1 Samuel 21:12
in 1 Samuel 21Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
KJV
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 21
Commentary
8 notes on this verseWas afraid - Lest either their revenge or policy should prompt them to kill him. Perhaps he was the more apprehensive, because he wore Goliath's sword, which was probably well known at Gath.
This site's exposition
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath
on 1 Samuel 21:10-12
David flees to Achish king of Gath, Goliath’s own city, carrying the sword of its champion. The servants of Achish greet him with Israel’s song, the words that turned Saul against him at 18:7. The titles of Psalms 34 and 56 set those psalms in this scene.
This site's exposition
very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath
Henry and Wesley both point to the sword at David's side. Goliath's sword was likely known in Gath, and its bearer now stood in the champion's own city. Gill adds a second fear, that Achish would hand him back to Saul.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapters 3-4 · Written before 99.
proposed
Every kind of honour and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, "My beloved ate and drank, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked." [Deuteronomy 32:15] Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity. So the worthless rose up against the honoured, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years.
The Medieval Church1 voice
David, however, placed these words in his heart, etc. The Lord saw in his wisdom the unbelieving and deceitful hearts of some of the Jews; and, as the Scripture customarily speaks of God in human manner, he feared so much from the face of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and perhaps he was the more apprehensive of his own danger, when he was thus discovered, because he wore Goliath's sword, which, we may suppose, was well known in Gath, and with which he had reason to expect they would cut off his head, as he had cut off Goliath's with it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
5 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And David laid up these words in his heart,.... Pondered upon them, and thought them over in his mind, finding that he was known, and his character also, and considered with himself what might be the consequence of this: and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath; lest he should be set against him, and be prevailed upon by his servants to take away his life, or deliver him up into the hands of Saul.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Is this not Dovid, the king of the land. They said to Achish, "There was a stipulation between us: 'If he will be able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves.' 10 Above:9.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֧שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| דָּוִ֛ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֥ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֖לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| בִּלְבָב֑וֹ | bilvavo | in heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וַיִּרָ֣א | vaiyira' | and he was afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| מְאֹ֔ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֖י | mipenei | of <the face of> | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אָכִ֥ישׁ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| גַּֽת׃ | gat | Gath | H1661 → | 32 times |
וַיָּ֧שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
דָּוִ֛דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֥יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֖לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
בִּלְבָב֑וֹin heart his
bilvavoH3824 →252 times
וַיִּרָ֣אand he was afraid
vaiyira'H3372 →315 times
מְאֹ֔דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
מִפְּנֵ֖יof <the face of>
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
אָכִ֥ישׁAchish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
גַּֽת׃Gath
gatH1661 →32 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 34:4I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Psalms 116:1–6
I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice— my appeal for mercy.
- Psalms 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
- 2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
- Psalms 18:6
Through
Psalms 119:11I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:31
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
- Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to…
- Psalms 37:31
Through
Psalms 56:3When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
- Psalms 34:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapters 3-4; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.