1 Samuel 29:8
in 1 Samuel 29“But what have I done?” David replied. “What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
KJV
And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 29
Commentary
7 notes on this verseDavid said - what have I done? - Dr. Chandler and others may say what they will to make David act a consistent part in this business; but it is most evident, whatever his intentions might be as to the part he was to take in the approaching battle, he did intend to persuade Achish that he would fight against Israel; and affects to feel his reputation injured by not being permitted on this occasion to show his fidelity to the king of Gath.
This site's exposition
But what have I done
on 1 Samuel 29:8-9
David protests that he has done nothing to earn dismissal, and several of the older writers read the protest as performance rather than sincerity, since he had led Achish to believe he raided Israelite towns while actually striking Israel's enemies at 27:8-10. Achish answers with a compliment shaped like prophecy, David is good in his sight as an angel of God, language Matthew Henry sets beside Zechariah's promise that the house of David would be as the angel of the LORD. One is a court compliment, the other a divine word, and Henry names the difference rather than let them merge.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 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.
He seemed anxious to serve him when he was at this juncture really anxious to leave him, but he was not willing that Achish should know that he was. No one knows how strong the temptation is to compliment and dissemble which those are in that attend great men, and how hard it is to avoid it.
David said &c. - This was deep dissimulation and flattery, no way to be justified. None knows, how strong a temptation they are in to compliment and dissemble, which they are in who attend great men.
And David said unto Achish, what have I done?....
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.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָכִ֗ישׁ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֶ֤ה | meh | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙ | ʾasiti | have I done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| מָּצָ֣אתָ | matzata | have you found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בְעַבְדְּךָ֔ | veavdekha | in servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| מִיּוֹם֙ | miyom | from [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָיִ֣יתִי | hayiti | I was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְפָנֶ֔יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבוֹא֙ | ʾavo' | I will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְנִלְחַ֔מְתִּי | venilchamti | and I will fight | H3898 → | 177 times |
| בְּאֹיְבֵ֖י | beoyevei | against [the] enemies of | H341 → | 282 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֥י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָכִ֗ישׁAchish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֶ֤הwhat?
mehH4100 →752 times
עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙have I done
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
מָּצָ֣אתָhave you found
matzataH4672 →455 times
בְעַבְדְּךָ֔in servant your
veavdekhaH5650 →799 times
מִיּוֹם֙from [the] day
miyomH3117 →2304 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhen
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָיִ֣יתִיI was
hayitiH1961 →3559 times
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
עַ֖דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָבוֹא֙I will go
ʾavo'H935 →2568 times
וְנִלְחַ֔מְתִּיand I will fight
venilchamtiH3898 →177 times
בְּאֹיְבֵ֖יagainst [the] enemies of
beoyeveiH341 →282 times
אֲדֹנִ֥יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will…
- Revelation 7:14–17
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the…
- John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.
- Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
Through
1 Samuel 26:18And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 24:9
and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
- 1 Samuel 24:11–14
See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion…
- 1 Samuel 24:9
Through
1 Samuel 20:8Therefore deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:3
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
- 1 Samuel 18:3
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; 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.