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the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

1 Samuel 28:2

And Dauid sayde to Achis: Surelie thou shalt knowe what thy seruaunt can do. And Achis said to Dauid: Then I will make thee keper of my head for euer.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Achish;   David;   Philistines;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Head;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Endor;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Achish;   Bodyguard;   Head;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   En-Dor;   Head;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Achish ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Achish;   Saul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Achish;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David replied to Achish, “Good, you will find out what your servant can do.”
Hebrew Names Version
David said to Akhish, Therefore you shall know what your servant will do. Akhish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.
King James Version
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
Lexham English Bible
David said to Achish, "Very well, you will know what your servant can do." Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
English Standard Version
David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
New Century Version
David answered, "You will see for yourself what I, your servant, can do!" Achish said, "Fine, I'll make you my permanent bodyguard."
New English Translation
David replied to Achish, "That being the case, you will come to know what your servant can do!" Achish said to David, "Then I will make you my bodyguard from now on."
Amplified Bible
David said to Achish, "All right, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you my bodyguard for life."
New American Standard Bible
David said to Achish, "Very well, you will learn what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Then I will assuredly make you my bodyguard for life!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe. And Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
Complete Jewish Bible
David answered Akhish, "I see that you already know what your servant will do." Akhish said to David, "For that answer, I am making you my personal bodyguard for life."
Darby Translation
And David said to Achish, Thereby thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my person for ever.
Easy-to-Read Version
David answered, "Certainly, then you can see for yourself what I can do." Achish said, "Fine, I will make you my permanent bodyguard."
George Lamsa Translation
And David said to Achish, Surely you shall know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever.
Good News Translation
"Of course," David answered. "I am your servant, and you will see for yourself what I can do." Achish said, "Good! I will make you my permanent bodyguard."
Literal Translation
And David said to Achish, By this you shall know that which your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Then I appoint you keeper of my head all the days.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Well, thou shalt se what thy seruaut shal do. Achis saide vnto Dauid: Therfore wyll I ordene the to be the keper of my heade as longe as I lyue.
American Standard Version
And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.
Bible in Basic English
And David said to Achish, You will see now what your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Then I will make you keeper of my head for ever.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said to Achish: 'Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do.' And Achish said to David: 'Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy seruant can doe. And Achish said to Dauid, Therfore will I make thee keeper of mine head for euer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Anchus, Thus now thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Anchus said to David, So will I make thee captain of my body-guard continually.
English Revised Version
And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
Berean Standard Bible
David replied, "Then you will come to know what your servant can do." "Very well," said Achish. "I will make you my bodyguard for life."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide to Achis, Now thou schalt wyte what thingis thi seruaunt schal do. And Achis seide to Dauid, And Y schal sette thee kepere of myn heed in alle dayes.
Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Achish, `Therefore -- thou dost know that which thy servant dost do.' And Achish saith unto David, `Therefore -- keeper of my head I do appoint thee all the days.'
Update Bible Version
And David said to Achish, Therefore you shall know what your slave will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you keeper of my head forever.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.
World English Bible
David said to Achish, Therefore you shall know what your servant will do. Achish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.
New King James Version
So David said to Achish, "Surely you know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever."
New Living Translation
"Very well!" David agreed. "Now you will see for yourself what we can do." Then Achish told David, "I will make you my personal bodyguard for life."
New Life Bible
David said to Achish, "Very well, you will know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you the soldier who stands by me and keeps me safe for life."
New Revised Standard
David said to Achish, "Very well, then you shall know what your servant can do." Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said unto Achish, Therefore, now, shalt thou know what thy servant can do. And Achish said unto David, Therefore, keeper of my head, will I appoint thee, all the days.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Achis: Now thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achis said to David: And I will appoint thee to guard my life for ever.
Revised Standard Version
David said to A'chish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." And A'chish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
THE MESSAGE
And David said, "Good! Now you'll see for yourself what I can do!" "Great!" said Achish. "I'm making you my personal bodyguard—for life!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."

