1 Samuel

1 Samuel 24:1–3

¹After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.” ²So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

³Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself.^a And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.

Footnotes

a 24:3 Literally cover his feet, a euphemism for relieving oneself

Read all of 1 Samuel 24

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 24:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
After	כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
Saul	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
had returned	שָׁ֣ב	šāḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
from pursuing	מֵאַחֲרֵ֖י	mê·’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition-m	H310 behind
the Philistines	פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים	pə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
he was told	וַיַּגִּ֤דוּ	way·yag·gi·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5046 be conspicuous
David	דָוִ֔ד	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
is in the wilderness	בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר	bə·miḏ·bar	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H4057 mouth
of En-gedi	גֶּֽדִי׃ס	ge·ḏî	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5872 En-Gedi

1 Samuel 24:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Saul	שָׁא֗וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
took	וַיִּקַּ֣ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
three	שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת	šə·lō·šeṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
thousand	אֲלָפִ֛ים	’ă·lā·p̄îm	Number - masculine plural	H505 thousand
chosen	בָּח֖וּר	bā·ḥūr	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H977 choose
men	אִ֥ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
from all	מִכָּל־	mik·kāl	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and went	וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to look for	לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ	lə·ḇaq·qêš	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1245 seek
David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
and his men	וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֔יו	wa·’ă·nā·šāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H582 man, mankind
in	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the region	פְּנֵ֖י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of the Rocks	צוּרֵ֥י	ṣū·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H6697 rock, cliff
of the Wild Goats	הַיְּעֵלִֽים׃	hay·yə·‘ê·lîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3277 mountain-goat

1 Samuel 24:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Soon Saul came	וַ֠יָּבֹא	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the sheepfolds	הַצֹּ֤אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
along	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the road	הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙	had·de·reḵ	Article; Noun - common singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
where there was	וְשָׁ֣ם	wə·šām	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H8033 there, thither
a cave	מְעָרָ֔ה	mə·‘ā·rāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4631 cave
and he	שָׁא֖וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
went in	וַיָּבֹ֥א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to relieve	לְהָסֵ֣ךְ	lə·hā·sêḵ	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5526 overshadow, screen, cover
himself	רַגְלָ֑יו	raḡ·lāw	Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H7272 foot
And David	וְדָוִד֙	wə·ḏā·wiḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
and his men	וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו	wa·’ă·nā·šāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H582 man, mankind
were hiding	יֹשְׁבִֽים׃	yō·šə·ḇîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in the recesses	בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י	bə·yar·kə·ṯê	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine dual construct	H3411 flank, side
of the cave	הַמְּעָרָ֖ה	ham·mə·‘ā·rāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4631 cave

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 24:1 1 Samuel 23:28–29 · Ezekiel 22:9 · Hosea 7:3 · 1 Samuel 23:19 · Proverbs 25:5 · Proverbs 29:12

1 Samuel 24:2 1 Samuel 26:2

1 Samuel 24:3 Judges 3:24 · Psalm 142:1–7 · Psalm 57:1–11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.