Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Samuel 22:16

The king said, "Death, Ahimelech! You're going to die—you and everyone in your family!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abiathar;   Accusation, False;   Ahijah;   Ahimelech;   Falsehood;   Government;   Holy Spirit;   Malice;   Rulers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ahimelech;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abiathar;   Ahimelech;   Justice;   Nob;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Eli;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahimelech;   Mizpah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Nob;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Crimes and Punishments;   High Priest;   Nob;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Doeg;   Nob;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahimelech ;   Doeg ;   Nob;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Doeg;   Nob;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ahimelech;   Jesse;   Judge;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner;   Ahimelech;   Ahitub;   Saul;   Treason;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech—you and your father’s whole family!”
Hebrew Names Version
The king said, You shall surely die, Achimelekh, you, and all your father's house.
King James Version
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
Lexham English Bible
Then the king said, "You must certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"
English Standard Version
And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house."
New Century Version
But the king said, "Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die!"
New English Translation
But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!
Amplified Bible
But Saul said, "Be assured that you shall die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household (extended family)."
New American Standard Bible
But the king said, "You shall certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King sayd, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"
Contemporary English Version
"Ahimelech," Saul said, "you and your whole family are going to die."
Complete Jewish Bible
But the king said, "You must die, you and your father's whole family."
Darby Translation
And the king said, Thou shalt certainly die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the king said, "Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die."
George Lamsa Translation
And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimeleck, you and all your fathers house.
Good News Translation
The king said, "Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die."
Literal Translation
And the king said, dying you shall die, Ahimelech, you and your father's house.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles the kynge saide: Ahimelech thou must dye ye death, thou and all thy fathers house.
American Standard Version
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
Bible in Basic English
And the king said, You will certainly be put to death, Ahimelech, you and all your father's family.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The king sayde, Thou shalt surely die Ahimelech, thou, & al thy fathers house.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king said: 'Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.'
King James Version (1611)
And the king saide, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And king Saul said, Thou shalt surely die, Abimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
English Revised Version
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
Berean Standard Bible
But the king replied, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng seide, Achymelech, thou schalt die bi deeth, thou, and al the hows of thi fadir.
Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith, `Thou dost surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all the house of thy father.'
Update Bible Version
And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
World English Bible
The king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house.
New King James Version
And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!"
New Living Translation
"You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!" the king shouted.
New Life Bible
But the king said, "You will die for sure, Ahimelech, you and all those of your father's family!"
New Revised Standard
The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech, - thou and all the household of thy father.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said: Dying thou shalt die, Achimelech, thou and all thy father’s house.
Revised Standard Version
And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahim'elech, you and all your father's house."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"

Contextual Overview

6Saul got word of the whereabouts of David and his men. He was sitting under the big oak on the hill at Gibeah at the time, spear in hand, holding court surrounded by his officials. He said, "Listen here, you Benjaminites! Don't think for a minute that you have any future with the son of Jesse! Do you think he's going to hand over choice land, give you all influential jobs? Think again. Here you are, conspiring against me, whispering behind my back—not one of you is man enough to tell me that my own son is making deals with the son of Jesse, not one of you who cares enough to tell me that my son has taken the side of this, this... outlaw!" 9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, spoke up: "I saw the son of Jesse meet with Ahimelech son of Ahitub, in Nob. I saw Ahimelech pray with him for God 's guidance, give him food, and arm him with the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11 Saul sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, along with the whole family of priests at Nob. They all came to the king. 12 Saul said, "You listen to me, son of Ahitub!" "Certainly, master," he said. 13 "Why have you ganged up against me with the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword, even praying with him for God 's guidance, setting him up as an outlaw, out to get me?" 14Ahimelech answered the king, "There's not an official in your administration as true to you as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your bodyguard. None more honorable either. Do you think that was the first time I prayed with him for God's guidance? Hardly! But don't accuse me of any wrongdoing, me or my family. I have no idea what you're trying to get at with this ‘outlaw' talk." 16 The king said, "Death, Ahimelech! You're going to die—you and everyone in your family!" 17 The king ordered his henchmen, "Surround and kill the priests of God ! They're hand in glove with David. They knew he was running away from me and didn't tell me." But the king's men wouldn't do it. They refused to lay a hand on the priests of God . 18Then the king told Doeg, "You do it—massacre the priests!" Doeg the Edomite led the attack and slaughtered the priests, the eighty-five men who wore the sacred robes. He then carried the massacre into Nob, the city of priests, killing man and woman, child and baby, ox, donkey, and sheep—the works.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou shalt: 1 Samuel 14:44, 1 Samuel 20:31, 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 19:2, Proverbs 28:15, Daniel 2:5, Daniel 2:12, Daniel 3:19, Daniel 3:20, Acts 12:19

and: Deuteronomy 24:16, Esther 3:6, Matthew 2:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely 1 Samuel 14:39 - General Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."
Genesis 22:13
Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Genesis 22:14
Abraham named that place God -Yireh ( God -Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of God , he sees to it."
Jeremiah 51:14
God -of-the-Angel-Armies has solemnly sworn: "I'll fill this place with soldiers. They'll swarm through here like locusts chanting victory songs over you."
Amos 6:8
God , the Master, has sworn, and solemnly stands by his Word. The God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: "I hate the arrogance of Jacob. I have nothing but contempt for his forts. I'm about to hand over the city and everyone in it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said, thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech,.... He pronounces the sentence himself, without taking the opinion and advice of others, or further time; which was an act of arbitrary power, and upon an innocent person, which was an act of great injustice:

thou, and all thy father's house; more unrighteous still; but God suffered him to do this to fulfil his will, and execute his threatenings against the house of Eli, which was this priest's father's house, for former wickedness; but this is no excuse for, nor extenuation of the sin of, Saul.


 
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