1 Samuel 21 שְׁמוּאֵל א פרק כ״א

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open 1 Samuel 21 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וַיָּקׇםand-aroseוַיֵּלַךְand-departedוִיהוֹנָתָןand-Jonathanבָּאwent-intoהָעִיר׃the-city

   And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

2. 2

   וַיָּבֹאand-cameדָוִדDavidנֹבֶהto-Nobאֶל־אֲחִימֶלֶךְto-Ahimelechהַכֹּהֵןthe-priestוַיֶּחֱרַדand-was-afraidאֲחִימֶלֶךְAhimelechלִקְרַאתto-meetדָּוִדDavidוַיֹּאמֶרand-saidלוֹto-himמַדּוּעַwhyאַתָּהyouלְבַדֶּךָaloneוְאִישׁand-no-manאֵיןisאִתָּךְ׃with-you

   Then 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?

3. 3

   וַיֹּאמֶרand-saidדָּוִדDavidלַאֲחִימֶלֶךְto-Ahimelechהַכֹּהֵןthe-priestהַמֶּלֶךְthe-kingצִוַּנִיhas-commanded-meדָבָרa-businessוַיֹּאמֶרand-saidאֵלַיto-meאִישׁa-manאַל־יֵדַעlet-no-knowמְאוּמָהanythingאֶת־הַדָּבָרof-the-businessאֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִיwhich-Iשֹׁלֵחֲךָsend-youוַאֲשֶׁרand-whichצִוִּיתִךָI-have-commanded-youוְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִיםand-the-young-menיוֹדַעְתִּיI-have-appointedאֶל־מְקוֹםto-a-placeפְּלֹנִיsuch-and-suchאַלְמוֹנִי׃a-place

   And 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.

4. 4

   וְעַתָּהand-nowמַה־יֵּשׁwhat-isתַּחַת־יָדְךָunder-your-handחֲמִשָּׁה־לֶחֶםfive-loaves-of-breadתְּנָהgiveבְיָדִיin-my-handאוֹorהַנִּמְצָא׃what-there-is-present

   Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

5. 5

   וַיַּעַןand-he-answeredהַכֹּהֵןthe-priestאֶת־דָּוִדDavidוַיֹּאמֶרand-saidאֵין־לֶחֶםthere-is-no-breadחֹלcommonאֶל־תַּחַתunderיָדִיmy-handכִּי־אִם־לֶחֶםbut-there-is-breadקֹדֶשׁhallowedיֵשׁthere-isאִם־נִשְׁמְרוּif-have-kept-themselvesהַנְּעָרִיםthe-young-menאַךְat-leastמֵאִשָּׁה׃from-women

   And 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.

6. 6

   וַיַּעַןand-answeredדָּוִדDavidאֶת־הַכֹּהֵןthe-priestוַיֹּאמֶרand-saidלוֹto-himכִּיbecauseאִם־אִשָּׁהof-a-truth-womenעֲצֻרָה־לָנוּhave-been-kept-from-usכִּתְמוֹלas-beforetimeשִׁלְשֹׁםof-oldבְּצֵאתִיwhen-I-came-outוַיִּהְיוּand-they-wereכְלֵי־הַנְּעָרִיםthe-vessels-of-the-young-menקֹדֶשׁholyוְהוּאand-heדֶּרֶךְin-a-mannerחֹלcommonוְאַףand-how-much-moreכִּיbecauseהַיּוֹםtodayיִקְדַּשׁshall-be-hallowedבַּכֶּלִי׃in-the-vessel

   And 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.

7. 7

   וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹand-gave-to-himהַכֹּהֵןthe-priestקֹדֶשׁhallowed-breadכִּיforלֹא־הָיָהthere-was-noשָׁםthereלֶחֶםbreadכִּי־אִם־לֶחֶםbut-the-bread-ofהַפָּנִיםthe-Presenceהַמּוּסָרִיםthat-was-taken-fromמִלִּפְנֵיfrom-the-presence-ofיְהֹוָהthe-LORDלָשׂוּםto-putלֶחֶםbreadחֹםhotבְּיוֹםin-the-day-ofהִלָּקְחוֹ׃it-was-taken-away

   So 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.

8. 8

   וְשָׁםand-thereאִישׁa-manמֵעַבְדֵיof-the-servants-ofשָׁאוּלSaulבַּיּוֹםin-the-dayהַהוּאthatנֶעְצָרdetainedלִפְנֵיbeforeיְהֹוָהthe-LORDוּשְׁמוֹand-his-nameדֹּאֵגDoegהָאֲדֹמִיthe-Edomiteאַבִּירthe-chiefest-ofהָרֹעִיםthe-shepherdsאֲשֶׁרwhichלְשָׁאוּל׃Saul's

   Now 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.

