1 Samuel 24:15
in 1 Samuel 24May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.
KJV
The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 24
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe Lord therefore be Judge, and judge between me and thee,.... Signifying he did not desire to be judge in his own cause, but leave it with God to determine it for him in his providence: and see, and plead my cause; look with pity upon him, take his cause in his hand, plead it, and do him justice: and deliver me out of thine hand: which was a prayer of faith, believing he would do it in due time, see Psa 7:6.
This site's exposition
Against whom has the king of Israel come out
on 1 Samuel 24:14-15
David shrinks himself to a dead dog and a flea as he measures Saul's army against him. Clarke reads the two images as utter contempt joined to utter harmlessness. The appeal opened at verse 12 closes with verbs stacked on one judge, to decide, plead his case and deliver him.
This site's exposition
May the LORD be our judge
Gill says David leaves his own cause for God to judge. Saul had done exactly that at Nob, where he sentenced Ahimelech himself at 22:16. Henry finds it strange that Saul heard the whole speech to its end.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Saul's penitent reply to David's speech. It was strange that he had patience to hear him out, considering how outrageous he was against him, and how cutting David's discourse was. But God restrained him and his men; and we may suppose Saul struck with amazement at the singularity of the event, and much more when he found how much he had lain at David's mercy.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
The Lord therefore be judge - Let God determine who is guilty.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
As the ancient proverb says. The proverb of the Ancient One of the world. It may also mean ‘old proverb’ or it may refer to a ‘Kadmonite proverb,’ a nation mentioned in Bereishis:19. [referring to] the Torah, which is the proverb of the Holy One, Blessed is He.
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. 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֤ה | vehayah | and he will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְדַיָּ֔ן | ledaiyan | <into> a judge | H1781 → | |
| וְשָׁפַ֖ט | veshafat | and he will judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| בֵּינִ֣י | beini | between me | H996 → | 407 times |
| וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ | uveinekha | and between you | H996 → | 407 times |
| וְיֵ֙רֶא֙ | veyere' | and may he see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְיָרֵ֣ב | veyarev | and may he conduct | H7378 → | 67 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רִיבִ֔י | rivi | case my | H7379 → | |
| וְיִשְׁפְּטֵ֖נִי | veyishpeteni | and may he vindicate me | H8199 → | 202 times |
| מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃ פ | miyadekha | from hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וְהָיָ֤הand he will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְדַיָּ֔ן<into> a judge
ledaiyanH1781 →
וְשָׁפַ֖טand he will judge
veshafatH8199 →202 times
בֵּינִ֣יbetween me
beiniH996 →407 times
וּבֵינֶ֑ךָand between you
uveinekhaH996 →407 times
וְיֵ֙רֶא֙and may he see
veyere'H7200 →1300 times
וְיָרֵ֣בand may he conduct
veyarevH7378 →67 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רִיבִ֔יcase my
riviH7379 →
וְיִשְׁפְּטֵ֖נִיand may he vindicate me
veyishpeteniH8199 →202 times
מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃ פfrom hand your
miyadekhaH3027 →1618 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 35:1Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
it leads to
- Psalms 43:1
Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 119:154
Defend my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word.
- Jeremiah 51:36
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.
- Isaiah 49:25
Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with…
- Proverbs 23:11
for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
- Psalms 43:1
Through
Psalms 43:1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
it leads to
- Psalms 35:1
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 26:1
Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
- Psalms 35:1
Through
1 Samuel 24:12May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
it leads to
- Judges 11:27
I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
- Judges 11:27
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.