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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Samuel 21:14

Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He's crazy! Why do 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 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?
Good News Translation
So Achish said to his officials, "Look! The man is crazy! Why did you bring 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 That day David ran away from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, "This is David, the king of the Israelites. He's the man they dance and sing about, saying: ‘Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands.'" 12 David paid attention to these words and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be crazy in front of Achish and his servants. While he was with them, he acted like a madman and clawed on the doors of the gate and let spit run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He's crazy! Why do you bring him to me? 15 I have enough madmen. I don't need you to bring him here to act like this in front of me! Don't let him in my 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 found Hagar beside a spring of water in the desert, by the road to Shur.
Genesis 19:27
Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord .
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:7
No one thought that I would be able to have Abraham's child, but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son."
Genesis 21:23
So make a promise to me here before God that you will be fair with me and my children and my descendants. Be kind to me and to this land where you have lived as a stranger—as kind as I have been to you."
Genesis 21:25
Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about Abimelech's servants who had seized a well of water.
Genesis 21:31
So that place was called Beersheba because they made a promise to each other there.
Genesis 21:33
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and prayed to the Lord , the God who lives forever.
Genesis 22:3
Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. After he cut the wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go.
Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham returned to his servants. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.

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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