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1 Samuel 19:10 — Word Study

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WLCוַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ שָׁא֜וּל לְהַכּ֤וֹת בַּֽחֲנִית֙ בְּדָוִ֣ד וּבַקִּ֔יר וַיִּפְטַר֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י שָׁא֔וּל וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶֽת־ הַחֲנִ֖ית בַּקִּ֑יר וְדָוִ֛ד נָ֥ס וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃ פ

BSASaulShâʼûwl [sought to] triedbâqash to pinnâkâh himDâvid to the wallqîyr [the barrier, the dividing structure] with his spearchănîyth [javelin, thrusting lance] But DavidDâvid eludedpâṭar [him]Shâʼûwl and the spearchănîyth [the weapon, the instrument of attack] strucknâkâh the wallqîyr [the obstacle, the barrier] And [David] flednûwç [the youngest son of Jesse, the future king] and escapedmâlaṭ [was delivered, slipped away to safety] thathûwʼ nightlayil [the time of darkness, the period of adversity]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 19
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Hu') — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 19:10quick helps
In a sentenceSaul attempted to kill David with a spear, but David escaped.
Who is speakingSaul, the first king of Israel, is the main actor in this narrative.
Where we areThe climax of a tense encounter between Saul and David.
The hard wordוַיִּפְטַר֙, vai.yif.Tar
Take awayDavid's quick thinking allows him to evade danger.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectשָׁאוּל verbבָּקַשׁ The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Samuel 19:10

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Pursuit of David by Saulgenerated

9But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But the spear struck the wall and David eluded him, ran away, and escaped that night.
11Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
12So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.

1 Samuel 19:10 describes a moment of intense conflict where Saul attempts to kill David with a spear. This incident highlights the growing tension between Saul and David, as Saul's jealousy and fear of David's rising popularity lead him to violent actions. The narrative continues to show how David's resourcefulness allows him to escape Saul's deadly intentions, emphasizing themes of danger and divine protection.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Samuel 19:6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
2Hosea 6:4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim ? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
3Matthew 12:43–45When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
4Luke 11:24–26When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
52 Peter 2:20–22If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 15 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ, vay.va.Keshgenerated

The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means to seek or search for something, often with intent. In this context, it indicates Saul's deliberate attempt to find and eliminate David, showcasing the seriousness of his intentions.

The parsing indicates that this is a sequential imperfect verb, suggesting an ongoing action in the narrative. Saul is actively seeking David, which sets the stage for the ensuing conflict.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb, וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ, and he sought, governs the entire sentence, with several phrases describing the action and its outcome. The structure emphasizes the sequence of events: Saul's attack, the spear striking the wall, and David's escape.

The clauses unfold in a cause-and-effect manner, illustrating Saul's intent, the failure of his attack, and David's successful evasion, which is crucial for understanding the narrative flow.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ as ἐζήτει (he sought), which maintains the same intent but may imply a more thorough search. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of Saul's determination to find David.

The Greek word for 'struck' is πατάχαι, indicating a direct action, similar to the Hebrew, but perhaps with a slightly different nuance in the context of the translation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 19:10 recounts how Saul tried to kill David with a spear, but the spear hit the wall instead. David managed to escape that night, highlighting his quick thinking and the danger he faced from Saul.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Saul's action reveal about his character?

Saul's attempt to kill David shows his jealousy and fear of losing power, reflecting his deteriorating mental state.

How does David's escape demonstrate his character?

David's ability to evade Saul illustrates his resourcefulness and quick thinking in dangerous situations.

What is the significance of the spear striking the wall?

The spear striking the wall symbolizes Saul's failure to harm David, indicating a divine protection over David during this perilous time.

What can we learn from David's actions in this verse?

David's actions teach us about the importance of being alert and resourceful in the face of danger, as well as trusting in divine protection.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I seen God's protection in my life during difficult times?
  2. How can I apply David's resourcefulness in my own challenges?
  3. What steps can I take to avoid situations where I might be in danger, like David did?
  4. How does this story reflect the struggle between jealousy and righteousness?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Bede comments on this passage, drawing parallels between Saul's actions against David and the attempts to harm Christ, highlighting themes of divine protection.

BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
And Saul attempted to pin David with a spear, etc. The Jews attempted to kill entirely in the flesh of Christ, who is God both soul and flesh. But he, commending his spirit into the hands of the Father, bowed his head and gave it up.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 19 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 19:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with his javelin,.... To strike it through him, and fasten him to the wall with it, as he had attempted before, 1 Samuel 18:11; but he slipped away out

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 19 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 19 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 19:10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’ s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.Ver. 10. And Saul sought to smite David.] Whom he now raged against more than ever before: contrary to his oath. So little trust or truth is there in the envious. Even to the wall with the javelin.] See 1 Samuel 18:11, Envy was Saul’ s master sin: as all hypocrites do customarily live in some known sin without sorrow or amendment: Judas in covetousness, Herod in voluptuousness, Diotrephes in ambition, &c.; and these devour them, as the moth in a garment, as a thief in a candle, as a worm…

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 19 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) The javelin.—This is the great spear, which in so many of the scenes in the First Book of Samuel is represented as in the hand of Saul or by his side.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 19 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. But he slipped away] He found he could not trust Saul; and therefore was continually on his watch. His agility of body was the means of his preservation at this time.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 19 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. escaped that night] It is perhaps better to follow the Sept. in joining “that night” to the next sentence and reading, “and it came to pass that night that Saul, &c.”

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 19 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David fled - This was the beginning of David’s life as a fugitive and outcast, though for no “offence or fauIt” of his (Psalms 59:3, Prayer Book Version).

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Samuel 19 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

10. David fled, and escaped that night — Fled from the king’s presence and first sought refuge in his own house.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Samuel 19 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But the spear struck the wall and David eluded him, ran away, and escaped that night.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence; and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly that night.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away from Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Saul intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare: but hee turned aside out of Sauls presence, and he smote the speare against the wall: but Dauid fled, and escaped the same night.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Saul sought to smite David and the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and Saul seeketh to smite with the javelin through David, and through the wall, and he freeth himself from the presence of Saul, and he smiteth the javelin through the wall; and David hath fled and escapeth during that night.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and Saul seeks to strike with the javelin through David, and through the wall, and he frees himself from the presence of Saul, and he strikes the javelin through the wall; and David has fled and escapes during that night.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Saul sought to strike David through with the spear even to the wall; but he slipped away from before Saul, who struck the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence, so that Saul drove the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear. And David slipt away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed him, and was fastened in the wall, and David fled and escaped that night.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. David managed to dodge the spear which embedded itself in the wall. Then David escaped and ran away into the night.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Saul would have sent his spear through him, pinning him to the wall, but he got away and the spear went into the wall: and that night David went in flight and got away.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיְבַקֵּ֨שׁhe.soughtsubjectשָׁא֜וּלSaulprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbהַכּ֤וֹתstrikeprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּֽwithnoun phrase[the]חֲנִית֙spearprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseבְּ(on)דָוִ֣דDavidוּandprepositional phraseבַ(on)noun phrasetheקִּ֔ירwallוַandclauseverbיִּפְטַר֙he.escapedprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseפְּנֵ֣יbeforeשָׁא֔וּלSaulוַandclauseverbיַּ֥ךְhe.strucknoun phrase · objectאֶֽת(et)noun phraseהַtheחֲנִ֖יתspearprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasetheקִּ֑ירwallוְandclausesubjectדָוִ֛דDavidverb phrase · verbנָ֥סhe.fledוַandיִּמָּלֵ֖טhe.escapedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasethenoun phraseלַּ֥יְלָהnightהֽוּאthat

