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1 Samuel 29:2-4
New English Translation
1 Samuel 29:2-4
New English Translation
2 When the leaders of the Philistines were passing in review at the head of their units of hundreds and thousands,[a] David and his men were passing in review in the rear with Achish.
3 The leaders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time?[b] I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!”[c]
4 But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said[d] to him, “Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become[e] our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?[f]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 29:2 tn Heb “passing by with respect to hundreds and thousands.” This apparently describes a mustering of troops for the purpose of inspection and readiness.
- 1 Samuel 29:3 tn Heb “these days or these years.”
- 1 Samuel 29:3 tn Heb “from the day of his falling [away] until this day.”
- 1 Samuel 29:4 tn Heb “and the leaders of the Philistines said.”
- 1 Samuel 29:4 tn Heb “so that he might not become.”
- 1 Samuel 29:4 tn Or perhaps, “our men.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.e.
1 Samuel 29:2-4
New International Version
1 Samuel 29:2-4
New International Version
2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear(A) with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”
Achish replied, “Is this not David,(B) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,(C) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send(D) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn(E) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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