1 Samuel 28:24
in 1 Samuel 28The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
KJV
And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 28
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe woman had a fat calf - The ancients used great despatch in their cookery. In hot countries they could not keep flesh meat by them any length of time; hence they generally kept young animals, such as calves, lambs, and kids, ready for slaughter; and when there was occasion, one of them was killed, and dressed immediately. Unleavened bread - There was not time to bake leavened bread; that would have taken considerable time, in order that the leaven might leaven the whole lump.
This site's exposition
put my life in my hand
on 1 Samuel 28:21-25
The woman who kept the craft Saul's own law had outlawed is the one who feeds him when no one from his own camp is present to do it, and he refuses to eat until his servants join her in persuading him. She kills the fatted calf and bakes it unleavened only for want of time to let bread rise, not for any ceremony, and Matthew Henry recalls that Josephus praised her courtesy toward a stranger who could do nothing for her in return. The chapter ends as it began, in darkness, with Saul and his two men going away that night the way they had come.
This site's exposition
The woman had a fattened calf at her house
Adam Clarke explains why the woman had a calf ready. Meat could not be kept long in a hot land, so a house kept young animals to slaughter at once. Bede set this fattened calf and the bread beside the meal Abraham and Sarah prepared for the LORD in Genesis 18.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
But that woman had a Paschal calf in her house, etc. The most tender and excellent calf, and fine flour bread, which Abraham and Sarah prepared to refresh the Lord during the fervent midday sun (Gen. XVIII), implies the faith in the Lord's incarnation and …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Josephus is large in applauding the extraordinary courtesy and liberality of this woman, and recommending what she did as an example of compassion to the distressed, and readiness to communicate for their relief, though we have no prospect of being recompensed.
2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever. 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And the woman had a fat calf in the house,....
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָאִשָּׁ֤ה | velaishah | and [belonged] to the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| עֵֽגֶל־ | ʾegel- | a calf of | H5695 → | |
| מַרְבֵּק֙ | marbek | [the] stall | H4770 → | |
| בַּבַּ֔יִת | babayit | in the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וַתְּמַהֵ֖ר | vatemaher | and she made haste | H4116 → | 68 times |
| וַתִּזְבָּחֵ֑הוּ | vatizbachehu | and she slaughtered it | H2076 → | 134 times |
| וַתִּקַּח־ | vatikach- | and she took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| קֶ֣מַח | kemach | flour | H7058 → | |
| וַתָּ֔לָשׁ | vatalosh | and she kneaded [it] | H3888 → | |
| וַתֹּפֵ֖הוּ | vatofehu | and she baked it | H644 → | |
| מַצּֽוֹת׃ | matzot | unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → |
וְלָאִשָּׁ֤הand [belonged] to the woman
velaishahH802 →781 times
עֵֽגֶל־a calf of
ʾegel-H5695 →
מַרְבֵּק֙[the] stall
marbekH4770 →
בַּבַּ֔יִתin the house
babayitH1004 →2046 times
וַתְּמַהֵ֖רand she made haste
vatemaherH4116 →68 times
וַתִּזְבָּחֵ֑הוּand she slaughtered it
vatizbachehuH2076 →134 times
וַתִּקַּח־and she took
vatikach-H3947 →966 times
קֶ֣מַחflour
kemachH7058 →
וַתָּ֔לָשׁand she kneaded [it]
vataloshH3888 →
וַתֹּפֵ֖הוּand she baked it
vatofehuH644 →
מַצּֽוֹת׃unleavened bread<s>
matzotH4682 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Luke 15:23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.
it leads to
- Matthew 22:2–14
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
- Psalms 63:5
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
- Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a banquet for all the peoples, a feast of aged wine, of choice meat, of finely aged wine.
- Isaiah 65:13–14
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be…
- Genesis 18:7
Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
- Matthew 22:2–14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.