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely in this verse, with 15 of the 18 words matching. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment supports the MT, with most words intact, indicating a consistent transmission of the text.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ שָׁא֜וּל לְהַכּ֤וֹת בַּֽחֲנִית֙ בְּדָוִ֣ד וּבַקִּ֔יר וַיִּפְטַר֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י שָׁא֔וּל וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶֽת־ הַחֲנִ֖ית בַּקִּ֑יר וְדָוִ֛ד נָ֥ס וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁἐζήτειשָׁא֜וּלσαουλלְהַכּ֤וֹתπατάχαιבַּֽחֲנִית֙δόρυבְּדָוִ֣דδαυιδוַיִּפְטַר֙ἀπέστηמִפְּנֵ֣יπροσώπουשָׁא֔וּלσαουλוַיַּ֥ךְἐπάταχενהַחֲנִ֖יתδόρυוְדָוִ֛דδαυιδנָ֥סἀνεξώρησενוַיִּמָּלֵ֖טδιεσώθηבַּלַּ֥יְלָהνυκτὶהֽוּא׃ פἐκείνῃ

15 of the 18 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q52a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ויפטר] מפני [שאול] [ויך] [את] [החנית] [בקיר] [ודוד] [נס] [וימלט] [ויהי] [בלילה] [ההוא]

13 words of the verse are on this fragment — 12 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Samuel 19:10בָּקַשׁand he sougand he soughtבָּקַשׁשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלנָכָהto striketo strikeנָכָהחֲניִתwith the spwith the spearחֲניִתדָּוִדDavidDavidדָּוִדקִירand the waland the wallקִירפָּטַרand he escaand he escapedפָּטַרפָּנֶהfrom beforefrom beforeפָּנֶהשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלנָכָהand he struand he struckנָכָהאֵתthe object the object markאֵתחֲניִתthe spearthe spearחֲניִתקִירin the wallin the wallקִירדָּוִדand Davidand Davidדָּוִדנוּסhe fledhe fledנוּסמָלַטand he escaand he escapedמָלַטלַ֫יְלָהin the nighin the nightלַ֫יְלָההוּאthatthatהוּאחָנָהto campto campחָנָהקוּרto digto digקוּרשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַלדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתלוּלstairsstairsלוּלאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-boshetIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתיְהוֹנָתָןJonathanJonathanיְהוֹנָתָןמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּימָנוֹרloom-beamloom-beamמָנוֹרמִצְרִיEgyptianEgyptianמִצְרִימִזְמוֹרmelodymelodyמִזְמוֹרנָצַחto conductto conductנָצַחשָׁתַןto urinateto urinateשָׁתַןחָתַרto digto digחָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּס
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Samuel 19:10

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁvay.va.Kesh and he sought H1245 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
225× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to seek or search for something. In Psalm 105:4, it's used to encourage seeking God's face. It's also used in 1 Samuel 28:8 where Saul seeks a medium.
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek

Pi.

seek to find

seek to secure

seek the face

desire, demand

require, exact

exact equivalent or penalty for

(late) ask, request

Pu. be sought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1245 baqash baw-kash'

a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically

in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,

beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,

(make) request, require, seek (for).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.

1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to seek to find

1a2) to seek to secure

1a3) to seek the face

1a4) to desire, demand

1a5) to require, exact

1a6) to ask, request

1b) (Pual) to be sought

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vpw3ms
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
שָׁא֜וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 Noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
sought to
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
לְהַכּ֤וֹתle.ha.Kot to strike H5221 Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
HR/Vhcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

strik: The verbs "to strike" and "to stroke" (latter not in English Versions) have the same derivation, and originally "strike" was the intrans, "stroke" the transitive form. "Strike" however, became used in both senses (always transitive in English Versions of the Bible), while "to stroke" took on the meaning "to, rub gently." But in the King James Version this last force still belonged sometimes to "strike" and is so found in 2Ki 5:11, "strike his hand over the place" (the Revised Version (British and American) "wave"), and perhaps Ex 12:7,22; Tobit 11:11 Otherwise AV's uses of the simple "strike" are modern, including "strike sail" (Ac 27:17; here and in /RAPC Tob 11:11 with an archaic preterite "strake," elsewhere…

