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

The NET Bible®

1 Samuel 24:2

So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find David and his men in the region of the rocks of the mountain goats.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Goat;   Saul;   Self-Control;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Goat, the;   Rocks;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Goat;   Right-Hand;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Palestine;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Army;   Goat;   Host;   Roe;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   Carmel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Goat;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Election;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Caves;   Goat;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   En'-Gedi;   Goat;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Rock;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chamois;   Deer;   Goat;   Hill;   Names, Proper;   Saul;   Zoology;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Captain;   Caves in Palestine;   Engedi;   Goat;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Hebrew Names Version
Then Sha'ul took three thousand chosen men out of all Yisra'el, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
King James Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
Lexham English Bible
So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and he and his men went to search for David in the direction of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.
English Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks.
New Century Version
So he took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and began looking for David and his men near the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Amplified Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
New American Standard Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Saul tooke three thousande chosen men out of all Israel, & went to seeke Dauid and his men vpon the rocks among the wilde goates.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Contemporary English Version
Saul led three thousand of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi.
Complete Jewish Bible
When Sha'ul returned from pursuing the P'lishtim, he was told that David was in the desert at ‘Ein-Gedi.
Darby Translation
And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Saul chose 3000 men from all over Israel and began searching for David and his men. They looked near Wild Goat Rocks.
George Lamsa Translation
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the mountains of the wild goats.
Good News Translation
Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks.
Literal Translation
And Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the front of the rocks of the wild goats.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Saul toke thre thousande chosen men out of all Israel, and wente to seke Dauid with his men vpon the stony rockes of the wylde goates.
American Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
Bible in Basic English
Then Saul took three thousand of the best men out of all Israel, and went in search of David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Saul toke three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seke Dauid and his men in the heyght of the rockes where wilde goates remayne.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
King James Version (1611)
Then Saul tooke three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to secke Dauid and his men vpon the rockes of the wilde goates.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass when Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, David is in the wilderness of Engaddi.
English Revised Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
Berean Standard Bible
So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Saul took three thousinde of chosun men of al Israel, and yede to seke Dauid and hise men, yhe on moost brokun rochis, that ben `able to weie to wield geet aloone.
Young's Literal Translation
And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,
Update Bible Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
World English Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
New King James Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
New Living Translation
So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.
New Life Bible
Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel, and went to find David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
New Revised Standard
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men, out of all Israel, - and went to seek David and his men, over the face of the rocks of the mountain-goats.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(24-3) Saul, therefore, took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats.
Revised Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Contextual Overview

1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, "Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi." 2 So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find David and his men in the region of the rocks of the mountain goats. 3 He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave. 4 David's men said to him, "This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.'" So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul's robe. 5 Afterward David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off an edge of Saul's robe. 6 He said to his men, "May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord 's chosen one, by extending my hand against him. After all, he is the Lord 's chosen one." 7 David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down the road. 8 Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, "My lord, O king!" When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Saul took: 1 Samuel 13:2

and went: Psalms 37:32, Psalms 38:12

the rocks: Psalms 104:18, Psalms 141:6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 26:2 - three thousand 2 Kings 6:14 - sent he thither horses Job 39:1 - the wild Psalms 17:11 - compassed

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "O sovereign Lord , what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?"
Genesis 24:4
You must go instead to my country and to my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac."
Genesis 24:6
"Be careful never to take my son back there!" Abraham told him.
Genesis 24:8
But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, you will be free from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!"
Genesis 24:9
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes.
Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. He journeyed to the region of Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.
Genesis 44:1
He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.
Genesis 47:29
The time for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,
1 Chronicles 29:24
All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David's sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.
1 Timothy 5:17
Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,.... Out of his army, with which he had been pursuing the Philistines:

and went to seek David, and his men, upon the rocks of the wild goats; which were in the wilderness of Engedi; those rocks were exceeding high and terrible to look at, full of precipices, and so prominent, that to travellers they seemed as if they would fall into the adjacent valleys, that it even struck terror into them to look at them x; called the rocks of wild goats, because these creatures, called from hence "rupicaprae", or rock goats, see Job 39:1; delighted to be there; and are, as Pliny y says, of such prodigious swiftness, that they will leap from mountain to mountain, and back again at pleasure; these mountains David and his men chose for safety, and the height and craggedness of them did not deter Saul and his men from seeking him there.

x Adrichom Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 47. & Brocard. in ib. y Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 53.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The rocks of the wild goats - To signify the craggy precipitous character of the country.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 24:2. Rocks of the wild goats. — The original (צורי היעלים tsurey haiyeelim) is variously understood. The VULGATE makes a paraphrase: Super abruptissimas petras quae solis ibicibus perviae sunt; "On the most precipitous rocks over which the ibexes alone can travel." The TARGUM: the caverns of the rocks. The SEPTUAGINT make the original a proper name; for out of צורי היעלים tsurey haiyeelim, they make Σαδδαιεμ Saddaiem, and in some copies Αειαμειν Aeiamein, which are evidently corruptions of the Hebrew.


 
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