1 Samuel 21
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2And 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.
3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- דָּוִדDâvidH173211× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- אָמַרʼâmarH55911× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- אֵלʼêlH41310× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- כִּיkîyH35889× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֵתʼêthH8539× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- יָדyâdH30276× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- כֹּהֵןkôhênH35486× in this chapter
literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
- לֶחֶםlechemH38996× in this chapter
food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)
- זֶהzehH20885× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- מֶלֶךְmelekH44285× in this chapter
a king
- אִםʼimH5185× in this chapter
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64405× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9355× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- דָּבָרdâbârH16974× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- הוּאhûwʼH19314× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- אֲחִימֶלֶךְʼĂchîymelekH2884× in this chapter
Achimelek, the name of an Israelite and of a Hittite
- יוֹםyôwmH31174× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- אַיִןʼayinH3694× in this chapter
a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle
- אִישׁʼîyshH3764× in this chapter
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
- לֹאlôʼH38084× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- לָקַחlâqachH39474× in this chapter
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
- אֲכִישׁʼĂkîyshH3974× in this chapter
Akish, a Philistine king
- שָׁאוּלShâʼûwlH75864× in this chapter
Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8344× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- הָיָהhâyâhH19613× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- חֶרֶבcherebH27193× in this chapter
drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement
- יֵשׁyêshH34263× in this chapter
there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)
- כְּלִיkᵉlîyH36273× in this chapter
something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)
- נַעַרnaʻarH52883× in this chapter
(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)
- נָתַןnâthanH54143× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56503× in this chapter
a servant
- עָנָהʻânâhH60303× in this chapter
properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce
- קֹדֶשׁqôdeshH69443× in this chapter
a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
- שָׁגַעshâgaʻH76963× in this chapter
to rave through insanity
- תַּחַתtachathH84783× in this chapter
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.
- גַּםgamH15712× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
- גַּתGathH16612× in this chapter
Gath, a Philistine city
- אוֹʼôwH1762× in this chapter
desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
- הִנֵּהhinnêhH20092× in this chapter
lo!
- חֹלchôlH24552× in this chapter
properly, exposed; hence, profane