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1 Samuel 26:7 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּבֹא֩ דָוִ֨ד וַאֲבִישַׁ֥י׀ אֶל־ הָעָם֮ לַיְלָה֒ וְהִנֵּ֣ה שָׁא֗וּל שֹׁכֵ֤ב יָשֵׁן֙ בַּמַּעְגָּ֔ל וַחֲנִית֥וֹ מְעוּכָֽה־ בָאָ֖רֶץ מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וְאַבְנֵ֣ר וְהָעָ֔ם שֹׁכְבִ֖ים סְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃ ס

BSAThat nightlayil [in the darkness, under the cover of evening] DavidDâvid and AbishaiʼĂbîyshay camebôwʼ toʼêl the troopsʻam [the army, the people] and SaulShâʼûwl was lyingshâkab [sleeping, resting] therehinnêh asleepyâshên [in a deep sleep, unconscious] in the inner circle of the campmaʻgâl [the midst, the center] with his spearchănîyth [lance, javelin] stuckmâʻak in the groundʼerets [fixed, planted] by his headmᵉraʼăshâh [pillow, headrest] And AbnerʼAbnêr [the commander, the leader] and the troopsʻam [the people, the army] were lyingshâkab [sleeping, resting] around himçâbîyb [surrounding, encircling]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 26
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (se.vi.vo.tov) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 26:7quick helps
In a sentenceDavid and Abishai stealthily approach Saul's camp at night while he sleeps.
Who is speakingDavid, with his nephew Abishai, as they plot to confront Saul.
Where we areThe narrative unfolds during a night raid, highlighting the tension between David and Saul.
The hard wordמְעוּכָֽה
Take awayThe scene captures a moment of vulnerability for Saul, surrounded by his troops.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectשָׁאוּל verbבּוֹא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Samuel 26:7

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — David's Stealthy Approach to Saulgenerated

6And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.
7That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.
8Abishai 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!”
9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”

1 Samuel 26:7 describes a pivotal moment where David and Abishai approach Saul's camp under the cover of night. This scene illustrates the ongoing conflict between David and Saul, as David seeks to confront the king who has pursued him. The narrative emphasizes the tension and danger present in the dark, as well as the loyalty of Abishai to David. This event is part of a larger story of David's rise to kingship and the challenges he faces from Saul, who is the current king of Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Thessalonians 5:2–3For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיָּבֹא֩, vai.ya.Vo'generated

The verb בּוֹא (bo) means to come or go, indicating movement towards a place or person. In this context, it shows David and Abishai's action of approaching the troops, which is crucial for the unfolding narrative.

This verb is in the sequential imperfect form, indicating an ongoing action. The use of this verb sets the stage for the events that follow, highlighting the stealth and intent behind their approach.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the wording of this verse, with all versions capturing the essence of David and Abishai's approach to the camp at night.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַיָּבֹא֩ (and he went) governs the sentence, with several phrases following it, including a noun phrase identifying the subjects and prepositional phrases describing their action and location.

The structure emphasizes the action of approaching, with the subjects David and Abishai as the focus, while the details surrounding Saul's condition and location provide context for the tension in the narrative.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיָּבֹא֩ as εἰσπορεύεται, indicating an entrance into a space. This choice reflects a similar emphasis on movement towards a target, maintaining the narrative's focus on David's approach.

The use of this Greek term suggests a direct engagement with the setting, highlighting the stealthy nature of David and Abishai's actions.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 26:7 tells us that David and Abishai approached Saul's camp at night. Saul was asleep in the center of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him, creating a tense situation for David and Abishai.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What was the significance of David and Abishai approaching Saul at night?

Their approach at night highlights the stealth and danger involved in their mission, as well as David's strategic thinking in dealing with Saul.

Why was Saul in such a vulnerable position?

Saul was asleep and surrounded by his troops, which typically would provide safety, but it also made him vulnerable to David's approach.

What does the spear symbolize in this context?

The spear represents Saul's authority and power, but its placement by his head while he sleeps also symbolizes his vulnerability.

How does this scene contribute to the overall narrative of David's rise?

