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Read›1 Samuel›Chapter 24

David Spares Saul

1 Samuel 24:4

In 11 translations

BSB
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 secretly and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
KJV
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.Saul’s…: Heb. the robe which was Saul’s
WEB
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.
ASV
And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
LSV
And the men of David say to him, “Behold, the day of which YHWH said to you, Behold, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you have done to him as it is good in your eyes”; and David rises and cuts off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul with stealth.
YLT
And the men of David say unto him, 'Lo, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Lo, I am giving thine enemy into thy hand, and thou hast done to him as it is good in thine eyes;' and David riseth and cutteth off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul — gently.
DBY
And David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.
DRC24:5
And the servants of David said to him: Behold the day, of which the Lord said to thee: I will deliver thy enemy unto thee, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. Then David arose, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul’s robe.
GNV24:5
And the men of Dauid said vnto him, See, the day is come, whereof the Lord sayde vnto thee, Beholde, I will deliuer thine enemie into thine hande, and thou shalt doe to him as it shall seeme good to thee. Then Dauid arose and cut off the lap of Sauls garment priuily.
JPS24:5
And the men of David said unto him: 'Behold the day in which the LORD hath said unto thee: Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.' Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
LXXE24:5
And the men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day of which the Lord spoke to thee, that he would deliver thine enemy into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as it is good in thy sight. So David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's garment secretly.Gr. took away.

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Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

  • Written (Ketiv): אֹיְבֶיךָ (“enemies your”). Read aloud (Qere): אֹֽיִבְךָ֙ (“enemy your”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.
Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (1)
  • Leningrad Codex reads אֹֽיִבְיךָ֙; read aloud (Qere) reads אֹֽיִבְךָ֙ (“enemy your”).

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

WLC24:5
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י דָוִ֜ד אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּ֨ה הַיּ֜וֹם אֲֽשֶׁר־אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֣ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י נֹתֵ֤ן אֶת־איביך בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יִטַ֣ב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֗ד וַיִּכְרֹ֛ת אֶת־כְּנַֽף־הַמְּעִ֥יל אֲשֶׁר־לְשָׁא֖וּל בַּלָּֽט׃KJV:1Sam.24.4Read aloud as (qere): אֹֽיִבְךָ֙
LXX-Br24:5
Καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἄνδρες Δαυὶδ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἰδοὺ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, ἣν εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς σὲ παραδοῦναι τὸν ἐχθρόν σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ ὡς ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου· καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ, καὶ ἀφεῖλε τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος τοῦ Σαοὺλ λαθραίως.

Who and where

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

  • 1 Samuel 26:8–11Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!” But David…
  • 1 Samuel 26:23May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.
  • 1 Samuel 24:10Behold, 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…
  • 1 Samuel 25:28–30Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live. And should someone pursue you…
  • 1 Samuel 23:17saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”
  • 1 Samuel 23:7When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
  • 1 Samuel 24:18And you have shown this day how well you have dealt with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
  • 2 Samuel 4:8They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king…
  • Job 31:31if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).

Verse numbering differs between Bibles
  • 24:5 in some Bibles
  • 24:4 in most Bibles

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