1 Samuel · Majority Standard Bible
1 Samuel 24 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
1 When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.”
2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
3 Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.
3 He came to the sheep pens by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were staying in the innermost parts of the cave.
4 So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
4 David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.
5 Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Afterward, David’s heart struck him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
6 He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”
7 With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
7 So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
9 and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?
10 Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’
10 Behold, today your eyes have seen how Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is Yahweh’s anointed.’
11 See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.
11 Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.
12 May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
12 May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on you.
13 As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you.
14 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
14 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
15 May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”
15 May Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”
16 When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
16 It came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.
18 And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
18 You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when Yahweh had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t kill me.
19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.
20 Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
20 Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
21 So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.”
21 Swear now therefore to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”
22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
22 David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 23:28–29; Proverbs 29:12; Hosea 7:3; 1 Samuel 23:19; Ezekiel 22:9
- 2 1 Samuel 26:2; Psalm 141:6; Psalm 104:18; 1 Samuel 13:2; Psalm 38:12
- 3 Judges 3:24; Psalm 142:1–7; Psalm 57:1–11; Psalm 141:6
- 4 1 Samuel 26:8–11; 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 25:28–30; 1 Samuel 24:18
- 5 2 Samuel 24:10; 2 Samuel 12:9; 1 John 3:20–21; 2 Kings 22:19
- 6 2 Samuel 1:14; Romans 12:14–13:2; Job 31:29–30; 1 Samuel 26:9–11; 1 Thessalonians 5:15
- 7 Psalm 7:4; Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:17–21; 1 Samuel 25:33
- 8 1 Samuel 25:23–24; 1 Samuel 26:17; Romans 13:7; 1 Samuel 20:41; Genesis 17:3
- 9 Ecclesiastes 7:21–22; Proverbs 29:12; Psalm 101:5; 1 Samuel 26:19; Proverbs 18:8
- 10 1 Samuel 24:4; Psalm 105:15; 1 Samuel 26:8–9
- 11 1 Samuel 26:20; 1 Samuel 23:23; 1 Samuel 23:14; 1 Samuel 26:18; 2 Kings 5:13
- 12 Psalm 43:1; Judges 11:27; Psalm 35:1; Genesis 16:5; Romans 12:19
- 13 Matthew 7:20; Matthew 7:16–18; Matthew 12:33–34; Matthew 15:19
- 14 1 Samuel 26:20; 2 Samuel 9:8; 1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 3:8
- 15 Psalm 43:1; Psalm 35:1; Psalm 119:154; 1 Samuel 24:12; Micah 7:9
- 16 1 Samuel 26:17; Acts 6:10; Luke 21:15; Proverbs 15:1; Genesis 33:4
- 17 Matthew 5:44; 1 Samuel 26:21; Genesis 38:26; Romans 12:20–21; Matthew 27:4
- 18 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 23:12; 1 Samuel 23:7; 1 Samuel 26:8; 1 Samuel 24:10
- 19 Proverbs 25:21–22; 1 Samuel 26:25; Psalm 18:20; Judges 17:2; 1 Samuel 23:21
- 20 1 Samuel 23:17; Matthew 2:3–6; 2 Samuel 3:17–18; 1 Samuel 13:14; Matthew 2:16
- 21 Genesis 21:23; 2 Samuel 21:6–8; 1 Samuel 20:14–17; Genesis 31:53; Hebrews 6:16
- 22 1 Samuel 23:29; Matthew 10:16–17; John 2:24; Proverbs 26:24–25
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For thus it is written: "And David's heart smote him because he had taken away the skirt of his cloak." But to the men with him, who advised him to destroy Saul thus delivered up into his hands, he saith, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's christ, to lay my hand upon …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… shown: but Saul not even after their betrayal could seize David; but rather in a certain cave in that very country, when into his hands Saul had been given to slay, David spared him, and that which he had in his power he did not. But the other was seeking to do that which he had not in his power.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)