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
בַּֽחֲנִית֙ba.cha.Nit with the spear H2595 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a spear or lance used for thrusting, like a tent pole. It appears in the stories of Saul and Jonathan, where they use spears in battle. The word is also used to describe a shaft or spear-head.
Amplified meaning
javelin, thrusting lance
Tyndale gloss
spear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲנִית (chaniyth) refers to a spear or lance, emphasizing its use for thrusting. The term encompasses various parts of the spear, including the shaft and spear-head. Additionally, it is noted metaphorically in relation to the teeth of lions. The word is derived from חָנָה (chanah), suggesting a connection to flexibility.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲנִית n.f. spear (as flexible?)

spear, as hurled

shaft of spear

spear-head

butt of spear

metaph. of teeth of lions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2595 חֲניִת spear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2595 chaniyth khan-eeth'

from 2583; a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a

tent):--javelin, spear.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲנִית (cha.nit) — spear.

1) spear

1a) spear

1a1) shaft of a spear

1a2) spear-head

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ARMS, ARMOR]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (An implement of war)

→ (Spears and javelins differed in weight and size, but had similar uses)

→ Goliath' s 1Sa 17:7

→ Saul' s 1Sa 18:10,11

→ Stored in the tabernacle 2Ch 23:9

→ Changed into pruning-hooks Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3

→ Pruning-hooks beat into Joe 3:10

→ Plunged into Jesus' side Joh 19:34; 20:27; Zec 12:10; Re 1:7

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- An offensive weapon

2Sa 23:8,18

- First mention of, in Scripture

Jos 8:18

- PARTS OF MENTIONED

. The staff of wood

1Sa 17:7

. The head of iron or brass

1Sa 17:7; 2Sa 21:16

- Probably pointed at both ends

2Sa 2:23

- Called the glittering spear

Job 39:23; Hab 3:11

- DIFFERENT KINDS OF

. Lances

Jer 50:42

. Javelins

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
בְּדָוִ֣דbe.da.Vid David H1732 Preposition · noun proper masculine
1,075× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Tyndale gloss
David
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. The name means 'beloved' and is associated with a significant lineage, including many siblings and notable descendants like Solomon. The entries highlight his familial connections and historical context, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1732 דָּוִד, דָּוִיד David

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1732 David daw-veed'

rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730;

loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.

see HEBREW for 01730

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּוִד (da.vid) — David.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339);

father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon):

I. NAME AND GENEALOGY

II. EARLY YEARS

1. Shepherd

2. Slinger

3. Harpist

4. Poet

5. Psalmist

6. Tribesman

III. IN THE SERVICE OF SAUL

1. David First Meets Saul

2. His First Exploit

3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David

4. Jonathan and David

IV. DAVID IN EXILE

1. David as Outlaw

2. David Joins the Philistines

V. DAVID AS KING

1. Civil War

2. Conquests Abroad

3. Political Situation

4. The Ark

VI. DOMESTIC LIFE

1. His Wives and Children

2. Domestic Troubles

VII. HIS OFFICIALS

1. Prophets

2. Priests

3. Military Officers

4. Other Officials

5. Mutual Rivalry

VIII. PERSONAL CHARACTER OF DAVID

1. Chronicles

2. Psalms

3. Complex Character

4. Physical Courage

5. Moral Courage

6. Prudence

7. Strategy

8. Nobility

9. David in Relation to His Family

10. David in Relation to His Friends

11. His Success

12. His Foreign Friends

13. Nemesis

Easton's Bible Dictionary

David

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).