This moment illustrates the ongoing conflict between David and Saul, showcasing David's ability to navigate danger and his eventual claim to kingship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this scene reveal about the nature of leadership and vulnerability?
  2. How can we apply David's strategic thinking in our own challenges?
  3. What does Saul's sleep suggest about his state of mind and leadership?
  4. In what ways can we learn from the loyalty displayed by Abishai?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early Church Fathers have commented on this passage, noting the themes of envy and leadership. Quotations from Basil of Caesarea and Bede are included, reflecting on the dynamics between David and Saul.

Basil of CaesareaCONCERNING ENVY c. 330–379
If Saul had been asked the reason for his hostility, he would have been compelled to admit that it was the favors received from David’s hand.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 26 →
BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
Therefore, David and Abisai came to the people by night, etc. The Lord and his disciples came to visit the people, who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, and found his kingdom entirely depressed in kinship,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 26 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 26:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

So David and Abishai came to the people by night,.... Josephus (l) wrongly says, that he took with him both Abishai and Ahimelech; he chose to have but one, for the greater secrecy.

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 26 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 26 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

To the people, i. e. to Saul’ s host and camp. It might seem a bold and strange attempt; but many things are to be considered: 1. That heroical persons have oft attempted things of no less difficulty and danger than this was; as many credible historians relate. 2. That David did and might easily perceive that they were all fast asleep. 3. That David had a particular assurance that God would preserve him to the kingdom. 4. That he had a special instinct from God to this work; and possibly God might inform him that he had cast them into a dead sleep, that he might have this second opportunity of manifesting his innocency towards Saul, and the justice of his cause.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 26 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 26:7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.Ver. 7. So David and Abishai came.] Ahimelech belike durst not venture, or else David was willing to have but only one with him, for secrecy sake. But Abner and the people lay round about him.] See on 1 Samuel 26:5.

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 26 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Within the trench.—As above, in 1 Samuel 26:5, “within the barrier of the wagons.” His spear . . . at his bolster.—“Bolster,” literally, the place where his head is, better rendered at his head; and so in 1 Samuel 26:11-12; 1 Samuel 26:16. The same Hebrew word occurs in the narration of Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:11); it is there rendered in our English Version, “his pillows.” It was the tall spear which ever seems to have been in Saul’s hand, or placed close to him. We read of it in battle in his hand, and in the council chamber and at the state banquet it was within his reach, and now it was evidently reared upright beside the sleeping king. “I noticed at all the encampments which we…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 26 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. to the people] i.e. to Saul’s army. Cp. 1 Samuel 14:45. his spear] See on 1 Samuel 18:10. at his bolster] At his head; and so in 1 Samuel 26:11; 1 Samuel 26:16. Cp. 1 Samuel 19:13.

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 26 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

7. Spear… at his bolster — Or, at his head, as we have rendered the Hebrew at 1 Samuel 19:13. “I noticed at all the encampments which we passed,” says Dr.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Samuel 26 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay around him.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So David and Abishai approached the army at night and found Saul lying asleep in the entrenchment with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were lying all around him.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay about him.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So Dauid and Abishai came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his speare did sticke in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the wagon-defence, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And David cometh — and Abishai — unto the people by night, and lo, Saul is lying sleeping in the path, and his spear struck into the earth at his pillow, and abner and the people are lying round about him.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And David comes—and Abishai—by night to the people, and behold, Saul is lying sleeping in the path, and his spear is pressed into the earth by his pillow, and Abner and the people are lying around him.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the ring, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head; but Abner and the people were lying round about him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So David and Abishai went to the army by night. Saul was there sleeping inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and his soldiers lay around him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

So David and Abisai came to the people by night, and found Saul lying and sleeping in the tent, and his spear fixed in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people sleeping round about him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