9. 9

   וַיֹּאמֶרand-saidדָּוִדDavidלַאֲחִימֶלֶךְto-Ahimelechוְאִיןand-is-there-notיֶשׁ־פֹּהhereתַחַת־יָדְךָunder-your-handחֲנִיתa-spearאוֹ־חָרֶבor-a-swordכִּיbecauseגַם־חַרְבִּיboth-my-swordוְגַם־כֵּלַיand-my-weaponsלֹא־לָקַחְתִּיnot-I-have-takenבְיָדִיin-my-handכִּי־הָיָהbecause-wasדְבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְthe-king's-businessנָחוּץ׃required-haste

   And 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.

10. 10

    וַיֹּאמֶרand-saidהַכֹּהֵןthe-priestחֶרֶבthe-sword-ofגׇּלְיָתGoliathהַפְּלִשְׁתִּיthe-Philistineאֲשֶׁר־הִכִּיתָwhom-you-slewבְּעֵמֶקin-the-valley-ofהָאֵלָהElahהִנֵּה־הִיאbehold-it-isלוּטָהwrappedבַשִּׂמְלָהin-a-clothאַחֲרֵיafterהָאֵפוֹדthe-ephodאִם־אֹתָהּif-thatתִּקַּח־לְךָyou-will-take-for-yourselfקָחtake-itכִּיforאֵיןthere-is-noאַחֶרֶתany-otherזוּלָתָהּsave-thatבָּזֶהhereוַיֹּאמֶרand-saidדָּוִדDavidאֵיןthere-is-noכָּמוֹהָlike-itתְּנֶנָּהgive-itלִּי׃to-me

    And 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.

11. 11

    וַיָּקׇםand-aroseדָּוִדDavidוַיִּבְרַחand-he-fledבַּיּוֹם־הַהוּאthat-dayמִפְּנֵיfor-fear-ofשָׁאוּלSaulוַיָּבֹאand-cameאֶל־אָכִישׁto-Achishמֶלֶךְthe-king-ofגַּת׃Gath

    And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

12. 12

    וַיֹּאמְרוּand-they-saidעַבְדֵיservants-ofאָכִישׁAchishאֵלָיוto-himהֲלוֹא־זֶהis-it-not-thisדָוִדDavidמֶלֶךְthe-king-ofהָאָרֶץthe-landהֲלוֹאis-it-notלָזֶהof-this-oneיַעֲנוּdid-they-singבַמְּחֹלוֹתin-dancesלֵאמֹרsayingהִכָּהhas-slainשָׁאוּלSaulבַּאֲלָפָוhis-thousandsוְדָוִדand-Davidבְּרִבְבֹתָו׃his-ten-thousands

    And 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?

13. 13

    וַיָּשֶׂםand-laid-upדָּוִדDavidאֶת־הַדְּבָרִיםthe-wordsהָאֵלֶּהtheseבִּלְבָבוֹin-his-heartוַיִּרָאand-he-was-afraidמְאֹדexceedinglyמִפְּנֵיofאָכִישׁAchishמֶלֶךְ־גַּת׃king-of-Gath

    And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

14. 14

    וַיְשַׁנּוֹand-he-changedאֶת־טַעְמוֹhis-behaviorבְּעֵינֵיהֶםin-their-eyesוַיִּתְהֹלֵלand-feigned-himself-madבְּיָדָםin-their-handsוַיְתָוand-scrabbledעַל־דַּלְתוֹתupon-the-doors-ofהַשַּׁעַרthe-gateוַיּוֹרֶדand-let-fallרִירוֹhis-spittleאֶל־זְקָנוֹ׃to-his-beard

    And 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.

15. 15

    וַיֹּאמֶרand-saidאָכִישׁAchishאֶל־עֲבָדָיוto-his-servantsהִנֵּהbeholdתִרְאוּyou-seeאִישׁa-manמִשְׁתַּגֵּעַis-madלָמָּהwhyתָּבִיאוּhave-you-broughtאֹתוֹhimאֵלָי׃unto-me

    Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

16. 16

    חֲסַרhave-I-need-ofמְשֻׁגָּעִיםmadmenאָנִיIכִּי־הֲבֵאתֶםthat-you-have-broughtאֶת־זֶהthisלְהִשְׁתַּגֵּעַto-play-the-madmanעָלָיin-my-presenceהֲזֶהshall-this-fellowיָבוֹאcomeאֶל־בֵּיתִי׃to-my-house

    Have 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?