2 Samuel 1:3
New International Version
“Where have you come from?” David asked him. He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

New Living Translation
“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied.

English Standard Version
David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he replied.

King James Bible
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

New King James Version
And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

New American Standard Bible
Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

NASB 1995
Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

NASB 1977
Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

Amplified Bible
Then David asked him, “Where do you come from?” He said, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

Christian Standard Bible
David asked him, “Where have you come from? ” He replied to him, “I’ve escaped from the Israelite camp.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David asked him, “Where have you come from?” He replied to him, “I’ve escaped from the Israelite camp."”

American Standard Version
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

Contemporary English Version
David asked, "Where did you come from?" The man answered, "From Israel's army. I barely escaped with my life."

English Revised Version
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Where did you come from?" David asked him. "I escaped from the camp of Israel," he answered.

Good News Translation
David asked him, "Where have you come from?" "I have escaped from the Israelite camp," he answered.

International Standard Version
David asked him, "Where did you come from? He answered him, "I just escaped from Israel's encampment."

Majority Standard Bible
“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he replied.

NET Bible
David asked him, "Where are you coming from?" He replied, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."

New Heart English Bible
David said to him, "Where do you come from?" He said to him, "I have escaped out of the camp of Israel."

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to him, From whence comest thou? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel have I escaped.

World English Bible
David said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And David says to him, “Where do you come from?” And he says to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith to him, 'Whence comest thou?' and he saith unto him, 'Out of the camp of Israel I have escaped.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And David will say to him, From whence wilt thou come? and he will say to him, From the camp of Israel I escaped.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to him: From whence comest thou? And he said to him: I am fled out of the camp of Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” And he said to him, “I have fled from the camp of Israel.”

New American Bible
David asked him, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From the Israelite camp: I have escaped.”

New Revised Standard Version
David said to him, “Where have you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he replied, Out of the camp of Israel have I escaped.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And David said to him: “From where have you come?” And he said to him: “From the camp of Israel I have escaped”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said unto him: 'From whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to him, Whence comest thou? and he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Learns of Saul's Death
2On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage. 3“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he replied. 4“What was the outcome?” David asked. “Please tell me.” “The troops fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 31:1-6
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. / The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. / When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically. ...

1 Chronicles 10:1-6
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. / The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. / When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him. ...

2 Samuel 4:10
when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news!

1 Samuel 4:12-17
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. / When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out. / Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” So the man hurried over and reported to Eli. ...

1 Samuel 17:55-58
As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.” / “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king. / So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. ...

2 Samuel 1:5-10
Then David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” / “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him. / When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I answered, ‘Here I am!’ ...

2 Samuel 4:4
And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 1:11-12
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same. / They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

2 Samuel 1:17-27
Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, / and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar: / “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! ...

2 Samuel 2:1-7
Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD. / So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. / David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron. ...

1 Samuel 30:1-6
On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. / They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way. / When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ...

1 Samuel 18:1-4
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. / And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. / Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ...

1 Samuel 20:41-42
When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more. / And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

1 Samuel 23:16-18
And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, / saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” / So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

1 Samuel 24:16-22
When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud / and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil. / And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to him, From where come you? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

From

2 Kings 5:25
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

am I

Job 1:15-19
And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee…

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2 Samuel 1
1. The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17. David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song














Where have you come from?
This question posed by David is not merely a request for geographical information but a deeper inquiry into the circumstances and events that have led the messenger to him. In the Hebrew context, the phrase can be seen as an exploration of the messenger's journey and purpose. David, a man after God's own heart, often sought to understand the divine orchestration behind events. This question reflects his desire to discern the will of God in the unfolding narrative. Historically, this moment is set against the backdrop of the aftermath of the battle on Mount Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan were killed. David's inquiry is laden with the anticipation of news that could alter the course of his life and the nation of Israel. Theologically, it invites readers to consider the importance of understanding one's own journey and the divine purpose behind it.

David asked him
The act of David asking the messenger highlights his role as a leader who seeks knowledge and understanding before taking action. In the Hebrew tradition, leaders were expected to be wise and discerning, qualities that David exemplifies throughout his life. This phrase underscores David's humility and his willingness to listen, a trait that sets him apart as a king chosen by God. The historical context here is significant; David is in Ziklag, having just returned from a successful campaign against the Amalekites. His inquiry is not just about gathering information but also about preparing his heart and mind for the responsibilities that may lie ahead. Spiritually, this moment can inspire believers to approach situations with a heart open to God's guidance, seeking wisdom before making decisions.

(3) Out of the camp of Israel.--It has been questioned whether this Amalekite had actually been in the army of Israel, and the expression in 2Samuel 1:6, "As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa," has been cited to show that his presence there was merely accidental, but no one who is not concerned in the matter is likely to stray into the midst of a battle, and the expression "by chance" is better referred to his coming upon Saul when he was wounded. He certainly here claims to have been a part of the "camp of Israel." He tells David the general facts of the defeat, and the death of Saul and Jonathan, as they really occurred.

Verse 3. - Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. Non-combatants would hang about the army, watching, as soon as the battle had begun, the fortunes of the day, and immediately that they saw the impending defeat of their own side, would think chiefly of their personal safety. But for an active young man the opportunity would then have come for booty. The Philistines, in pursuit of the enemy, would soon leave the battlefield in their rear, and multitudes would quickly prowl about it to plunder the dead. While so busied, the Amalekite falsely represents himself as having come by chance upon the wounded, but still living, Saul.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Where
אֵ֥י (’ê)
Interrogative
Strong's 335: Where?, how?

have you come from?”
תָּב֑וֹא (tā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

David
דָּוִ֔ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

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

“I have escaped
נִמְלָֽטְתִּי׃ (nim·lā·ṭə·tî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

from the Israelite
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

camp,”
מִמַּחֲנֵ֥ה (mim·ma·ḥă·nêh)
Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

he replied.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (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: 2 Samuel 1:3 David said to him From whence come (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
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