So David and Abishai went to the army camp at night. Saul was sleeping there in the camp with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and his men sleeping around him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So David and Abishai came down to the army by night: and Saul was sleeping inside the ring of carts with his spear planted in the earth by his head: and Abner and the people were sleeping round him.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיָּבֹא֩he.wentnoun phrase · subjectדָוִ֨דDavidוַandאֲבִישַׁ֥יAbishaiprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseהָtheעָם֮peopleadverbialלַיְלָה֒nightוְandclauseclauseהִנֵּ֣הthere!clauseclausesubjectשָׁא֗וּלSaulverbשֹׁכֵ֤ב[was].lyingadverbialיָשֵׁן֙sleepingprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasetheמַּעְגָּ֔לcampוַandclausenoun phrase · subjectחֲנִית֥spearוֹhisverbמְעוּכָֽה[was].thrustprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָinnoun phrasetheאָ֖רֶץgroundnoun phrase · adverbialמְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יof.his.headוthe.placeוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectאַבְנֵ֣רAbnerוְandnoun phraseהָtheעָ֔םpeopleverbשֹׁכְבִ֖ים[were].lyingnoun phrase · adverbialסְבִיבֹתָֽיaroundוhim

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with 19 of the 19 words matched. This alignment indicates a consistent transmission of the text across these ancient witnesses.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיָּבֹא֩ דָוִ֨ד וַאֲבִישַׁ֥י׀ אֶל־ הָעָם֮ לַיְלָה֒ וְהִנֵּ֣ה שָׁא֗וּל שֹׁכֵ֤ב יָשֵׁן֙ בַּמַּעְגָּ֔ל וַחֲנִית֥וֹ מְעוּכָֽה־ בָאָ֖רֶץ מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וְאַבְנֵ֣ר וְהָעָ֔ם שֹׁכְבִ֖ים סְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּבֹא֩εἰσπορεύεταιדָוִ֨דδαυιδוַאֲבִישַׁ֥י׀αβεσσαאֶל־εἰςהָעָם֮λαὸνלַיְלָה֒νύκταוְהִנֵּ֣הἰδοὺשָׁא֗וּלσαουλשֹׁכֵ֤בκαθεύδωνיָשֵׁן֙ὕπνῳבַּמַּעְגָּ֔לλαμπήνῃוַחֲנִית֥וֹδόρυמְעוּכָֽה־ἐμπεπηγὸςבָאָ֖רֶץγῆνמְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יוαὐτοῦוְאַבְנֵ֣רαβεννηρוְהָעָ֔םλαὸςשֹׁכְבִ֖יםἐκάθευδενסְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃ סαὐτοῦ

19 of the 19 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Samuel 26:7בּוֹאand he wentand he wentבּוֹאדָּוִדDavidDavidדָּוִדאֲבִישַׁיand Abishaiand Abishaiאֲבִישַׁיאֶלtotoאֶלעַםthe peoplethe peopleעַםלַ֫יְלָהnightnightלַ֫יְלָההִנֵּהand there!and there!הִנֵּהשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלשָׁכַב[was] lying[was] lyingשָׁכַביָשֵׁןsleepingsleepingיָשֵׁןמַעְגָּלin the campin the campמַעְגָּלחֲניִתand spear hand spear hisחֲניִתמָעַךְ[was] thrus[was] thrustמָעַךְאֶ֫רֶץin the grouin the groundאֶ֫רֶץמְרַאֲשָׁוֹת[the] place[the] place of מְרַאֲשָׁוֹתאֲבִינֵרand Abnerand Abnerאֲבִינֵרעַםand the peoand the peopleעַםשָׁכַב[were] lyin[were] lyingשָׁכַבסָבִיבaround himaround himסָבִיבאָבfatherfatherאָבעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםיָשֵׁןto sleepto sleepיָשֵׁןחָנָהto campto campחָנָהסָבַבto turn: tto turn: turnסָבַבדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדלוּלstairsstairsלוּלהֵןlook!look!הֵןשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַלעָגֹלroundroundעָגֹלמְרַאֲשָׁוֹתheadheadמְרַאֲשָׁוֹתמַרְגְּלוֹתfeetfeetמַרְגְּלוֹתעָרֵלuncircumciuncircumcisedעָרֵלמִשְׁכָּבbedbedמִשְׁכָּבשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁמִזְמוֹרmelodymelodyמִזְמוֹרנָצַחto conductto conductנָצַחצְרוּיָהZeruiahZeruiahצְרוּיָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Samuel 26:7

