1 Samuel 21:2

1 Samuel 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
• New International Version (NIV)David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.

Context of 1 Samuel 21:2

1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is present. 4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

1 Samuel 21:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ צִוַּ֣נִי דָבָר֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י אִ֣ישׁ אַל־יֵ֧דַע מְא֛וּמָה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֣ים יוֹדַ֔עְתִּי אֶל־מְק֥וֹם פְּלֹנִ֖י אַלְמוֹנִֽי׃Read the interlinear

• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ahimelechאֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăchîymelek · AhimelechH288
• priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• businessדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• thingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• suchפְּלֹנִיpelônîy · someoneH6423
• suchאַלְמֹנִי'almônîy · someoneH492
• placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 21:2

• 1 Samuel 19:17And Saul said to Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away my enemy, that he hast escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
• 1 Samuel 22:22And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
• Genesis 27:20And Isaac said to his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.
• 1 Kings 13:18He said to him, I am a prophet also as thou art ; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him.
• Psalms 119:29Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
• Galatians 2:12For before that certain came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles: but when they had come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision.
• Colossians 3:9Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The king hath commanded me a business - All said here is an untruth, and could not be dictated by the Spirit of the Lord; but there is no reason to believe that David was under the influence of Divine inspiration at this time. It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie, in order to save life. Thus Diphilus: - ̔ ͅ , . "I hold it right to tell a lie, in order to procure my personal safety; nothing should be avoided in order…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A fresh instance of David‘s unscrupulous readiness of invention (compare 1 Samuel 20:6).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2“The king has given me a mission,”: David lied to hide that he was an outlaw and to ease Ahimelech's concerns.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know--This was a direct falsehood, extorted through fear. David probably supposed, like many other persons, that a lie is quite excusable which is told for the sole purpose of saving the speaker's life. But what is essentially sinful, can never, from circumstances, change its immoral character; and David had to repent of this vice of lying (Psa 119:29).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 21:2

• Betrayal
• Confidence
• David
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• David
• Ahimelech
• Bread
• Judges, Book of
• Manner
• Quotations
• Require
• Shewbread
• Abiathar
• Business

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary