1 Samuel 22:12
New International Version
Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he answered.

New Living Translation
When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!” “What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked.

English Standard Version
And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied.

King James Bible
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

New King James Version
And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

New American Standard Bible
Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he replied, “Here I am, my lord.”

NASB 1995
Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

NASB 1977
And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

Amplified Bible
Then Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am [at your service], my lord.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub! ” “I’m at your service, my lord,” he said.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!” “I’m at your service, my lord,” he said.

American Standard Version
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

Contemporary English Version
Saul told them, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub." "Certainly, Your Majesty," Ahimelech answered.

English Revised Version
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul said, "Listen here, son of Ahitub!" "Yes, sir?" he responded.

Good News Translation
Saul said to Ahimelech, "Listen, Ahimelech!" "At your service, sir," he answered.

International Standard Version
Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub!" And he said, "Here I am, your majesty."

Majority Standard Bible
“Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied.

NET Bible
Then Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub." He replied, "Here I am, my lord."

New Heart English Bible
Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

World English Bible
Saul said, “Hear now, you son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Saul says, “Now hear, son of Ahitub”; and he says, “Here I [am], my lord.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Saul saith, 'Hear, I pray thee, son of Ahitub;' and he saith, 'Here am I, my lord.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Saul will say, Hear now, son of Ahitub. And he will say, Behold me, my lord.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said to Achimelech: Hear, thou son of Achitob. He answered: Here I am, my lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Saul said to Ahimelech, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He responded, “Here I am, lord.”

New American Bible
“Listen, son of Ahitub!” Saul declared. “Yes, my lord,” he replied.

New Revised Standard Version
Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Saul said, Hear now, I beseech you, son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shaul said: “Hear now, son of Akhitub.” And he said, “Behold, here I am, my Lord!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul said: 'Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.' And he answered: 'Here I am, my lord.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Achitob. And he said, Lo! I am here, speak, my lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Slays the Priests of Nob
11Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king. 12“Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied. 13And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 15:13-14
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” / But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”

1 Samuel 28:15-16
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” / “Why do you consult me,” asked Samuel, “since the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?

2 Samuel 12:7-9
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. / Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 18:18
“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

1 Kings 21:20
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

2 Kings 1:16
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”

2 Kings 9:22
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

2 Chronicles 24:20-21
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’” / But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.

Psalm 52:1-4
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long. / Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. / You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah ...

Isaiah 1:10-15
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! / “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? ...

Jeremiah 26:12-15
But Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. / So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you. / As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right. ...

Ezekiel 3:18-19
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. / But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

Matthew 23:29-33
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. / And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ / So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ...

Mark 6:18-19
For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” / So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,

Luke 3:19-20
But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, / Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.


Treasury of Scripture

And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

thou son

1 Samuel 22:7,13
Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; …

Here I am [heb] Behold me

2 Samuel 9:6
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

Isaiah 65:1
I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

Jump to Previous
Ahitub Ahi'tub Ear Hear Saul
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Ahitub Ahi'tub Ear Hear Saul
1 Samuel 22
1. Companies resort unto David at Adullam
3. At Mizpeh he commends his parents unto the king of Moab
5. Admonished by Gad, he comes to Hareth,
6. Saul going to pursue him, complains of his servants' unfaithfulness
9. Doeg accuses Ahimelech
11. Saul commands to kill the priests
17. The footmen refusing, Doeg executes it
20. Abiathar escaping, brings David the news














And Saul said
This phrase introduces King Saul, the first king of Israel, who was anointed by the prophet Samuel. Saul's reign began with promise but was marred by disobedience to God. The Hebrew root for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is a common verb used to denote speech or communication. In this context, it signifies Saul's authoritative position as king, yet it also foreshadows his tragic downfall due to his failure to heed God's commands.

Listen now
The Hebrew word for "listen" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which means to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention and obedience. Saul's command to "listen" underscores his expectation of obedience and respect from his subjects. This reflects the hierarchical structure of ancient Israelite society, where the king's word was law. However, it also highlights Saul's increasing desperation and paranoia, as he struggles to maintain control over his kingdom.

son of Ahitub
Ahitub was a priestly figure, and his son, Ahimelech, is the one being addressed here. The mention of "son of Ahitub" situates the narrative within the Levitical priesthood lineage, emphasizing the religious and political tensions of the time. The priesthood was central to Israelite worship and governance, and Saul's interaction with Ahimelech foreshadows the tragic events that follow, where Saul's actions lead to the massacre of the priests at Nob.

'Here I am, my lord,'
Ahimelech's response, "Here I am," is a translation of the Hebrew "הִנֵּנִי" (hineni), a term often used in the Bible to denote readiness and willingness to serve. This phrase is significant in biblical narratives, indicating a servant's readiness to respond to a call, as seen in the responses of Abraham, Moses, and Samuel. Ahimelech's use of "my lord" acknowledges Saul's authority, yet it also sets the stage for the tragic misunderstanding and conflict that ensues, highlighting the tension between divine authority and human leadership.

he replied
The act of replying, in Hebrew "עָנָה" (anah), suggests a dialogue or interaction. This word choice indicates that Ahimelech is engaging with Saul, not merely as a subject but as a participant in a conversation. This interaction is pivotal, as it reveals the dynamics of power, fear, and faith within the narrative. Ahimelech's reply is respectful and compliant, yet it also underscores the tragic irony of the situation, as his innocence and loyalty are met with suspicion and violence from Saul.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Listen
שְֽׁמַֽע־ (šə·ma‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

now,
נָ֖א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Ahitub,”
אֲחִיט֑וּב (’ă·ḥî·ṭūḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 285: Ahitub -- 'my brother is goodness', two Israelites

said
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Saul.
שָׁא֔וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

“Here I am,
הִנְנִ֥י (hin·nî)
Interjection | first person common singular
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

my lord,”
אֲדֹנִֽי׃ (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

he replied.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say


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OT History: 1 Samuel 22:12 Saul said Hear now you son (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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