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וַיָּבֹא֩vai.ya.Vo' and he went H935 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
דָוִ֨דda.Vid David H1732 Noun proper masculine
1,075× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Tyndale gloss
David
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. The name means 'beloved' and is associated with a significant lineage, including many siblings and notable descendants like Solomon. The entries highlight his familial connections and historical context, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1732 דָּוִד, דָּוִיד David

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1732 David daw-veed'

rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730;

loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.

see HEBREW for 01730

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּוִד (da.vid) — David.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339);

father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon):

I. NAME AND GENEALOGY

II. EARLY YEARS

1. Shepherd

2. Slinger

3. Harpist

4. Poet

5. Psalmist

6. Tribesman

III. IN THE SERVICE OF SAUL

1. David First Meets Saul

2. His First Exploit

3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David

4. Jonathan and David

IV. DAVID IN EXILE

1. David as Outlaw

2. David Joins the Philistines

V. DAVID AS KING

1. Civil War

2. Conquests Abroad

3. Political Situation

4. The Ark

VI. DOMESTIC LIFE

1. His Wives and Children

2. Domestic Troubles

VII. HIS OFFICIALS

1. Prophets

2. Priests

3. Military Officers

4. Other Officials

5. Mutual Rivalry

VIII. PERSONAL CHARACTER OF DAVID

1. Chronicles

2. Psalms

3. Complex Character

4. Physical Courage

5. Moral Courage

6. Prudence

7. Strategy

8. Nobility

9. David in Relation to His Family

10. David in Relation to His Friends

11. His Success

12. His Foreign Friends

13. Nemesis

Easton's Bible Dictionary

David

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).

His early occupation was that of tending his father’s sheep on the uplands of Judah. From what we know of his after history, doubtless he frequently beguiled his time, when thus engaged, with his shepherd’s flute, while he drank in the many lessons taught him by the varied scenes spread around him. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts of the field. He mentions that with his own unaided hand he slew a lion and also a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important respects the antecedents of his future career. It appears that David was the youngest son, probably the youngest child, of a family of ten, and was born in Bethlehem B.C. 1085. The first time that David appears in history at once admits us to the whole family circle. The annual sacrificial feast is being held when Samuel appears, sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as they pass before him, (1 Samuel 16:6-10) Samuel sends for the youngest, David, who was "keeping the sheep," and anoints him. (1 Samuel 16:11-13) As David stood before Samuel we are enabled to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Beloved, the youngest son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem B. C. 1085; one of the most remarkable men in either sacred of secular history. His life is fully recorded in 1Sa 16:1 1Ki 2:46. He was "the Lord’s anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1Sa 16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit, and a long course of vicissitudes and dangers. In his early pastoral life he distinguished himself by his boldness, fidelity, and faith in God; and while yet a youth was summoned to court, as one expert in music, valiant, prudent in behavior, and comely in person. He…

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וַאֲבִישַׁ֥י׀va.'a.vi.Shai and Abishai H52 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abishai was an Israelite and nephew of King David, first mentioned in 1 Samuel 26:6, his name means my father is Jesse or my father is a gift. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel. Abishai played a significant role in the United Monarchy.
Tyndale gloss
Abishai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲבִישַׁי (Abiyshay) refers to a personal name meaning 'my father is a gift' or 'my father is Jesse.' It denotes Abishai, a figure from the time of the United Monarchy, who is the grandson of Jesse and brother of Joab. He is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 26:6.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִישַׁי n.pr.m. (my father is Jesse)—grandson of Jesse; son of Zeruiah & brother of Joab

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H52 אֲבִישַׁי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

52 'Abiyshay ab-ee-shah'ee

or (shorter) Abshay {ab-shah'ee}; from 1 and 7862; father of

a gift (i.e. probably generous); Abishai, an

Israelite:--Abishai.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 07862

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִישַׁי (a.vi.shay) — Abishai.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.26.6 and Zeruiah (H6870);

brother of: Joab (H3097) and Asahel (H6214)

§ Abishai = "my father is Jesse" or "my father is a gift"

grandson of Jesse, nephew of David via his sister Zeruiah, brother of Joab

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ab'-i-shi, a-bi'-shi ('abhishai, in Ch 'abhshai; meaning is doubtful, probably "my father is Jesse," BDB): Son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and one of the three famous brothers, of whom Joab and Asahel were the other two (2Sa 2:18). He was chief of the second group of three among David's "mighty men" (2Sa 23:18).

