1 Samuel 29:6
in 1 Samuel 29So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright in my sight, and it seems right that you should march in and out with me in the army, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you have no favor in the sight of the leaders.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.
KJV
Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the Lord liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 29
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThou hast been upright - So he thought, for as yet he had not heard of the above transaction; David having given him to understand that he had been fighting against Israel.
This site's exposition
Surely, as the Lord liveth, thou hast been upright
on 1 Samuel 29:6-7
Achish swears as the Lord liveth, a Philistine king using the covenant name of Israel's God, and some of the bench read it as a mark of what he had picked up across a year and four months in David's company. He lays the whole dismissal on the princes and keeps none of it for himself, praising David's conduct in the same breath he sends him away. The good word he gives is genuine and does David no good at all, since the men who outrank him in this council will not be moved by it.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
I know that you are good in my eyes, etc. And the Church, excelling in the praises of the Lord, even adds this: Indeed, I myself know, and with the opened eyes of faith I understand the goodness of your heavenly grace, and that you …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The princes - The Lords of the other eminent cities, who were confederate with him in this expedition. These days or years - That is, did I say days? He hath now been with me a full year and four months, chap. xxvii, 7, and he was with me some years ago, chap. xxi, 10, and since their time hath been known to me.
Then Achish called David,.... Being so near him, that he could call unto him himself, or he sent some person to him, to require his presence with him: and said unto him, surely, as the Lord liveth; or "Jehovah liveth"; an oath by the true God, of whom Achish might have some knowledge, as he also had of angels, from his conversation with David; though the Heathens had a notion of a supreme Being, and yet worshipped other gods, and whom they called Jove, from this name of Jehovah. Kimchi observes, that all confess a first cause; and therefore when he swore to David, he swore by him in whom David believed, perhaps out of complaisance to him, or that David might pay the greater regard to his oath: thou hast been upright; sincere, honest, faithful, and just in all his deportment; yet not so sincere as he thought him to be, witness the road he pretended he had taken against the south of Judah, 1Sa 27:1, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in sight; his behaviour in the army, attending him as the keeper of his head, or captain of his bodyguard, was exceeding agreeable to him, and he could wish to have him continued: for I have not found evil in thee, since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; whatever he had done before to the Philistines, having greatly afflicted and distressed them in his wars with them, of which this seems to be an exception: nevertheless, the lords favour thee not; or thou art not acceptable to them, yea, very offensive and disagreeable.
God's people should behave themselves always so inoffensively as if possible to get the good word of all they have dealings with; and it is a debt we owe to those who have acquitted themselves well to give them the praise of it. He lays all the blame of his dismission upon the princes, who would by no means suffer him to continue in the camp.
5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of any project of his own to get clear of it.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As the Lord liveth - The swearing by Yahweh seems strange in the mouth of a Philistine. But probably not the very words, but only the sense of this and such like speeches, is preserved.
The words behind it
33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֨א | vaiyikra' | and he summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אָכִ֜ישׁ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵ֠לָיו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֞ה | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָשָׁ֣ר | yashar | [are] upright | H3477 → | |
| אַתָּ֗ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְט֣וֹב | vetov | and [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| בְּ֠עֵינַי | beeinai | in view my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| צֵאתְךָ֨ | tzetekha | going out you | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וּבֹאֲךָ֤ | uvoakha | and coming in you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אִתִּי֙ | ʾiti | with me | H854 → | 929 times |
| בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה | bamachaneh | in the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָצָ֤אתִֽי | matzati | I have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בְךָ֙ | vekha | in <the> you | ||
| רָעָ֔ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| מִיּ֛וֹם | miyom | from [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בֹּאֲךָ֥ | boakha | coming in you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֖י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וּבְעֵינֵ֥י | uveeinei | and in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַסְּרָנִ֖ים | haseranim | the rulers | H5633 → | 22 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| ט֥וֹב | tov | [are] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אָֽתָּה׃ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֨אand he summoned
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
אָכִ֜ישׁAchish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵ֠לָיוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָ֞הof Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָשָׁ֣ר[are] upright
yasharH3477 →
אַתָּ֗הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְט֣וֹבand [is] good
vetovH2896 →538 times
בְּ֠עֵינַיin view my
beeinaiH5869 →887 times
צֵאתְךָ֨going out you
tzetekhaH3318 →1067 times
וּבֹאֲךָ֤and coming in you
uvoakhaH935 →2568 times
אִתִּי֙with me
ʾitiH854 →929 times
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הin the camp
bamachanehH4264 →215 times
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
מָצָ֤אתִֽיI have found
matzatiH4672 →455 times
בְךָ֙in <the> you
vekha
רָעָ֔הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
מִיּ֛וֹםfrom [the] day
miyomH3117 →2304 times
בֹּאֲךָ֥coming in you
boakhaH935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֖יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וּבְעֵינֵ֥יand in [the] eyes of
uveeineiH5869 →887 times
הַסְּרָנִ֖יםthe rulers
haseranimH5633 →22 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
ט֥וֹב[are] good
tovH2896 →538 times
אָֽתָּה׃you
ʾatahH859 →1094 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 121:8The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:6
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 3:6
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
- Proverbs 2:8
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
- Psalms 113:2
Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forevermore.
- Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands…
- Deuteronomy 28:6
Through
1 Samuel 20:3But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:26
Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and…
- 1 Samuel 27:1
David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the…
- 2 Kings 2:6
And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will…
- 1 Samuel 25:26
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name 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); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; 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.