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Sunday, November 2nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Samuel 18:11

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Demons;   Holy Spirit;   Javelin;   Jealousy;   Malice;   Prudence;   Spear;   Thompson Chain Reference - Saul, King of Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arms, Military;   Malice;   Spear;   Walls;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Saul, king of israel;   Weapons;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Demon;   Disease;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Javelin;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Avoid;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Javelin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Obsolete or obscure words in the english av bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Arms;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Avoid;   David;   Merab;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.
Hebrew Names Version
and Sha'ul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. David avoided out of his presence twice.
King James Version
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Lexham English Bible
Then Saul hurled the spear and thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
English Standard Version
And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.
New Century Version
He threw the spear, thinking, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David escaped from him twice.
New English Translation
and Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall!" But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
Amplified Bible
Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.
New American Standard Bible
Then Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence, twice.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Saul tooke the speare, and sayd, I will smite Dauid through to the wall. But Dauid auoyded twise out of his presence.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice.
Contemporary English Version
Saul thought, "I'll pin David to the wall." He threw the spear at David twice, but David dodged and got away both times.
Complete Jewish Bible
and he threw the spear, thinking, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David dodged out of the way twice.
Darby Translation
And Saul cast the spear, and thought, I will smite David and the wall. But David turned away from him twice.
Easy-to-Read Version
but Saul had a spear in his hand. He thought, "I'll pin David to the wall." Saul threw the spear twice, but David jumped out of the way both times.
George Lamsa Translation
And Saul threw the javelin; for he said, I will pin David to the wall. But David evaded it twice.
Good News Translation
"I'll pin him to the wall," Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.
Literal Translation
And Saul threw the spear, and said, I will strike David, even to the wall. And David twice drew back from his face.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Saul had a iauelynge in his hande, and cast it, and thoughte: I wyll stycke Dauid fast to the wall. Neuerthelesse Dauid turned himselfe twyse awaye from him.
American Standard Version
and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Bible in Basic English
And Saul, balancing the spear in his hand, said, I will give David a blow, pinning him to the wall. And David got away from him twice.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Saul toke the iauelyn, and sayd: I will nayle Dauid to the wall with it. And Dauid auoyded out of his presence two times.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul cast the spear; for he said: 'I will smite David even to the wall.' And David stepped aside out of his presence twice.
King James Version (1611)
And Saul cast the iauelin; for hee said, I will smite Dauid euen to the wall with it: and Dauid auoided out of his presence twice.
English Revised Version
and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Berean Standard Bible
and he hurled it, thinking, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Dauid harpide with his hond, as bi alle daies; and Saul helde a spere, and caste it, and gesside that he myyte prene Dauid with the wal, that is, perse with the spere, so that it schulde passe til to the wal; and Dauid bowide `fro his face the secounde tyme.
Young's Literal Translation
and Saul casteth the javelin, and saith, `I smite through David, even through the wall;' and David turneth round out of his presence twice.
Update Bible Version
and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David escaped from his presence twice.
World English Bible
and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. David avoided out of his presence twice.
New King James Version
And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
New Living Translation
and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
New Life Bible
and he threw the spear, thinking, "I will nail David to the wall." But David jumped out of his way twice.
New Revised Standard
and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Saul hurled the spear, and said to himself - I will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice.
Revised Standard Version
and Saul cast the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice.

Contextual Overview

6As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. In playful frolic the women sang, Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand! This made Saul angry—very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, "They credit David with ‘ten thousands' and me with only ‘thousands.' Before you know it they'll be giving him the kingdom!" From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David. 10The next day an ugly mood was sent by God to afflict Saul, who became quite beside himself, raving. David played his harp, as he usually did at such times. Saul had a spear in his hand. Suddenly Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall." David ducked, and the spear missed. This happened twice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast the javelin: 1 Samuel 19:9, 1 Samuel 19:10, 1 Samuel 20:33, Proverbs 27:4, Isaiah 54:17

And David: Psalms 37:32, Psalms 37:33, Isaiah 54:17, Luke 4:30, John 8:59, John 10:39

Reciprocal: Numbers 25:7 - a javelin Numbers 35:20 - by laying 1 Samuel 16:23 - Saul 1 Samuel 20:27 - Wherefore 1 Samuel 20:32 - what hath 2 Samuel 4:8 - sought 2 Samuel 12:7 - I delivered Psalms 64:4 - suddenly

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, "Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?"
Genesis 17:24
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day together with all the servants of his household, those born there and those purchased from outsiders—all were circumcised with him.
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"
Leviticus 15:19
"When a woman has a discharge of blood, the impurity of her menstrual period lasts seven days. Anyone who touches her is unclean until evening. Everything on which she lies or sits during her period is unclean. Anyone who touches her bed or anything on which she sits must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.
Luke 1:18
Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."
Luke 1:36
"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul cast the javelin,.... Out of his hand at David:

for he said; in his heart, determining in his mind:

I will smite David even to the wall [with it]; he determined to cast it with such force and violence, that it should pierce through David, and enter into the very wall, by the side of which David was:

and David avoided out of his presence twice; to escape the javelin cast at him; either he went out at the first time of its being thrown, and then came in again, when he threw it a second time at him, upon which he also withdrew; or this was one of the times, and the other some time after, of which see 1 Samuel 19:9. Abarbinel thinks, that David, while he was playing, his eyes were so fixed upon his own hands, that he was not aware of the javelin, and turned himself from Saul without intention both times, and so escaped without knowledge of it; such was the good providence of God towards him, and which, when Saul perceived, it wrought upon him, as follows.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 18:11. Saul cast the javelin — The javelin or spear was the emblem of regal authority; kings always had it at hand, and in ancient monuments they are always represented with it.

In ancient times, says Justin, kings used a spear instead of a diadem: Per ea tempora reges hastas pro diademate habebant, Hist. lib. xliii. And as spears were the emblems of supreme power, hence they were reputed as attributes of the Divinity, and were worshipped as representatives of the gods. Ab origne verum, pro DIIS immortalibus veteres HASTAS coluerent, ob cujus religionis memoriam, adhuc deorum simulachris HASTAE adduntur.-Ibid.


 
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