He first appears with David, who was in the Wilderness of Ziph, to escape Saul. When David called for a volunteer to go down into Saul's camp by night, Abishai responded, and counseled the killing of Saul when they came upon the sleeping king (1Sa 26:6-9). In the skirmish between the men of Ishbosheth and the men of David at Gibeon, in which Asahel was killed by Abner, Abishai was present (

Abishai

Father of (i.e., “desirous of”) a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David’s sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel (2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chr. 2:16). Abishai was the only one who accompanied David when he went to the camp of Saul and took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster (1 Sam. 26:5-12). He had the command of one of the three divisions of David’s army at the battle with Absalom (2 Sam. 18:2,5,12). He slew the Philistine giant Ishbi-benob, who threatened David’s life (2 Sam. 21:15-17). He was the chief of the second rank of the three “mighties” (

A son of Zeruiah, David’s sister, brother of Joab and Asahel, one of the bravest of David’s mighty men, 1Ch 2:16, and always faithful to his royal uncle. He went with him alone to the tent of Saul, 1Sa 26:7-11; and was a leader in the war with Ish-bosheth, 2Sa 2.18,24, in the war with the Edomites, 1Ch 18:12,13, and with the Syrians and Ammonites, 2Sa 10:10. In a battle with the Philistines, he rescued David, and slew Ishbi-benob the giant, 2Sa 21:16,17. He lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, 2Sa 23:18; and was with David in the affairs of…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the present of my father

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
הָעָם֮ha.'Am the people H5971 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
the army, the people
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
לַיְלָה֒lay.Lah night H3915 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
233× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Night refers to the time of darkness, opposed to day, and can also symbolize adversity or hardship. It is a period of rest, but also of potential danger or uncertainty.
Amplified meaning
in the darkness, under the cover of evening
Tyndale gloss
night
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לַ֫יְלָה (layil) means 'night' and is derived from a root that suggests a twist away from light. It encompasses the literal sense of night as opposed to day, as well as figurative uses related to gloom or adversity. The term appears in contexts like Isaiah 21:11.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל 242 n.m. night

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3915 לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל night

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3915 layil lah'-yil

or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from

the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e.

night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).

see HEBREW for 03883

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) — night.

1) night

1a) night (as opposed to day)

1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nit.

See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.

1. In the Old Testament:

Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DAY]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.

The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 1:5,16,18

→ Meditations in Ps 19:2; 77:6; 119:148; 139:11

→ Worship in Ps 134:1

→ Jesus prays all night Lu 6:12

→ No night in heaven Re 21:25; 22:5

→ Divided into watches Ex 14:24; Jud 7:19; 1Sa 11:11; Ne 12:9; Ps 63:6; 119:148; La 2:19;

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Neh and there! H2009 Conjunction · particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tj
and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
שָׁא֗וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 Noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
שֹׁכֵ֤בsho.Khev [was] lying H7901 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
212× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To lie down can mean to rest, sleep, or have sexual relations, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible. It can also mean to relax or be at rest.
Amplified meaning
sleeping, resting
Tyndale gloss
to lie down: lay down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shakab) is a primitive root meaning 'to lie down.' It covers a range of meanings including resting, lodging, engaging in sexual relations, and lying down in death. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of lying down. Notably, it can also figuratively mean to relax.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁכַב 212 vb. lie down

Qal

lie down

= lodge (for night)

of sexual relations, lie with

lie down in death

esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

fig. = relax

Niph. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

Hiph. lay

Hoph. laid

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7901 שָׁכַב lie down .. lie down

. = lodge (for night)

. of sexual relations, lie with

. . lie down in death

. esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

. fig. = relax

. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

. lay

. laid

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7901 shakab shaw-kab'

a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection,

decease or any other purpose):--X at all, cast down,

((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to

sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: lay down.

