Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Samuel 19:16

When the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Falsehood;   Jealousy;   Michal;   Pillow;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Teraphim;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Michal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bed;   Bolster;   Cattle;   David;   Michal;   Teraphim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bolster;   Michal;   Pillow;   Quilt;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ancestor-Worship;   Bolster;   God;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Ten Commandments;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Michal ;   Teraphim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Teraphim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mi'chal;   Teraphim;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bolster;   Goats' Hair;   God;   Images;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anthropomorphism;   Teraphim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.
Hebrew Names Version
When the messengers came in, behold, the terafim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
King James Version
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
Lexham English Bible
When the messengers came, to their surprise the idol was on the bed with the quilt of goat's hair at the head.
English Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New Century Version
When the messengers entered David's house, they found just an idol on the bed with goats' hair on its head.
New English Translation
When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat's hair at its head.
Amplified Bible
When the messengers came in, there was the household idol on the bed with a quilt of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it.
Legacy Standard Bible
The messengers came, and behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Complete Jewish Bible
But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.
Darby Translation
And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed, and the net of goats' [hair] at its head.
Easy-to-Read Version
The messengers went to David's house. They went inside to get him, but they saw it was only a statue and that its hair was only goats' hair.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the messengers came in, behold, there was an idol in the bed, with a pillow of goats skin at its head.
Good News Translation
They went inside and found the household idol in the bed and the goats' hair pillow at its head.
Literal Translation
And the messengers came in. And, behold, the image was on the bed, and the quilt of goat's hair was at his head-place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the messaungers came, beholde, the ymage laye in the bed, and a goates ßkynne at the heade of it.
American Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof.
Bible in Basic English
And when the men came in, there was the image in the bed, with the cushion of goat's hair at its head
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the messengers were come in, behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillowe of goates heere vnder the head of it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the quilt of goats' hair at the head thereof.
King James Version (1611)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goates haire for his bolster.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat’s liver at his head.
English Revised Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ [hair] at the head thereof.
Berean Standard Bible
And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the quilt of goats' hair on its head.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof.
Young's Literal Translation
And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim [are] on the bed, and the mattress of goats' [hair], [for] his pillows.
Update Bible Version
And when the messengers came in, look, the talismans were in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at his head.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the messengers had come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goat's [hair] for his bolster.
World English Bible
When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
New King James Version
And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats' hair for his head.
New Living Translation
But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head.
New Life Bible
When the men came in, the house god was on the bed, with the goat hair pillow at its head.
New Revised Standard
When the messengers came in, the idol was in the bed, with the covering of goats' hair on its head.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the messengers entered, lo! the household god in the bed, - with a fly-net of goats-hair at its head.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat skin at his head.
Revised Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.

Contextual Overview

11 Saul sent guards to watch David's house all night and then to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you don't escape tonight, they'll kill you tomorrow!" 12 She helped David go through a window and climb down to the ground. As David ran off, 13 Michal put a statue in his bed. She put goat hair on its head and dressed it in some of David's clothes. 14 The next morning, Saul sent guards to arrest David. But Michal told them, "David is sick." 15 Saul sent the guards back and told them, "Get David out of his bed and bring him to me, so I can have him killed." 16 When the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head. 17 "Why have you tricked me this way?" Saul asked Michal. "You helped my enemy get away!" She answered, "He said he would kill me if I didn't help him escape!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And when: It is highly probable that David, when supposed to be sick, was thought to be hid in the harem or chamber of Michal. "The harems," says Deut. Lam. Motraye, "are sanctuaries, as sacred and inviolable, for persons pursed by justice for any crime, debt, etc., as the Roman Catholic churches in Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc." Thus we find, that to effect his purpose, Saul sent messengers to Michal, but they treated her harem with too much respect to enter it at first; but being authorised by Saul, they entered even into her chamber; and during the delay occasioned by respect for the privacy of Michal, David escaped. 1 Samuel 19:16

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 18:24 - into an inner chamber Psalms 59:8 - Thou

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
Before Lot and his guests could go to bed, every man in Sodom, young and old, came and stood outside his house
Genesis 19:5
and started shouting, "Where are your visitors? Send them out, so we can have sex with them!"
Genesis 19:8
I have two daughters who have never been married. I'll bring them out, and you can do what you want with them. But don't harm these men. They are guests in my home."
Genesis 19:10
But the two angels in the house reached out and pulled Lot safely inside.
Genesis 19:15
Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. They said, "Take your wife and your two daughters and get out of here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when the Lord destroys the city."
Genesis 19:16
At first, Lot just stood there. But the Lord wanted to save him. So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.
Genesis 19:18
Lot answered, "You have done us a great favor, sir. You have saved our lives, but please don't make us go to the hills. That's too far away. The city will be destroyed before we can get there, and we will be killed when it happens.
Genesis 19:35
That night they got their father drunk, and this time the younger sister slept with him. But once again he was too drunk even to know she was there.
Genesis 19:36
That's how Lot's two daughters had their children.
Exodus 34:6
Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, "I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the messengers were come in,.... To David's house, and into the room where he was supposed to lie:

behold, [there was] an image in the bed to their great surprise; they expected to see David, but instead of him the teraphim, as in

1 Samuel 19:13; if they had been in the room before, and thought they had seen David in the bed, they might be the more surprised to find that it was only an image they saw:

with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster;

1 Samuel 19:13- :.


 
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