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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Good News Translation

1 Samuel 21:14

So Achish said to his officials, "Look! The man is crazy! Why did you bring him to me?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Achish;   David;   Deception;   Dissembling;   Falsehood;   Gath;   Insanity;   Malingering;   Philistines;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   David;   Gath;   Philistia, philistines;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Gath;   Jonath Elem Rechokim, upon;   Madmen (2);   Psalms;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Ahimelech;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Nob;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Achish ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Achish;   David;   Gath;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Achish;   Barber;   Beard;   David;   Elhanan;   Ezekiel;   Mad;   Samuel, Books of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Achish;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Beard;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me?
Hebrew Names Version
Then said Akhish to his servants, Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
King James Version
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Lexham English Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see a madman! Why did you bring him to me?
English Standard Version
Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?
New Century Version
Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He's crazy! Why do you bring him to me?
New English Translation
Achish said to his servants, "Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me?
Amplified Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see that the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?
New American Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Achish vnto his seruants, Lo, ye see the man is beside him selfe, wherefore haue ye brought him to me?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?
Contemporary English Version
"Look at him!" Achish said to his officers. "You can see he's crazy. Why did you bring him to me?
Complete Jewish Bible
So, as they were watching, he changed his behavior and acted like a madman when they had hold of him, scratching marks on the doors of the city gate and drooling down his beard.
Darby Translation
And Achish said to his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad: why did ye bring him to me?
Easy-to-Read Version
Achish said to his officers, "Look at the man! He is crazy. Why did you bring him to me?
George Lamsa Translation
Then Achish said to his servants. Lo, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
Literal Translation
And Achish said to his servants, Behold, you see the man is showing madness. Why do you bring him to me?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Achis vnto his seruauntes: Beholde, ye se that the man is out of his wyt, why haue ye brought him vnto me?
American Standard Version
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad; wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Bible in Basic English
Then Achish said to his servants, Look! the man is clearly off his head; why have you let him come before me?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayd Achis vnto his seruauntes: Lo, ye see that this man is besyde him selfe, wherfore then haue ye brought him to me?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
King James Version (1611)
Then saide Achish vnto his seruants, Loe, you see the man is mad: wherefore then haue yee brought him to mee?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Anchus said to his servants, Lo! ye see the man is mad: why have ye brought him in to me?
English Revised Version
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Berean Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you can see the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Achis seide to hise seruauntis, Seen ye the wood man? why brouyten ye hym to me?
Young's Literal Translation
And Achish saith unto his servants, `Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me?
Update Bible Version
Then Achish said to his slaves, Look, you see the man is insane; why then have you brought him to me?
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: why [then] have ye brought him to me?
World English Bible
Then said Achish to his servants, Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
New King James Version
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?
New Living Translation
Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman?
New Life Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "See, you see the man is crazy. Why have you brought him to me?
New Revised Standard
Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Achish unto his servants, - Lo! ye can see, a madman playing his pranks, wherefore should ye bring him in, unto me?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achis said to his servants: You saw the man was mad: why have you brought him to me?
Revised Standard Version
Then said A'chish to his servants, "Lo, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

Contextual Overview

10 So David left, fleeing from Saul, and went to King Achish of Gath. 11 The king's officials said to Achish, "Isn't this David, the king of his country? This is the man about whom the women sang, as they danced, ‘Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands.'" 12 Their words made a deep impression on David, and he became very much afraid of King Achish. 13 So whenever David was around them, he pretended to be insane and acted like a madman when they tried to restrain him; he would scribble on the city gates and let spit drool down his beard. 14 So Achish said to his officials, "Look! The man is crazy! Why did you bring him to me? 15 Don't I have enough madmen already? Why bring another one to bother me with his crazy actions right here in my own house?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

is mad: or, playeth the madman, Ecclesiastes 7:7

Cross-References

Genesis 16:7
The angel of the Lord met Hagar at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur
Genesis 19:27
Early the next morning Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood in the presence of the Lord .
Genesis 21:6
Sarah said, "God has brought me joy and laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me."
Genesis 21:7
Then she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Genesis 21:23
So make a vow here in the presence of God that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so promise that you will also be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living."
Genesis 21:25
Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
Genesis 21:31
And so the place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them made a vow.
Genesis 21:33
Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped the Lord , the Everlasting God.
Genesis 22:3
Early the next morning Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey, and took Isaac and two servants with him. They started out for the place that God had told him about.
Genesis 22:19
Abraham went back to his servants, and they went together to Beersheba, where Abraham settled.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Achish to his servants, lo, you see the man is mad,.... Which he said, as willing his servants should think so, and therefore rather the object of their pity than of their rage and malice; or as really believing he was so, which he and they might conclude not merely from these his actions, before described, which they might judge real and not feigned; but they might suppose this was truly his case, brought upon him by the ill usage of Saul, who pursuing him from place to place, and sending after him to take away his life, had really brought him to distraction; and this they might rather conclude from his coming to Gath, an enemy's country, and whose champion he had slain, and many others of them; which it might be thought no man in his senses would have done:

wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me? for if he was brought to be employed in his service, he seemed very unfit for it, whether in the camp, or in the court; and if to be tried and condemned as an enemy, since he was a madman, he was rather to be pitied.


 
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