Contextual Overview

1 And in those dayes, the Philistines gathered theyr hoast together to warre, to fight with Israel: And Achis sayd to Dauid, Be sure thou shalt go out with me to battayle, thou and the men that are with thee. 2 And Dauid sayde to Achis: Surelie thou shalt knowe what thy seruaunt can do. And Achis said to Dauid: Then I will make thee keper of my head for euer. 3 Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Rama his owne citie: And Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land. 4 And the Philistines gathered together, and came, and pytched in Sunem: And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pytched in Gilboa. 5 And when Saul sawe the hoast of the Philistines, he was afrayde, & his heart was sore astonied. 6 And when Saul asked councell of the Lorde, the Lorde aunswered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Urim, nor yet by prophetes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Surely: 1 Samuel 27:10, 2 Samuel 16:16-19, Romans 12:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:6 - for ever 1 Samuel 29:1 - the Philistines 1 Samuel 29:2 - but David 1 Samuel 29:8 - that I may not 2 Samuel 16:19 - should I not serve Psalms 60:7 - strength Song of Solomon 3:7 - threescore

Cross-References

Genesis 24:10
And the seruaunt toke ten Camelles of the Camelles of his maister, & departed (& had of al maner of goods of his maister with him) and so he arose & went to Mesopotamia, vnto ye citie of Nachor.
Genesis 24:29
And Rebecca had a brother called Laban: and he ranne out vnto the man, [euen] to the well.
Genesis 24:50
Then aunswered Laban and Bethuel, saying: This saying is proceeded euen of the Lorde, we can not therefore say vnto thee eyther good or bad.
Genesis 25:20
And Isahac was fourtie yere olde when he toke Rebecca to wyfe, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Mesopotamia, and sister to Laban the Syrian.
Genesis 28:5
Thus Isahac sent foorth Iacob: and he went towarde Mesopotamia, vnto Laban, sonne of Bethuel the Syrian, and brother to Rebecca Iacob and Esaus mother.
Genesis 28:15
And see, I am with thee, and wyll be thy keper in all [places] whyther thou goest, and wyll bryng thee agayne into this lande: For I wyl not leaue thee, vntyll I haue made good that whiche I haue promised thee.
Genesis 28:20
And Iacob vowed a vowe, saying: Yf God wyll be with me, and wyll kepe me in this iourney in which I go, and wyll geue me bread to eate, and clothes to put on:
Genesis 29:1
Then Iacob went on his iourney, & came into the lande of the people of the east.
Genesis 31:18
And caryed away all his flockes, and all his substaunce whiche he had procured, the increase of his cattell which he had gotten in Mesopotamia, for to go to Isahac his father vnto the lande of Chanaan.
Genesis 32:10
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercyes and trueth whiche thou hast shewed vnto thy seruaunt: for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordane, & nowe haue I gotten two companies.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said to Achish, surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do,.... By which he would have Achish understand, and so he did, that he would exert himself in favour of the Philistines, and against Israel, and do great and brave things, of which Achish would be, made sensible, through his heroic courage and valour; though he meant rather what he could and should do for Israel against the Philistines, if he had an opportunity: but it seems best of all to consider David as quite undetermined, and at a loss what to do, hoping that God in his providence would extricate him out of this difficulty, and direct him what he should do, which then Achish would know; and accordingly he was delivered out of it:

and Achish said to David: putting confidence in him on account of his answer, and believing he was hearty in engaging in the war with the Philistines against Israel:

therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever; the captain of his bodyguard, which post he should hold for life; or he proposed to put him into this post, that he might be with him, near his person, and under his eye, that he might observe how he behaved himself; which may show some suspicion of him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt know ... - David dissembled (compare also 1 Samuel 29:8), hoping, no doubt, that something would happen to prevent his fighting against his king and country.

Keeper of mine head - Captain of his bodyguard.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 28:2. Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do — This was another equivocal answer; and could only be understood by his succeeding conduct. It might imply what he could do in favour of the Philistines against Israel; or in favour of Israel against the Philistines. Achish understood it in the former sense; and therefore he said to David, I will make thee keeper of my head for ever; i.e., Thou shalt be captain of my life-guards.


 
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