1 Samuel

1 Samuel 26:8–11

⁸Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” ¹⁰David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 26

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 26:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Abishai	אֲבִישַׁי֙	’ă·ḇî·šay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H52 Abishai
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
David	דָּוִ֔ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
Today	הַיּ֛וֹם	hay·yō·wm	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
God	אֱלֹהִ֥ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
has delivered	סִגַּ֨ר	sig·gar	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5462 shut, close
your enemy	אוֹיִבְךָ֖	’ō·w·yiḇ·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
into your hand	בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ	bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
Now	וְעַתָּה֩	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
therefore	וְעַתָּה֩	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
please	נָ֜א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
let me thrust the spear	בַּחֲנִ֤ית	ba·ḥă·nîṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2595 spear
through him	אַכֶּ֨נּוּ	’ak·ken·nū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
into the ground	וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙	ū·ḇā·’ā·reṣ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
with one	אַחַ֔ת	’a·ḥaṯ	Number - feminine singular	H259 one
stroke	פַּ֣עַם	pa·‘am	Noun - feminine singular construct	H6471 beat, foot, anvil, occurrence
I will not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
need to strike him twice	אֶשְׁנֶ֖ה	’eš·neh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H8138 change

1 Samuel 26:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But David	דָּוִ֛ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
said	וַיֹּ֧אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Abishai	אֲבִישַׁ֖י	’ă·ḇî·šay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H52 Abishai
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
destroy him	תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֑הוּ	taš·ḥî·ṯê·hū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7843 go to ruin (?)
for	כִּ֠י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
who	מִ֣י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
can extend	שָׁלַ֥ח	šā·laḥ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
a hand	יָד֛וֹ	yā·ḏōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand
against the LORD’s	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
anointed	בִּמְשִׁ֥יחַ	bim·šî·aḥ	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine singular construct	H4899 anointed
and be guiltless	וְנִקָּֽה׃פ	wə·niq·qāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5352 be empty(?), clean

1 Samuel 26:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
added	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
As surely as the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
lives	חַי־	ḥay-	Noun - masculine singular	H2416 alive, living
the LORD Himself	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
will strike him down	יִגָּפֶ֑נּוּ	yig·gā·p̄en·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5062 strike, smite
either	אֽוֹ־	’ōw-	Conjunction	H176 or
his day	יוֹמ֤וֹ	yō·w·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3117 day
will come	יָבוֹא֙	yā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and he will die	וָמֵ֔ת	wā·mêṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
or	א֧וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
he will go	יֵרֵ֖ד	yê·rêḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
into battle	בַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה	ḇam·mil·ḥā·māh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4421 battle, war
and perish	וְנִסְפָּֽה׃	wə·nis·pāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5595 sweep away or snatch away, catch up

1 Samuel 26:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But the LORD	מֵֽיהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
forbid	חָלִ֤ילָה	ḥā·lî·lāh	Interjection; third person feminine singular	H2486 far be it
that I	לִּי֙	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
should extend	מִשְּׁלֹ֥חַ	miš·šə·lō·aḥ	Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7971 send
my hand	יָדִ֖י	yā·ḏî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H3027 hand
against the LORD’s	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
anointed	בִּמְשִׁ֣יחַ	bim·šî·aḥ	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine singular construct	H4899 anointed
Instead	וְ֠עַתָּה	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
take	קַח־	qaḥ-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H3947 take
the spear	הַחֲנִ֜ית	ha·ḥă·nîṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2595 spear
and water	הַמַּ֖יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
jug	צַפַּ֥חַת	ṣap·pa·ḥaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H6835 jar, jug
by his head	מְרַאֲשֹׁתוֹ	mə·ra·ʾă·šō·ṯō	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H4763 headpiece, head-rest
and let us go	וְנֵ֥לֲכָה	wə·nê·lă·ḵāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H1980 go, come, walk