1 Samuel 26:19
in 1 Samuel 26Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.
KJV
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 26
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
If the Lord have stirred thee up - The meaning is clear from the preceding history. “An evil spirit from God troubling him” was the beginning of the persecution. And this evil spirit was sent in punishment of Saul’s sin 1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:14. If the continued persecution was merely the consequence of this evil spirit continuing to vex Saul, David advises Saul to seek God’s pardon, and, as a consequence, the removal of the evil spirit, by offering a sacrifice.
This site's exposition
If the Lord have stirred thee up against me
David names two possible causes for the whole pursuit and settles neither: either the Lord himself has stirred Saul against him, a trial to be met with an offering, or human hands are behind it, men who deserve a curse for driving him from the land of the Lord's own inheritance into a country where other gods are served. Barnes reads the first clause against the evil spirit sent on Saul back at 16:14, one persecution with two possible sources named in a single breath. David does not choose between them; he leaves the judgment to God rather than pass it himself, and this driven-out complaint is the sharpest word he speaks against his own exile in either sparing chapter.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
If the Lord incites you against me, etc. If, he says, led by the Spirit of God you persecute me, it is necessary that I appease the divine mercy with sacrifices and prayers; but if not by the will of the Lord, but against His …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Saul himself could not say that justice put him on thus to persecute David, or that he was obliged to do it for the public safety. David was not willing to say (though it was very true) that Saul's own envy and malice put him on to do it; and therefore he concludes it must be attributed either to the righteous judgment of God or to the unrighteous designs of evil men.
An offering - Let us offer up a sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us. Driven me - From the land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where he hath established his presence and worship. Go serve - This was the language of their actions.
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant,.... Whether David waited for an answer to his question is not certain; probably he did, and observing none returned, desired audience of what he had further to say: if the Lord have stirred thee up against me; if he had put it into his heart to persecute him after this manner, for some sin he had committed against him, though not against Saul: did that appear to be the case: let him accept an offering; my offering, as the Targum; or my prayer, as Jarchi; I would offer a sin offering according to the law, to make atonement for my offence, and might hope it would be accepted; or I would make my supplication to God, and entreat him to forgive mine iniquity, and so an issue be put to these troubles; or should it be a capital crime deserving of death he was guilty of, he was content to die, and satisfy for his fault in that way; or if both of them had sinned, in any respect, he proposed to join in an acceptable sacrifice to God, and so reconciliation be made, and matters adjusted in such a religious way; if it was the evil spirit from the Lord that had entered into Saul, or God had suffered a melancholy disorder to seize him, which had put him upon those measures, let an offering agreeable to the will of God be offered, or supplication made for the removal of it: but if they be the children of men; that incited him to such violent methods, as Abner his general, or Doeg the Edomite, and others: cursed be they before the Lord; an imprecation of the vengeance of God upon them: for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord; meaning not from his own house and fatally, nor from the palace of Saul, but from the land of Canaan the Lord had given to his people Israel for an inheritance, and from the worship of God in it, which made it dear and precious to him; he knew […]
Nor was it so much his trouble that he was constrained to live among strangers as that he was constrained to live among the worshippers of strange gods and was thereby thrust into temptation to join with them in their idolatrous worship.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then David . . . stood on the top of an hill afar off . . . and cried to the people--(See on Jud 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
By driving him from the land and ordinances of the true worship, into foreign and heathen countries, they were exposing him to all the seductions of idolatry.
Let him accept an offering - If God have stirred thee up against me, why, then, let him deliver my life into thy hand, and accept it as a sacrifice. But as the word is מנחה minchah, a gratitude-offering, perhaps the sense may be this: Let God accept a gratitude-offering from thee, for having purged the land of a worker of iniquity; for, were I not such, God would never stir thee up against me. But if they be the children of men - If men have, by false representations, lies, and slanders, stirred thee up against an innocent man, then let them be cursed before the Lord. If I am guilty, I deserve to die; if not, those who seek my life should be destroyed. Saying, Go, serve other gods - His being obliged to leave the tabernacle, and the place where the true worship of God was performed, and take refuge among idolaters, said in effect, Go, serve other gods.
The words behind it
32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| יִֽשְׁמַֽע־ | yishma'- | let him hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| עַבְדּ֑וֹ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יְהוָ֞ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הֱסִֽיתְךָ֥ | hesitekha | he has incited you | H5496 → | |
| בִי֙ | vi | against <the> me | ||
| יָרַ֣ח | yarach | may he smell | H7306 → | |
| מִנְחָ֔ה | minchah | an offering | H4503 → | 211 times |
| וְאִ֣ם׀ | veim | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָאָדָ֗ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֲרוּרִ֥ים | ʾarurim | [be] cursed | H779 → | 63 times |
| הֵם֙ | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| גֵרְשׁ֣וּנִי | gereshuni | they have driven out me | H1644 → | |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מֵהִסְתַּפֵּ֜חַ | mehistapeach | from having a share | H5596 → | |
| בְּנַחֲלַ֤ת | benachalat | in [the] inheritance of | H5159 → | |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֵ֥ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| עֲבֹ֖ד | ʾavod | serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִֽים׃ | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
וְעַתָּ֗הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
יִֽשְׁמַֽע־let him hear
yishma'-H8085 →1159 times
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
עַבְדּ֑וֹservant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יְהוָ֞הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הֱסִֽיתְךָ֥he has incited you
hesitekhaH5496 →
בִי֙against <the> me
vi
יָרַ֣חmay he smell
yarachH7306 →
מִנְחָ֔הan offering
minchahH4503 →211 times
וְאִ֣ם׀and if
veimH518 →1069 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
הָאָדָ֗ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
אֲרוּרִ֥ים[be] cursed
ʾarurimH779 →63 times
הֵם֙they
hemH1992 →553 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
גֵרְשׁ֣וּנִיthey have driven out me
gereshuniH1644 →
הַיּ֗וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
מֵהִסְתַּפֵּ֜חַfrom having a share
mehistapeachH5596 →
בְּנַחֲלַ֤תin [the] inheritance of
benachalatH5159 →
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֵ֥ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
עֲבֹ֖דserve
ʾavodH5647 →288 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִֽים׃other
ʾacherimH312 →166 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
Genesis 8:21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth.…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
- Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
- Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- Isaiah 54:9–10
“For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry…
- 2 Corinthians 2:15
Through
2 Samuel 20:19I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 21:3
So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
- 2 Samuel 21:3
Through
2 Samuel 16:11Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him…
it leads to
- Isaiah 10:5–7
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.
- Genesis 15:4
Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
- Isaiah 10:5–7
About 1 Samuel
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.