Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”
Parallel Translations
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Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”
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Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
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(21-16) Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?'
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Explain this verse (9 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Is he meet to be in a king’s house?
Is he meet to be in a king’s house?
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that…
1Sa 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house?
Ver. 15. Have I need of mad men?] The Rabbis say that Achish’s wife and daughter were mad: and therefore was he so loath to be further troubled with any such creatures.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain I need wise men, not such fools or madmen…
I need wise men, not such fools or madmen as this is. I will not have my court disgraced with entertaining such fellows.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Have I need of madmen?.... Or fools, do I…
Have I need of madmen?.... Or fools, do I want them? have not I enough of them already at my court? I want wise men, and not fools and madmen. The Jews say (w) that the wife and daughter of Achish were mad; that while David was playing the fool and madman without, they were acting the same part within; so that Achish had enough of that sort of diversion, if it was to be reckoned such; as it was according to the taste of some persons, who used, as in later so in earlier times, to keep fools in their houses to make them sport; but Achish had enough of that, and too much, at least needed no more:
that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? or act the part of a fool before me:
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shall this fellow come into mine house? court or palace, and have a post there; you need be in no pain about it; he is neither agreeable to me, nor fit for any; and therefore Achish drove him away as a fool or madman, instead of imprisoning him as an enemy, or taking away his life; see the title of the thirty fourth psalm, Psa 34:1.
(w) Midrash Tillim apud Abarbinel. in loc.
Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 22
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Mad men - It is highly probable, Achish was…
Mad men - It is highly probable, Achish was aware, that this madness was counterfeit. But being desirous to preserve David, he speaks as if he thought it real.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 15. Shall this fellow come into my house?]…
Verse 15. Shall this fellow come into my house?] I will not take into my service a man who is liable to so grievous a disease. Chandler, who vindicates David's feigning himself, mad, concludes thus: "To deceive the deceiver is in many instances meritorious, in none criminal. And what so likely to deceive as the very reverse of that character which they had so misconstrued? He was undone as a wise man, he had a chance to escape as a madman; he tried, and the experiment succeeded." I confess I can neither feel the force nor the morality of this. Deceit and hypocrisy can never be pleasing in the sight of God.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Sa 21:15. Have I need of madmen? — It…
1Sa 21:15. Have I need of madmen? — It is highly probable that Achish was aware this madness was counterfeit. But, being desirous to preserve David, he spoke as if he thought it real.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain House. David had not rushed into the palace of…
House. David had not rushed into the palace of his own accord, but wished to remain concealed. Some of the people however knew him, and would have him to enlist as one of the soldiers of Achis; (Menochius) or even designed to get him put to death, which made him have recourse to this expedient. Some of the saints have imitated him, to avoid worldly honours and dignities of the Church. (Haydock) --- Thus the conduct of Jesus Christ himself, was accounted foolishness by worldlings, Mark iii. 21., Luke xxiii. 11., and 1 Corinthians i. 23. (Ven. Bede) (Worthington)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 15. come into my house] Be taken into my…
15. come into my house] Be taken into my service. Cp. Psa_101:7.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.