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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Samuel 18:11

and Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall!" But David escaped from him on two different occasions.

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.
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

6 When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. 7 The women who were playing the music sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!" 8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, "They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?" 9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward. 10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre that day. There was a spear in Saul's hand, 11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall!" But David escaped from him on two different occasions.

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
Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"
Genesis 17:24
Now Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised;
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; Sarah had long since passed menopause.)
Genesis 18:12
So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, "After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?"
Genesis 18:18
After all, Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using his name.
Genesis 18:21
that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know."
Genesis 31:35
Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord. I cannot stand up in your presence because I am having my period." So he searched thoroughly, but did not find the idols.
Leviticus 15:19
"‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.
Luke 1:7
But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.
Luke 1:18
Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well."

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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