1 Samuel 22:5
in 1 Samuel 22Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
KJV
And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The prophet Gad - Mentioned here for the first time. One may conjecture that Samnel had sent him privately from Naioth to tell David not to abide in the hold. Whether he stayed with David or returned to the College of the prophets does not appear. For later notices of him see marginal references. The forest of Hareth is unknown.
This site's exposition
the prophet Gad said
The prophet Gad is named for the first time here, sent to tell David not to stay in the hold but to go openly into the land of Judah. Wesley reads the command as training for the throne, exercising David's faith and courage while Saul still lives rather than leaving him to hide until the danger passes on its own. Gad will still be at David's side decades later, naming his sin at the threshingfloor in 2 Samuel 24, but his first word to the man he serves is simply to stand where his claim can be seen.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
The prophet Gad said to David: Do not remain in the stronghold, etc. Prophecy speaks to Christ, which has not omitted to sing of his sacraments, that, with the fullness of the Gentiles entering, his faith should no longer strive to protect itself with the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Abide not - Do not shut up thyself here. Judah - Go and shew thyself in the land of Judah, that thou mayest publicly put in thy claim to the kingdom after Saul's death; and that thy friends may be invited and encouraged to appear on thy behalf. Hereby also God would exercise David's faith, and wisdom, and courage; and so prepare him for the kingdom.
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And the prophet Gad said unto David,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was right to appear publicly among the people of his own tribe, as one conscious of innocence and trusting in God; and it was expedient that, on the death of Saul, his friends might be encouraged to support his interest. forest of Hareth--southwest of Jerusalem.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Get thee into the land of Judah - Gad saw that in this place alone he could find safety.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| גָּ֨ד | gad | Gad | H1410 → | |
| הַנָּבִ֜יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֵשֵׁב֙ | teshev | you must remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּמְּצוּדָ֔ה | bametzudah | in the stronghold | H4686 → | 21 times |
| לֵ֥ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וּבָֽאתָ־ | uvata- | and you will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְּךָ֖ | lekha | for <the> yourself | ||
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יְהוּדָ֑ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| דָּוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֖א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יַ֥עַר | yaar | [the] forest of | H3293 → | 59 times |
| חָֽרֶת׃ ס | charet | Hereth | H2802 → |
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
גָּ֨דGad
gadH1410 →
הַנָּבִ֜יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֵשֵׁב֙you must remain
teshevH3427 →1079 times
בַּמְּצוּדָ֔הin the stronghold
bametzudahH4686 →21 times
לֵ֥ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
וּבָֽאתָ־and you will go
uvata-H935 →2568 times
לְּךָ֖for <the> yourself
lekha
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
יְהוּדָ֑הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
דָּוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיָּבֹ֖אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
יַ֥עַר[the] forest of
yaarH3293 →59 times
חָֽרֶת׃ סHereth
charetH2802 →
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
1 Chronicles 29:29Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 9:9
(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 21:9–11
And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
- 1 Samuel 9:9
Through
1 Chronicles 21:9And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 24:11
When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 29:29
Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 24:11
Through
2 Chronicles 29:25Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests…
- 1 Chronicles 23:5
4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
- 1 Chronicles 9:33
Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1–7
Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list…
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson, Fausset & 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.