1 Samuel 21:8
New International Version
David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

New Living Translation
David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”

English Standard Version
Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.”

King James Bible
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

New King James Version
And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

New American Standard Bible
David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there no spear or sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”

NASB 1995
David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”

NASB 1977
And David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons in my hand because the king’s matter was urgent.”

Amplified Bible
David said to Ahimelech, “Do you not have a sword or spear here on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my [other] weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.”

Christian Standard Bible
David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t even bring my sword or my weapons since the king’s mission was urgent.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t even bring my sword or my weapons since the king’s mission was urgent.”

American Standard Version
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a man was there of the Servants of Shaul on that day, shut up before LORD JEHOVAH, and his name was Dueg an Edomite, a mighty man of the Shepherds of Shaul

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to Abimelech, See if there is here under thy hand spear or sword, for I have not brought in my hand my sword or my weapons, for the word of the king was urgent.

Contemporary English Version
David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or a sword? I had to leave so quickly on this mission for the king that I didn't bring along my sword or any other weapons."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Achimelech: Hast thou here at hand a spear, or a sword? for I brought not my own sword, nor my own weapons with me, for the king's business required haste.

English Revised Version
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I didn't take either my spear or any other weapon because the king's business was urgent."

Good News Translation
David said to Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or a sword you can give me? The king's orders made me leave in such a hurry that I didn't have time to get my sword or any other weapon."

International Standard Version
David told Ahimelech, "Is there no spear or sword available here? I took neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's mission is urgent."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said unto Ahimelech: 'And is there peradventure here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.'

Literal Standard Version
And David says to Ahimelech, “And is there not spear or sword here under your hand? For I have taken neither my sword nor my vessels in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.”

New American Bible
David then asked Ahimelech: “Do you have a spear or a sword on hand? I brought along neither my sword nor my weapons, because the king’s business was urgent.”

NET Bible
David said to Ahimelech, "Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don't have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king's instructions."

New Revised Standard Version
David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no spear or sword here with you? I did not bring my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

New Heart English Bible
David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your control spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand a spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

World English Bible
David said to Ahimelech, “Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I haven’t brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith to Ahimelech, 'And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for neither my sword nor my vessels have I taken in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Flees to Gath
8Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.” 9The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 21:7
Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.

1 Samuel 21:9
The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

Jump to Previous
Ahimelech Ahim'elech Arms Business David Hand Haste King's Matter Peradventure Required Spear Sword Urgent Vessels Weapon Weapons
Jump to Next
Ahimelech Ahim'elech Arms Business David Hand Haste King's Matter Peradventure Required Spear Sword Urgent Vessels Weapon Weapons
1 Samuel 21
1. David at Nob obtains Ahimelech's hallowed bread
7. Doeg is present
8. David takes Goliath's sword
10. David at Gath feigns himself insane














(8) Spear or sword?--We may well suppose to what David pointed when he made his request--the famous sword, the trophy of the combat which had for ever made his name illustrious. In the first flush of gratitude to the invisible One who had stood by him in the hour of peril, he had doubtless taken and presented to the sanctuary guardians, as an offering to be kept for ever, a memorial of the victory of Israel over the uncircumcised; but now, in his hour of need and humiliation, he needed all the credentials he could gather together of his ability and power to lead men, so he trusts the priest will let him have his glorious prize back again. This seems to have been really the meaning of his petition to Ahimelech, and so evidently the priest understood David, for at once he suggested restoring the well-known, treasured sword. The sanctuary, he said, possesses no war weapon but that one which hangs up among us, a votive offering.

Verses 8, 9. - Is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? The sight of Doeg made David feel how helpless he was in case of attack, and he excuses his request for weapons by saying that he had left home unarmed because of the urgeney of the king's business. The whole matter must have seemed very suspicious to Ahimelech, but he was powerless, and answers that the only weapon in the sanctuary was David's own votive offering, the sword of Goliath, carefully deposited in a place of honour behind the ephod with the Urim and Thummim, and wrapped in a cloth for its protection. As the word is used in Isaiah 9:5 of military attire, it may mean Goliath's war mantle, but more probably it was a covering to preserve it from rust and damp. In 1 Samuel 17:54 it is said that Goliath's armour became David's private property, and nothing could be more natural than that he should thus lay up the sword in the tabernacle, as a thank offering to God. He now takes it with pleasure, saying, There is none like that; for it was a memorial of his greatest achievement, and might be the presage of good fortune again. DAVID SEEKS REFUGE WITH THE KING OF GATH (vers. 10-15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
0
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

asked
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
0
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Ahimelech,
לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ (la·’ă·ḥî·me·leḵ)
0
Strong's 288: Ahimelech -- 'brother of a king', an Israelite name, also a Hittite name

“Is there
יֶשׁ־ (yeš-)
0
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

not
וְאִ֛ין (wə·’în)
0
Strong's 371: Is it not?

a spear
חֲנִ֣ית (ḥă·nîṯ)
0
Strong's 2595: A lance

or
אוֹ־ (’ōw-)
0
Strong's 176: Desire, if

sword
חָ֑רֶב (ḥā·reḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

on
תַֽחַת־ (ṯa·ḥaṯ-)
0
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

hand
יָדְךָ֖ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
0
Strong's 3027: A hand

here?
פֹּ֥ה (pōh)
0
Strong's 6311: This place, here

For
גַם־ (ḡam-)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

I have brought
לָקַ֣חְתִּי (lā·qaḥ·tî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

neither
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Preposition
Strong's 3808: Not, no

my sword
חַרְבִּ֤י (ḥar·bî)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

nor
וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-)
Adverb
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

my weapons
כֵּלַי֙ (kê·lay)
Adverb
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

with me,
בְיָדִ֔י (ḇə·yā·ḏî)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the king's
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Conjunction
Strong's 4428: A king

business
דְבַר־ (ḏə·ḇar-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

was
הָיָ֥ה (hā·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

urgent.�
נָחֽוּץ׃ (nā·ḥūṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5169: Perhaps to urge


Links
1 Samuel 21:8 NIV
1 Samuel 21:8 NLT
1 Samuel 21:8 ESV
1 Samuel 21:8 NASB
1 Samuel 21:8 KJV

1 Samuel 21:8 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 21:8 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 21:8 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 21:8 French Bible
1 Samuel 21:8 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 21:8 David said to Ahimelech Isn't there here (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 21:7
Top of Page
Top of Page