His early occupation was that of tending his father’s sheep on the uplands of Judah. From what we know of his after history, doubtless he frequently beguiled his time, when thus engaged, with his shepherd’s flute, while he drank in the many lessons taught him by the varied scenes spread around him. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts of the field. He mentions that with his own unaided hand he slew a lion and also a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important respects the antecedents of his future career. It appears that David was the youngest son, probably the youngest child, of a family of ten, and was born in Bethlehem B.C. 1085. The first time that David appears in history at once admits us to the whole family circle. The annual sacrificial feast is being held when Samuel appears, sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as they pass before him, (1 Samuel 16:6-10) Samuel sends for the youngest, David, who was "keeping the sheep," and anoints him. (1 Samuel 16:11-13) As David stood before Samuel we are enabled to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Beloved, the youngest son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem B. C. 1085; one of the most remarkable men in either sacred of secular history. His life is fully recorded in 1Sa 16:1 1Ki 2:46. He was "the Lord’s anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1Sa 16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit, and a long course of vicissitudes and dangers. In his early pastoral life he distinguished himself by his boldness, fidelity, and faith in God; and while yet a youth was summoned to court, as one expert in music, valiant, prudent in behavior, and comely in person. He…

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וּבַקִּ֔ירu.va.Kir and the wall H7023 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
75× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a wall, often referring to the walls of houses, chambers, or even the altar. It is used to describe structures built for protection or division. The KJV translates it as wall or side.
Amplified meaning
the barrier, the dividing structure
Tyndale gloss
wall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קִיר (qir) means 'wall' and can refer to the walls of a house, chamber, or altar sides. It is derived from a root that is not clearly defined. The word appears in contexts such as Isaiah 22:5, where it is used to describe a wall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קִיר 74 n.m. wall (√ unknown)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7023 קִיר wall (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7023 qiyr keer

or qir (Isa. 22:5) {keer}; or (feminine) qiyrah {kee-raw'};

from 6979; a wall (as built in a trench):--+ mason, side,

town, X very, wall.

see HEBREW for 06979

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִיר (qir) — wall.

1) wall, side

1a) wall (of house or chamber)

1b) the sides (of the altar)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Rd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wol.

See ARCHITECTURE; CITY; FORTIFICATION; HOUSE; JERUSALEM; VILLAGE.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wall

Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See FENCE.)

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וַיִּפְטַר֙vai.yif.Tar and he escaped H6362 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To separate means to split or divide something, like a door opening or a seed bursting forth. In the Bible, it can mean to set free or release something. God sets his people free from bondage.
Tyndale gloss
to separate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּטַר (patar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to separate, remove, or set free. It encompasses actions like escaping or dismissing, and can imply both literal and figurative meanings, such as bursting through or emitting. The entries indicate a range of uses, including both intransitive and transitive forms, with a specific mention of an insulting action in the Hiphil form.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּטַר vb. separate, remove, set free

Qal

intrans. remove oneself, specif. escape

trans. set free

Hiph. they separated with the lip, i.e. open mouth wide (insultingly).

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6362 פָּטַר separate, remove, set free

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6362 patar paw-tar'

a primitive root; to cleave or burst through, i.e.

(causatively) to emit, whether literal or figurative

(gape):--dismiss, free, let (shoot) out, slip away.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּטַר (pa.tar) — to separate.

1) to separate, set free, remove, open, escape, burst through

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to remove (oneself), escape

1a2) to set free, let out

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
מִפְּנֵ֣יmi.pe.Nei from before H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmpc — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
שָׁא֔וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 Noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וַיַּ֥ךְvai.Yakh and he struck H5221 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vhw3ms
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
אֶֽת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
הַחֲנִ֖יתha.cha.Nit the spear H2595 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a spear or lance used for thrusting, like a tent pole. It appears in the stories of Saul and Jonathan, where they use spears in battle. The word is also used to describe a shaft or spear-head.
Amplified meaning
the weapon, the instrument of attack
Tyndale gloss
spear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲנִית (chaniyth) refers to a spear or lance, emphasizing its use for thrusting. The term encompasses various parts of the spear, including the shaft and spear-head. Additionally, it is noted metaphorically in relation to the teeth of lions. The word is derived from חָנָה (chanah), suggesting a connection to flexibility.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲנִית n.f. spear (as flexible?)

spear, as hurled

shaft of spear

spear-head

butt of spear

metaph. of teeth of lions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2595 חֲניִת spear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2595 chaniyth khan-eeth'

from 2583; a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a

tent):--javelin, spear.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲנִית (cha.nit) — spear.