: lay_down/lie_with

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: sleep.

: sleep/rest

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: have sex.

: have_sex

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

li'-ing.

See LIE.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Lying spirit from God 1Ki 22:21-23; 2Ch 18:20-22

→ See FALSEHOOD

→ See HYPOCRISY

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Forbidden

Le 19:11; Col 3:9

- Hateful to God

Pr 6:16-19

- An abomination to God

Pr 12:22

- A hindrance to prayer

Isa 59:2,3

- The devil, the father of

Joh 8:44

- The devil excites men to

1Ki 22:22; Ac 5:3

- SAINTS

. Hate

Ps 119:163; Pr 13:5

. Avoid

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
יָשֵׁן֙ya.Shen sleeping H3463 Adj
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to someone who is sleeping or sleepy, like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:40. It describes a person in a state of rest or slumber.
Amplified meaning
in a deep sleep, unconscious
Tyndale gloss
sleeping
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשֵׁן (yashen) means 'sleeping' or 'asleep.' It is derived from the root word for sleep, יָשַׁן (yashan), and is used to describe a state of sleep. The entries consistently emphasize this meaning without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשֵׁן adj. sleeping

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3463 יָשֵׁן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3463 yashen yaw-shane'

from 3462; sleepy:--asleep, (one out of) sleep(-eth, -ing),

slept.

see HEBREW for 03462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשֵׁן (ya.shen) — sleeping.

sleeping

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
בַּמַּעְגָּ֔לba.ma'.Gal in the camp H4570 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a path or track, either physical or figurative. It can also describe a circular rampart or entrenchment. In the Bible, it is translated as path, trench, or way.
Amplified meaning
the midst, the center
Tyndale gloss
track
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַעְגָּל (ma`gal) refers to a track or entrenchment, with meanings that include a literal path or figurative way. It can also denote a circular rampart or trench. The entries consistently emphasize its use in contexts related to movement or fortification.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַעְגָּל n.m. 1. entrenchment. 2. track

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4570 מַעְגָּל 1. entrenchment. 2. track

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4570 ma`gal mah-gawl'

or feminine mapgalah {mah-gaw-law'}; from the same as 5696; a

track (literally or figuratively); also a rampart (as

circular):--going, path, trench, way((-side)).

see HEBREW for 05696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַעְגָּל (ma.gal) — track.

1) entrenchment, track

1a) circumvallation, entrenchment

1b) track

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Camp

During their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed encampments at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13; Num. 2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the different tribes and the form of the encampment during the wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38; 10:13-28.

The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles. After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21; 7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ENCAMPMENT]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of the Israelites around the tabernacle Nu 2; 3

→ See ITINERARY

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וַחֲנִית֥וֹva.cha.ni.To and spear his H2595 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a spear or lance used for thrusting, like a tent pole. It appears in the stories of Saul and Jonathan, where they use spears in battle. The word is also used to describe a shaft or spear-head.
Amplified meaning
lance, javelin
Tyndale gloss
spear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲנִית (chaniyth) refers to a spear or lance, emphasizing its use for thrusting. The term encompasses various parts of the spear, including the shaft and spear-head. Additionally, it is noted metaphorically in relation to the teeth of lions. The word is derived from חָנָה (chanah), suggesting a connection to flexibility.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲנִית n.f. spear (as flexible?)

spear, as hurled

shaft of spear

spear-head

butt of spear

metaph. of teeth of lions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2595 חֲניִת spear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2595 chaniyth khan-eeth'

from 2583; a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a

tent):--javelin, spear.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲנִית (cha.nit) — spear.

