David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
Parallel Translations
-
David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
-
And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
-
And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest: 'Bring hither the ephod.'
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to 1 Samuel 23:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Samuel 30:7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
- Numbers 27:21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”
- 1 Samuel 14:18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time.
- 1 Samuel 22:20 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
- Jeremiah 11:18-19 Yahweh gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it. Then you showed me their doings. But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”
- Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’
- Acts 9:24 but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,
- Acts 14:6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.
- Acts 23:16-18 But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain To consult with the Lord by Urim and Thummim.
To consult with the Lord by Urim and Thummim.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 23:9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised…
1Sa 23:9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
Ver. 9. Secretly practised mischief.] Plotted and ploughed mischief: pretending to raise an army against the Philistines, but intending the same against David.
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 Saul secretly practised mischief against him; whereby it may…
Saul secretly practised mischief against him; whereby it may seem he pretended that he raised his army to defend Keilah and his country from the Philistines, and kept his intention against David in his own breast. Or, designed or devised; for so the word signifies; and so it is here translated by many; and it seems both from 1Sa 23:8, and from his publicly avowed jealousy of and rage against David, that he declared his design to be against him, as a traitor to his crown and dignity.
Bring hither the ephod, and put it upon thee, that thou mayst ask counsel of God for me.
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 And. David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against…
And. David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him,.... That is, plotted and contrived it, formed schemes in order to do him mischief, giving out one thing, and designing another; so he pretended war against the Philistines, but his intention was to come against Keilah, and take David there:
and he said to Abiathar the priest, bring hither the ephod; not for David to put on, but for the priest himself, that being clothed with it, and the Urim and Thummim in it, he might inquire for him of the Lord.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. Bring hither the ephod.] It seems as…
Verse 9. Bring hither the ephod.] It seems as if David himself, clothed with the ephod, had consulted the Lord; and 1Sa 23:10-12 contain the words of the consultation, and the Lord's answer. But see on 1Sa 23:2.
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 23:9-11. Bring hither the ephod — Which, doubtless,…
1Sa 23:9-11. Bring hither the ephod — Which, doubtless, Abiathar put on; otherwise he could not have inquired of the Lord by it. The Lord said, He will come down — He purposeth to come if thou continue here. For still both David’s question and God’s answer are conditional, upon supposition. As David’s being there was the only motive for Saul’s coming, so, if he departed, Saul could have no inducement to come. And accordingly we find he laid aside his design so soon as he was informed that David had escaped. It seems probable from this place that God’s answer by Urim and Thummim was not by any change in the colour or situation of the precious stones in the breast-plate of the ephod, but by a voice or suggestion from God to the high-priest.
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 Secretly. He might have pretended that the armament was…
Secretly. He might have pretended that the armament was against the Philistines. (Menochius) --- Ephod. Some say that David put it on. But this was the privilege of the high priest, who gave the answer to David’s consultation, which he might perhaps repeat after him. (Calmet) --- He put on the rational to consult God, Exodus xxviii., and Leviticus viii. (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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the…
he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod--The consultation was made, and the prayer uttered, by means of the priest. The alternative conditions here described have often been referred to as illustrating the doctrine of God's foreknowledge and preordination of events.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. secretly practised] Lit. was forging. Omit “secretly.”
9. secretly practised] Lit. was forging. Omit “secretly.”
Bring hither the ephod] For the high-priest did not always wear it. See note on 1Sa_14:18, and cp. 1Sa_30:7.
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.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9) Secretly practised mischief.—The idea of secrecy suggested in…
(9) Secretly practised mischief.—The idea of secrecy suggested in the English translation does not appear in the Hebrew; the accurate rendering would be, “was forging, or devising.” It is likely enough that Jonathan contrived to keep his friend informed of these Court plots against him.
Bring hither the ephod.—It is quite clear that a different method of enquiry was used by David on this occasion. In 1Sa_23:3-4 it is merely stated that he enquired of the Lord; here at Keilah his enquiry was prefaced, in 1Sa_23:6, by a definite statement that Abiathar the priest, with the ephod, had arrived here before he asked the question of God. The history tells us he directed Abiathar the priest to “bring hither the ephod,” thus pointedly connecting the enquiry in some way with the ephod. In this ephod were set twelve precious stones, one for each of the twelve tribes. The names of the tribes were engraved on these gems, the Rabbis tell us, along with some other sacred words. On important solemn occasions—it seems perfectly certain during a considerable time—that these stones were allowed by the providence of God, who worked so many marvels for His people, to be used as oracles. It has been already stated that according to a most ancient tradition the use of the sacred gems was restricted to the high priest, who could only call out the supernatural power at the bidding of the king or the head of the State for the time being (such an one as Joshua, for instance). The Divine response given by the sacred gems seems to have been the visible response to earnest, faithful prayer.
Read full note →
The common belief is that the ephod stones gave their answer to the royal and high priestly questions by some peculiar shining. But a passage (quoted at length in the Excursus M on the Urim and Thummim at the end of this Book) from the Babylonian Talmud (Treatise Yoma)—apparently little known—tells us that the Rabbis had two other explanations traditionally handed down from the days when the ephod and its holy gemmed breastplate was questioned on solemn occasions by the high priest.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 9-13. Saul secretly practised mischief. This phrase is…
Vers. 9-13. Saul secretly practised mischief. This phrase is correctly translated "devised evil" in Pro_3:29 Pro_14:22. There is no idea of secrecy in the Hebrew verb, which literally means "to work in metals," "to forge." Saul"s purpose was open enough, and when David heard of it he tells Abiathar to bring the ephod, and then offers earnest prayer to God for counsel and advice. In his prayer his two questions are put inversely to the logical order, but in accordance with their relative importance in David"s mind, and no ground exists for altering the text. But when the ephod was brought forward the questions were of course put in their logical sequence. To the first question, "Will Saul come down to besiege Keilah?" the answer was, "He will." To the second, "Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" the answer also was, "They will. Whereupon he and his followers, now increased to 600 men, withdrew, and went whithersoever they could go. Literally. "they went about whither they went about," i.e. without any fixed plan, as chance or their necessities dictated. As David was once again at large, Saul had no longer any reason for besieging Keilah, especially as its citizens had preferred his side, as that of the more powerful, to gratitude for the safety of their lives and property.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.