1) spear

1a) spear

1a1) shaft of a spear

1a2) spear-head

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ARMS, ARMOR]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (An implement of war)

→ (Spears and javelins differed in weight and size, but had similar uses)

→ Goliath' s 1Sa 17:7

→ Saul' s 1Sa 18:10,11

→ Stored in the tabernacle 2Ch 23:9

→ Changed into pruning-hooks Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3

→ Pruning-hooks beat into Joe 3:10

→ Plunged into Jesus' side Joh 19:34; 20:27; Zec 12:10; Re 1:7

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- An offensive weapon

2Sa 23:8,18

- First mention of, in Scripture

Jos 8:18

- PARTS OF MENTIONED

. The staff of wood

1Sa 17:7

. The head of iron or brass

1Sa 17:7; 2Sa 21:16

- Probably pointed at both ends

2Sa 2:23

- Called the glittering spear

Job 39:23; Hab 3:11

- DIFFERENT KINDS OF

. Lances

Jer 50:42

. Javelins

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
בַּקִּ֑ירba.Kir in the wall H7023 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
75× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a wall, often referring to the walls of houses, chambers, or even the altar. It is used to describe structures built for protection or division. The KJV translates it as wall or side.
Amplified meaning
the obstacle, the barrier
Tyndale gloss
wall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קִיר (qir) means 'wall' and can refer to the walls of a house, chamber, or altar sides. It is derived from a root that is not clearly defined. The word appears in contexts such as Isaiah 22:5, where it is used to describe a wall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קִיר 74 n.m. wall (√ unknown)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7023 קִיר wall (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7023 qiyr keer

or qir (Isa. 22:5) {keer}; or (feminine) qiyrah {kee-raw'};

from 6979; a wall (as built in a trench):--+ mason, side,

town, X very, wall.

see HEBREW for 06979

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִיר (qir) — wall.

1) wall, side

1a) wall (of house or chamber)

1b) the sides (of the altar)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wol.

See ARCHITECTURE; CITY; FORTIFICATION; HOUSE; JERUSALEM; VILLAGE.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wall

Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See FENCE.)

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וְדָוִ֛דve.da.Vid and David H1732 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
1,075× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Tyndale gloss
David
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. The name means 'beloved' and is associated with a significant lineage, including many siblings and notable descendants like Solomon. The entries highlight his familial connections and historical context, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1732 דָּוִד, דָּוִיד David

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1732 David daw-veed'

rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730;

loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.

see HEBREW for 01730

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּוִד (da.vid) — David.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339);

father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon):

I. NAME AND GENEALOGY

II. EARLY YEARS

1. Shepherd

2. Slinger

3. Harpist

4. Poet

5. Psalmist

6. Tribesman

III. IN THE SERVICE OF SAUL

1. David First Meets Saul

2. His First Exploit

3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David

4. Jonathan and David

IV. DAVID IN EXILE

1. David as Outlaw

2. David Joins the Philistines

V. DAVID AS KING

1. Civil War

2. Conquests Abroad

3. Political Situation

4. The Ark

VI. DOMESTIC LIFE

1. His Wives and Children

2. Domestic Troubles

VII. HIS OFFICIALS

1. Prophets

2. Priests

3. Military Officers

4. Other Officials

5. Mutual Rivalry

VIII. PERSONAL CHARACTER OF DAVID

1. Chronicles

2. Psalms

3. Complex Character

4. Physical Courage

5. Moral Courage

6. Prudence

7. Strategy

8. Nobility

9. David in Relation to His Family

10. David in Relation to His Friends

11. His Success

12. His Foreign Friends

13. Nemesis

Easton's Bible Dictionary

David

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).