1) spear

1a) spear

1a1) shaft of a spear

1a2) spear-head

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
מְעוּכָֽה־me.'u.khah- [was] thrust H4600 Verb · Qal · participle (passive) feminine singular
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to press or crush something, like piercing or squeezing, and is used to describe being handled or crushed. It appears in various forms, such as being stuck or pressed. In the Bible, it's often translated as 'bruised' or 'pressed'.
Tyndale gloss
to bruise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָעַךְ (ma`ak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to press or bruise. It encompasses actions like squeezing and being crushed, with specific forms indicating different nuances, such as being handled or pressed. The entries highlight its usage in contexts related to physical pressure or injury, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָעַךְ] vb. press, squeeze

Qal not to be offered to י׳, reference to emasculation; and his spear pressed (thrust) into the ground

Pu. there were their breasts squeezed

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4600 מָעַךְ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4600 ma`ak maw-ak'

a primitive root; to press, i.e. to pierce, emasculate,

handle:--bruised, stuck, be pressed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָעַךְ (ma.akh) — to bruise.

1) to press, squeeze

1a) (Qal) to be crushed

1b) (Pual) to be handled, be pressed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-c — Verb · Qal · participle (passive) feminine singular
HVqsfsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
בָאָ֖רֶץva.'A.retz in the ground H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
fixed, planted
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Man made from Ge 2:7; 3:19,23; Job 4:19; 33:6

→ Animals made from Ge 2:19

→ Vegetables come from Ge 2:9

→ Cursed Ge 3:17; 5:29

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֑יוme.ra.'a.sho.tov [the] place of head his H4763 Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for head or headrest, used to describe a place of rest or a position of authority, like a pillow or bolster. It appears in the Bible as a symbol of comfort and support.
Amplified meaning
pillow, headrest
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְרַאֲשָׁוֹת (mra'ashah) refers to a place at the head or a headpiece, often associated with a pillow or bolster. It is a plural form that indicates a position of dominion or prominence. The entries suggest a focus on its use as a head-rest or head place, but do not provide specific Old Testament references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מְרַאֲשָׁוֹת] n.[f.]pl. denom. place at the head, head-place

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4763 [מְרַאֲשָׁוֹת] place at the head, head-place

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4763 mra'ashah mer-ah-ash-aw'

formed like 4761; properly, a headpiece, i.e. (plural for

adverbial) at (or as) the head-rest (or pillow):--bolster,

head, pillow. Compare 4772.

see HEBREW for 04761

see HEBREW for 04772

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְרַאֲשָׁוֹת (me.ra.a.shah) — head.

1) place at the head, dominion, head place

adv

2) at head place

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HNcfpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וְאַבְנֵ֣רve.'av.Ner and Abner H74 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
63× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abner was a prominent Israelite, cousin of King Saul, and army captain, who played a key role in the book of 1 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
the commander, the leader
Tyndale gloss
Abner
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲבִינֵר (*Abner*) refers to a man from the tribe of Benjamin, specifically a cousin of Saul and a captain in his army. The name is derived from elements meaning 'father' and 'light,' suggesting 'my father is a lamp.' Abner is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:50 and is noted for being treacherously killed by Joab.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִינֵר n.pr.m. (my father is Nêr, or is a lamp)—cousin of Saul, and captain of host

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H74 אֲבִינֵר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

74 'Abner ab-nare'

or (fully) nAbiyner {ab-ee-nare'}; from 1 and 5216; father of

light (i.e. enlightening); Abner, an Israelite:--Abner.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 05216

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִינֵר (av.ner) — Abner.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.50;

son of: Ner (H5369);

father of: Jaasiel (H3300H)

§ Abner = "my father is a lamp"

Saul's cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ab'-ner ('abhner; in 1Sa 14:50 the Hebrew has the fuller form, 'abhiner, Abiner; compare Abiram by the side of Abram; meaning, "my father is a lamp"): Captain of the host under Saul and Ishbosheth (Eshbaal). He was Saul's cousin; Ner the father of Abner and Kish the father of Saul being brothers, the sons of Abiel (1Sa 14:50 f). In 1Ch 8:33; 9:39 the text appears to be faulty; read: And Ner begat Abner, and Kish begat Saul. According to 1Ch 27:21 Abner had a son by the name of Jaasiel. Abner was to Saul what Joab was to David. Despite the many wars waged by Saul, we hear little of Abner during Saul's lifetime. Not even in the account' of the battle of Gilboa is mention…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abner

