David Spares Saul

1 Samuel 24:8

In 11 translations

BSB: 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
KJV: David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
WEB: 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.
ASV: David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
LSV: and David rises afterward, and goes out from the cave, and calls after Saul, saying, “My lord, O king!” And Saul looks attentively behind him, and David bows—face to the earth—and pays respect.
YLT: and David riseth afterwards, and goeth out from the cave, and calleth after Saul, saying, 'My lord, O king!' And Saul looketh attentively behind him, and David boweth — face to the earth — and doth obeisance.
DBY: David also arose afterwards, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
DRC24:9: And David also rose up after him: and going out of the cave cried after Saul, saying: My lord the king. And Saul looked behind him: and David bowing himself down to the ground, worshipped,
GNV24:9: Dauid also arose afterward, and went out of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying, O my lorde the King. And when Saul looked behinde him, Dauid inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himselfe.
JPS24:9: David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying: 'My lord the king.' And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and prostrated himself.
LXXE24:9: And David rose up and went after him out of the cave: and David cried after Saul, saying, My lord, O king! and Saul looked behind him, and David bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance to him.Gr. stooped.

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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): מִן־ (“from”). Read aloud (Qere): (“[ ]”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.
Written (Ketiv): הַמְּעָרָה (“the cave”). Read aloud (Qere): מֵֽהַמְּעָרָ֔ה (“from the cave”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

Leningrad Codex reads מֵֽן־; read aloud (Qere) reads (“[ ]”).
Leningrad Codex reads הַמְּעָרָ֔ה; read aloud (Qere) reads מֵֽהַמְּעָרָ֔ה (“from the cave”).

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

WLC24:9: וַיָּ֨קָם דָּוִ֜ד אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן וַיֵּצֵא֙ מן־המערה וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַֽחֲרֵי־שָׁא֛וּל לֵאמֹ֖ר אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיַּבֵּ֤ט שָׁאוּל֙ אַֽחֲרָ֔יו וַיִּקֹּ֨ד דָּוִ֥ד אַפַּ֛יִם אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃KJV:1Sam.24.8Read aloud as (qere): מֵֽהַמְּעָרָ֔ה
LXX-Br24:9: Καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου· καὶ ἐβόησε Δαυὶδ ὀπίσω Σαοὺλ, λέγων, κύριε βασιλευ· καὶ ἐπέβλεψε Σαοὺλ εἰς τᾶ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκυψε Δαυὶδ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ.

Who and where

👤 David 👤 Saul◆ Reign of Saul

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

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

David Magnanimity Flea Self-Control En-Gedi Kiss King Cave Loyalty Saul

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

Cross-references most cited first

1 Samuel 25:23–24When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him. She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the…
1 Samuel 20:41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
Romans 13:7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
1 Samuel 26:17Then Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” “It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.
Genesis 17:3Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
Exodus 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
1 Peter 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

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

Verse numbering differs between Bibles

24:9 in some Bibles
24:8 in most Bibles