His early occupation was that of tending his father’s sheep on the uplands of Judah. From what we know of his after history, doubtless he frequently beguiled his time, when thus engaged, with his shepherd’s flute, while he drank in the many lessons taught him by the varied scenes spread around him. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts of the field. He mentions that with his own unaided hand he slew a lion and also a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important respects the antecedents of his future career. It appears that David was the youngest son, probably the youngest child, of a family of ten, and was born in Bethlehem B.C. 1085. The first time that David appears in history at once admits us to the whole family circle. The annual sacrificial feast is being held when Samuel appears, sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as they pass before him, (1 Samuel 16:6-10) Samuel sends for the youngest, David, who was "keeping the sheep," and anoints him. (1 Samuel 16:11-13) As David stood before Samuel we are enabled to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Beloved, the youngest son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem B. C. 1085; one of the most remarkable men in either sacred of secular history. His life is fully recorded in 1Sa 16:1 1Ki 2:46. He was "the Lord’s anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1Sa 16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit, and a long course of vicissitudes and dangers. In his early pastoral life he distinguished himself by his boldness, fidelity, and faith in God; and while yet a youth was summoned to court, as one expert in music, valiant, prudent in behavior, and comely in person. He…

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
נָ֥סnas he fled H5127 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
the youngest son of Jesse, the future king
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;

causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be

displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
וַיִּמָּלֵ֖טvai.yi.ma.Let and he escaped H4422 Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
95× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to escape or be delivered, like slipping away to safety. It is used in the Bible to describe people being saved from danger, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as deliver or escape.
Amplified meaning
was delivered, slipped away to safety
Tyndale gloss
to escape
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָלַט (malat) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to escape or slip away. It encompasses various nuances such as delivering, saving, and even giving birth in specific contexts. The entries indicate that it can refer to both physical escape and the act of laying eggs. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָלַט] vb. slip away (not in Qal)

Niph.

slip away

escape

pass. be delivered

Pi.

lay (eggs)

let escape

deliver

Hiph.

give birth to a male child

deliver

Hithp.

slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

escape

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4422 מָלַט slip away . . slip away

. escape

. pass. be delivered

. . lay (eggs)

. let escape

. deliver

. . give birth to a male child

. deliver

. . slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

. escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4422 malat maw-lat'

a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by

implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively,

to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit

sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone,

let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָלַט (ma.lat) — to escape.

1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to slip away

1a2) to escape

1a3) to be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs)

1b2) to let escape

1b3) to deliver, save (life)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to give birth to

1c2) to deliver

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape

1d2) to escape

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/VNw3ms
and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
בַּלַּ֥יְלָהba.Lay.lah in the night H3915 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
233× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Night refers to the time of darkness, opposed to day, and can also symbolize adversity or hardship. It is a period of rest, but also of potential danger or uncertainty.
Amplified meaning
the time of darkness, the period of adversity
Tyndale gloss
night
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לַ֫יְלָה (layil) means 'night' and is derived from a root that suggests a twist away from light. It encompasses the literal sense of night as opposed to day, as well as figurative uses related to gloom or adversity. The term appears in contexts like Isaiah 21:11.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל 242 n.m. night

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3915 לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל night

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3915 layil lah'-yil

or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from

the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e.

night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).

see HEBREW for 03883

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) — night.

1) night

1a) night (as opposed to day)

1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nit.

See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.

1. In the Old Testament:

Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DAY]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.

The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 1:5,16,18

→ Meditations in Ps 19:2; 77:6; 119:148; 139:11

→ Worship in Ps 134:1

→ Jesus prays all night Lu 6:12

→ No night in heaven Re 21:25; 22:5

→ Divided into watches Ex 14:24; Jud 7:19; 1Sa 11:11; Ne 12:9; Ps 63:6; 119:148; La 2:19;

and he sought Saul to strike with the spear David and the wall and he escaped from before Saul and he struck the object marker the spear in the wall and David he fled and he escaped in the night that
הֽוּא׃ פHu' that H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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