1 Samuel 19
19
Saul Repeatedly Attempts to Take David’s Life
1 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much.#tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.” 2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying#tn Heb “seeking.” to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find#tn Heb “stay in.” a hiding place and stay in seclusion.#tn Heb “and hide yourself.” 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is,#tn Heb “when I see.” I will let you know.”
4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf#tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.” to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial#tn Heb “good.” for you. 5 He risked his life#tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.” when he struck down the Philistine and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice#tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.” and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly.#tn Heb “and he was before him as before.”
8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly#tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.” and they ran away from him. 9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon#tn Heb “[was] to.” Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre.#tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.” 10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall.#tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.” David escaped quickly#tn Heb “fled and escaped.” that night.
11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself#tn Heb “your life.” tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped.
13 Then Michal took a household idol#tn Heb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape. and put it on the bed. She put a quilt#tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goat’s hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.” made of goat’s hair over its head#tn Heb “at the place of its head.” and then covered the idol with a garment. 14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”
15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 16 When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat’s hair at its head.
17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’”#tn Heb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325, 26.
18 Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 22 Finally Saul#tn Heb “he” (also in v. 23). the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity. himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.”
23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there#tn Heb “and he fell down.” naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)
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1 Samuel 19: NET
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Shmuel Alef 19
19
1But Yehonatan Ben Sha'ul liked Dovid me'od.
2Yehonatan reported [this] to Dovid, saying, Sha'ul aviv seeketh to kill thee; now therefore be shomer in the boker, and abide baseter (in a secret place) and hide thyself;
3And I will go out and stand beside avi in the sadeh where thou art, and I will speak of thee with avi; and what I see, that I will tell thee.
4And Yehonatan spoke tov of Dovid unto Sha'ul aviv, and said unto him, Let not HaMelech commit chet against his eved, against Dovid; because he hath not committed chet against thee, and because his ma'asim have been toward thee tov me'od:
5For he did put his nefesh in his yad, and slaughtered the Pelishti (Philistine), and Hashem wrought Teshuah Gedolah for kol Yisroel; thou sawest it, and didst rejoice with simcha. Why then wilt thou commit chet against dahm naki (innocent blood), to slay Dovid chinom (without cause)?
6And Sha'ul paid heed unto the voice of Yehonatan; and Sha'ul swore a shevuah, As Hashem liveth, he shall not be slain.
7And Yehonatan called Dovid, and Yehonatan reported to him all these devarim. And Yehonatan brought Dovid to Sha'ul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
8And there was milchamah again; and Dovid went out, and fought with the Pelishtim (Philistines), and slaughtered them with a makkah gedolah (with a great blow); and they fled from him.
9And there was a ruach Hashem ra'ah upon Sha'ul, as he sat in his Bais with his khanit (spear) in his yad; while Dovid menaggen (was playing music) with his yad.
10And Sha'ul sought to pin Dovid to the wall with the khanit; but he slipped away out of Sha'ulʼs presence, and he drove the khanit into the wall; and Dovid fled, and escaped that lailah.
11Sha'ul also sent malachim unto Bais Dovid, to put him under surveillance, and to slay him in the boker; and Michal his isha warned Dovid, saying, If thou not escape with thy nefesh halilah (tonight), makhar (tomorrow) thou shalt be slain.
12So Michal let Dovid down through the chalon; and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13And Michal took the terafim, and laid it in the mittah, and put a piece of woven goatʼs hair at its head, and covered it with beged (cloth, garment).
14And when Sha'ul sent malachim to capture Dovid, she said, He is choleh (ill).
15And Sha'ul sent the malachim back to see Dovid, saying [to them], Bring him up to me in the mittah (bed), to have him slain.
16And when the malachim were come in, hinei, there was the terafim in the mittah, with a piece of woven goatsʼ hair at its head.
17And Sha'ul said unto Michal, Why hast thou so deceived me, and sent away mine oyev, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Sha'ul, He said unto me, Let me get away; why should I kill thee?
18So Dovid fled, and escaped, and came to Shmuel at Ramah, and told him all that Sha'ul had done to him. And he and Shmuel went and dwelt in the dwellings of the nevi'im.
19And it was told Sha'ul, saying, Hinei, Dovid is at the dwellings of the nevi'im in Ramah.
20And Sha'ul sent malachim to capture Dovid; and when they saw the kat (sect, group) of the nevi'im prophesying, and Shmuel standing as nitzav (overseeing) them, the Ruach Elohim was upon the malachim of Sha'ul, and they also prophesied.
21And when it was told Sha'ul, he sent other malachim, and they prophesied likewise. And Sha'ul sent malachim again shelishim (third ones) and they prophesied also.
22Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a bor hagadol (great pit) at Sekhu; and he asked and said, Where are Shmuel and Dovid? And one said, Hinei, they are at the dwellings of the nevi'im in Ramah.
23And he went there to the dwellings of the nevi'im at Ramah; and the Ruach Elohim was upon him also, and he walked along prophesying, until he came to the dwellings of the nevi'im at Ramah.
24And he stripped off his beged also, and prophesied before Shmuel in like manner, and lay down arom (naked) all that day and all that lailah. Thus they say, Is Sha'ul also among the nevi'im?
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