Father of light; i.e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17:57). After the death of Saul, David was made king over Judah, and reigned in Hebron. Among the other tribes there was a feeling of hostility to Judah; and Abner, at the head of Ephraim, fostered this hostility in the interest of the house of Saul, whose son Ish-bosheth he caused to be proclaimed king (2 Sam. 2:8). A state of war existed between these two kings. A battle fatal to Abner, who was the leader of Ish-boseth’s army, was fought with David’s army under Joab at Gibeon (

(father of light). Son of Ner, who was the brother of Kish, (1 Chronicles 9:36) the father of Saul. (B.C. 1063.) Abner, therefore, was Saul’s first cousin, and was made by him commander-in-chief of his army. (1 Samuel 14:51; 17:57; 26:5-14) After the death of Saul David was proclaimed king of Judah; and some time subsequently Abner proclaimed Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, king of Israel. War soon broke out between the two rival kings, and a "very sore battle" was fought at Gibeon between the men of Israel under Abner and the men of Judah under Joab. (1 Chronicles 2:16) Abner had married Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, and this, according to the views of Oriental courts, might be so interpreted as to imply a design upon the throne.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Ner, Saul’s uncle, and the general of his armies, 1Sa 14:50. For seven years after Saul’s death, he supported Ish-bosheth; but being reproved by him for his conduct towards Rizpah, he undertook to unite the whole kingdom under David. He was, however, treacherously slain by Joab, either to revenge the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother, who Abner had formerly killed, or more probably from jealousy. David abhorred this perfidious act, and composed an elegy on his death, 2Sa 2:8 3:33. He also charged Solomon to punish the crime of Joab with death, 1Ki 2:5,6.

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
וְהָעָ֔םve.ha.'Am and the people H5971 Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
the people, the army
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | N-ms — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Td/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
שֹׁכְבִ֖יםsho.khe.Vim [were] lying H7901 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
212× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To lie down can mean to rest, sleep, or have sexual relations, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible. It can also mean to relax or be at rest.
Amplified meaning
sleeping, resting
Tyndale gloss
to lie down: lay down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shakab) is a primitive root meaning 'to lie down.' It covers a range of meanings including resting, lodging, engaging in sexual relations, and lying down in death. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of lying down. Notably, it can also figuratively mean to relax.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁכַב 212 vb. lie down

Qal

lie down

= lodge (for night)

of sexual relations, lie with

lie down in death

esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

fig. = relax

Niph. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

Hiph. lay

Hoph. laid

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7901 שָׁכַב lie down .. lie down

. = lodge (for night)

. of sexual relations, lie with

. . lie down in death

. esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

. fig. = relax

. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

. lay

. laid

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7901 shakab shaw-kab'

a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection,

decease or any other purpose):--X at all, cast down,

((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to

sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: lay down.

: lay_down/lie_with

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: sleep.

: sleep/rest

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: have sex.

: have_sex

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVqrmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

li'-ing.

See LIE.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Lying spirit from God 1Ki 22:21-23; 2Ch 18:20-22

→ See FALSEHOOD

→ See HYPOCRISY

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Forbidden

Le 19:11; Col 3:9

- Hateful to God

Pr 6:16-19

- An abomination to God

Pr 12:22

- A hindrance to prayer

Isa 59:2,3

- The devil, the father of

Joh 8:44

- The devil excites men to

1Ki 22:22; Ac 5:3

- SAINTS

. Hate

Ps 119:163; Pr 13:5

. Avoid

and he went David and Abishai to the people night and there! Saul [was] lying sleeping in the camp and spear his [was] thrust in the ground [the] place of head his and Abner and the people [were] lying around him
סְבִיבֹתָֽיו׃ סse.vi.vo.tov around him H5439 Noun common both plural construct · suffix
336× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something that surrounds or encompasses, like a circle or neighborhood, and can also mean around or about, as in on every side. It is used to describe physical locations and proximity. The KJV translates it as about or circuit.
Amplified meaning
surrounding, encircling
Tyndale gloss
around
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'

or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a

circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with

or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,

circuit, compass, on every side.

see HEBREW for 05437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.

: around/border

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.

: side

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.

: whole

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.

: neighours

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both plural construct · suffix
HNcbpc/Sp3ms
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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