1 Samuel 24:14 BSB — MannaFest

1 Samuel 24:14

Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

KJV

After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

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Commentary

2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

After a dead dog - A term used among the Hebrews to signify the most sovereign contempt; see 2Sa 16:9. One utterly incapable of making the least resistance against Saul, and the troops of Israel. The same idea is expressed in the term flea. The Targum properly expresses both thus: one who is weak, one who is contemptible.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

He seems to have been naturally susceptible of strong, and, as in this instance, of good and grateful impressions. The improvement of his temper, indeed, was but transient--his language that of a man overwhelmed by the force of impetuous emotions and constrained to admire the conduct, and esteem the character, of one whom he hated and dreaded.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
אַחֲרֵ֨י	'a.cha.Rei	after	H310 →
מִ֤י	mi	whom?	H4310 →
יָצָא֙	ya.Tza'	has he come out	H3318 →
מֶ֣לֶךְ	Me.lekh	[the] king of	H4428 →
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	Yis.ra.'El	Israel	H3478 →
אַחֲרֵ֥י	'a.cha.Rei	after	H310 →
מִ֖י	mi	whom?	H4310 →
אַתָּ֣ה	'a.Tah	[are] you	H859 →
רֹדֵ֑ף	ro.Def	pursuing	H7291 →
אַֽחֲרֵי֙	'a.cha.Rei	after	H310 →
כֶּ֣לֶב	Ke.lev	a dog	H3611 →
מֵ֔ת	Met	dead	H4191 →
אַחֲרֵ֖י	'a.cha.Rei	after	H310 →
פַּרְעֹ֥שׁ	par.'Osh	a flea	H6550 →
אֶחָֽד׃	'e.Chad	one	H259 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

H7291rodefpursuing143×

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Samuel 17:43
“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
leads to
- 2 Samuel 3:8
  Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to…
  Reached by 3 independent paths from here.
- 2 Kings 8:13
  “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
- Genesis 27:29
  May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you…
Through
2 Samuel 16:9
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
leads to
- 2 Samuel 9:8
  Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Exodus 22:28
  You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
Through
2 Samuel 9:8
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
leads to
- 2 Samuel 16:9
  Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Matthew 15:26–27
  But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
- 1 Samuel 24:14–15
  Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?

About 1 Samuel

David Shows Saul How He Spared His Life — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

1 Samuel: the study guide →Read chapter 24 →The featured study →

Continue: 1 Samuel 24 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

06About 1 Samuel

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

About 1 Samuel