH3548answeredוַיַּ֨עַןvai.Ya.'anH6030Davidדָּוִד֙da.VidH1732,and saidוַיֹּ֔אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, There isno commonחֹ֖לcholH2455breadH3899under mine handH3027,but there isH3426hallowedקֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ko.deshH6944breadH3899;if the young menהַנְּעָרִ֖יםha.ne.'a.RimH5288have keptנִשְׁמְר֥וּnish.me.RuH8104themselves at leastאַ֥ךְ'akhH389from womenמֵאִשָּֽׁה׃ פme.'i.ShahH802.

5And DavidH1732answeredH6030the priestH3548,and saidH559unto him, Of a truthH518womenH802have beenkeptעֲצֻֽרָה־'a.tzu.rah-H6113from us about these threeשִׁלְשֹׁ֔םshil.ShomH8032daysכִּתְמ֣וֹלkit.MolH8543,since I came outבְּצֵאתִ֕יbe.tze.TiH3318,and the vesselsכְלֵֽי־khe.lei-H3627of the young menH5288are holyH6944, and the bread isin a mannerדֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekhH1870commonH2455,yea, though it were sanctifiedיִקְדַּ֥שׁyik.DashH6942this dayהַיּ֖וֹםhai.YomH3117in the vesselבַּכֶּֽלִי׃ba.Ke.liH3627.

6So the priestH3548gaveוַיִּתֶּן־vai.yi.ten-H5414him hallowedH6944bread:for there was no breadלֶ֗חֶםLe.chemH3899there but the shewbreadלֶ֤חֶם הַפָּנִים֙Le.chem ha.pa.NimH6440 H3899,that was takenהַמּֽוּסָרִים֙ha.mu.sa.RimH5493from beforeמִלִּפְנֵ֣יmi.lif.NeiH6440Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068,to putלָשׂוּם֙la.SumH7760hotחֹ֔םChomH2527breadלֶ֣חֶםLe.chemH3899in the dayH3117when it was taken awayהִלָּקְחֽוֹ׃hi.la.ke.ChoH3947.

7Now a certain manאִישׁ֩'ishH376of the servantsמֵעַבְדֵ֨יme.'av.DeiH5650of Saulשָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlH7586wasthere that dayH3117,detainedנֶעְצָר֙ne'.TzarH6113beforeH6440YhwhH3068;and his nameוּשְׁמ֖וֹu.she.MoH8034wasDoegדֹּאֵ֣גdo.'EgH1673,an Edomiteהָאֲדֹמִ֑יha.'a.do.MiH130,the chiefestאַבִּ֥יר'a.BirH47of the herdmenהָרֹעִ֖יםha.ro.'ImH7462that belongedto Saulלְשָׁאֽוּל׃le.sha.'UlH7586.

8And Davidדָּוִד֙da.VidH1732saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto Ahimelechלַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְla.'a.chi.Me.lekhH288,And is thereיֶשׁ־yesh-H3426notוְאִ֛יןve.'InH371here under thine handיָדְךָ֖ya.de.KhaH3027spearחֲנִ֣יתcha.NitH2595or swordחָ֑רֶבCha.revH2719?for I have neither broughtלָקַ֣חְתִּיla.Kach.tiH3947my swordחַרְבִּ֤יchar.BiH2719nor my weaponsכֵּלַי֙ke.LaiH3627with meבְיָדִ֔יve.ya.DiH3027,because the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428businessדְבַר־de.var-H1697requiredהָיָ֥הha.YahH1961hasteנָחֽוּץ׃ סna.ChutzH5169.

9And the priestהַכֹּהֵ֗ןha.ko.HenH3548saidH559,The swordH2719of Goliathגָּלְיָ֨תgal.YatH1555the Philistineהַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜יha.pe.lish.TiH6430,whom thou slewestהִכִּ֣יתָ׀hi.Ki.taH5221in the valleyבְּעֵ֣מֶקbe.'E.mekH6010of Elahהָאֵלָ֗הha.'e.LahH425, behold, it is herewrappedלוּטָ֣הlu.TahH3874in a clothבַשִּׂמְלָה֮va.sim.LahH8071behindאַחֲרֵ֣י'a.cha.ReiH310the ephodהָאֵפוֹד֒ha.'e.fOdH646:if thou wilt takeH3947that, takeH3947it: for there isno otherאַחֶ֛רֶת'a.Che.retH312saveזוּלָתָ֖הּzu.la.TahH2108that hereבָּזֶ֑הba.ZehH2088.And DavidH1732saidH559, There isnone like that; giveתְּנֶ֥נָּהte.Ne.nahH5414it me.

10And DavidH1732aroseוַיָּ֣קָםvai.Ya.komH6965,and fledוַיִּבְרַ֥חvai.yiv.RachH1272that dayבַּיּוֹם־bai.yom-H3117for fearמִפְּנֵ֣יmi.pe.NeiH6440of Saulשָׁא֑וּלsha.'UlH7586,and wentוַיָּבֹ֕אvai.ya.Vo'H935to Achishאָכִ֖ישׁ'a.KhishH397the kingמֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Gathגַּֽת׃GatH1661.

11And the servantsעַבְדֵ֤י'av.DeiH5650of AchishH397saidוַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּvai.Yo.me.RuH559unto him, Isnot this DavidH1732the kingH4428of the landהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776?did they not singיַעֲנ֤וּya.'a.NuH6030one to another of himH2088in dancesבַמְּחֹלוֹת֙va.me.cho.lOtH4246,sayingלֵאמֹ֔רle.MorH559,SaulH7586hath slainהִכָּ֤הhi.KahH5221his thousandsבַּאֲלָפָ֔יוba.'a.la.fovH505,and DavidH1732his ten thousandsבְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃be.ri.vo.TavH7233?

12And DavidH1732laid upוַיָּ֧שֶׂםvai.Ya.semH7760these wordsהַדְּבָרִ֥יםha.de.va.RimH1697in his heartבִּלְבָב֑וֹbil.va.VoH3824,and was soreמְאֹ֔דme.'OdH3966afraidוַיִּרָ֣אvai.yi.Ra'H3372ofמִפְּנֵ֖יmi.pe.NeiH6440AchishH397the kingH4428of Gathגַּֽת׃GatH1661.

13And he changedוַיְשַׁנּ֤וֹvay.sha.NoH8138his behaviourטַעְמוֹ֙ta'.MoH2940beforeבְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔םbe.'Ei.nei.HemH5869them, and feigned himself madוַיִּתְהֹלֵ֖לvai.yit.ho.LelH1984in their handsבְּיָדָ֑םbe.ya.DamH3027,and scrabbledוַיְתָיו֙vay.tavH8427on the doorsדַּלְת֣וֹתdal.TotH1817of the gateהַשַּׁ֔עַרha.Sha.'arH8179,and let his spittleרִיר֖וֹri.RoH7388fall downוַיּ֥וֹרֶדvai.Yo.redH3381upon his beardזְקָנֽוֹ׃ze.ka.NoH2206.

14Then saidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559Achishאָכִ֖ישׁ'a.KhishH397unto his servantsעֲבָדָ֑יו'a.va.DavH5650,Lo, ye seeתִרְאוּ֙tir.'UH7200the manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376is madמִשְׁתַּגֵּ֔עַmish.ta.Ge.a'H7696: wherefore thenhave ye broughtתָּבִ֥יאוּta.Vi.'uH935him to me?

15Have I needחֲסַ֤רcha.SarH2638of mad menH7696,that ye have broughtH935this fellowto play the mad manH7696in my presence? shall this fellowcomeH935into my houseבֵּיתִֽי׃ סbei.TiH1004?

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21