Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, April 11th, 2026
Saturday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

1 Samuel 24:14

`Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dog (Sodomite?);   Flea;   Humility;   Proverbs;   Self-Control;   Thompson Chain Reference - Humility;   Humility-Pride;   Insects;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dog, the;   Insects;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dogs;   Right-Hand;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dog;   Flea;   Providence;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Dog;   Flea;   Mephibosheth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Insects;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dog;   Flea;   Prayer;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Flea;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dog;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   Dog,;   Flea,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Flea;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Dog;   Flea;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dead;   Dog;   Flea;   Saul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - God;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?
Hebrew Names Version
After whom is the king of Yisra'el come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
King James Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Lexham English Bible
After whom did the king of Israel go out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After one flea?
English Standard Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
New Century Version
Whom is the king of Israel coming out against? Whom are you chasing? It's as if you are chasing a dead dog or a flea.
New English Translation
Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?
Amplified Bible
"After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue [with three thousand men]? A dead dog, a single flea?
New American Standard Bible
"After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?
Geneva Bible (1587)
After whom is the King of Israel come out? after whome doest thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flea?
Legacy Standard Bible
After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog, after a single flea?
Contemporary English Version
Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea.
Complete Jewish Bible
as the old saying has it, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness, but I will not lay a hand on you.'
Darby Translation
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.
Easy-to-Read Version
Who are you chasing? Did the king of Israel bring an army to chase a single flea or a dying dog?
George Lamsa Translation
After whom have you come out, O king of Israel? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea?
Good News Translation
Look at what the king of Israel is trying to kill! Look at what he is chasing! A dead dog, a flea!
Literal Translation
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After a flea?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whom persecutest thou O kynge of Israel, whom persecutest thou? a deed dogg? a flee?
American Standard Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Bible in Basic English
After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
King James Version (1611)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dogge, after a flea.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As the old proverb says, Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones: but my hand shall not be upon thee.
English Revised Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Berean Standard Bible
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
Young's Literal Translation
`After whom hath the king of Israel come out? after whom art thou pursuing? -- after a dead dog! after one flea!
Update Bible Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Webster's Bible Translation
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea?
World English Bible
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
New King James Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
New Living Translation
Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?
New Life Bible
After whom has the king come out? After whom are you running? After a dead dog? After a little bug?
New Revised Standard
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
After whom, hath the king of Israel come forth? After whom, art thou in pursuit? After a dead dog! after a single flea!
Douay-Rheims Bible
(24-15) After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.
Revised Standard Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
THE MESSAGE
"What does the king of Israel think he's doing? Who do you think you're chasing? A dead dog? A flea? God is our judge. He'll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now—and set me free of you!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?

Contextual Overview

9 And he seide to Saul, Whi herist thou the wordis of men spekynge, Dauid sekith yuel ayens thee? 10 Lo! to dai thin iyen siyen, that the Lord bitook thee in myn hond in the denne, and Y thouyte that Y wolde sle thee, but myn iye sparide thee; for Y seide, Y schal not holde forth myn hond in to my lord, which is the crist, `that is, anoyntid, of the Lord. 11 But rathere, my fadir, se thou, and knowe the hemme of thi mentil in myn hond, for whanne Y kittide aweie the hemme of thi mentil, Y nolde holde forth myn hond in thee; perseyue thou, and see, for nether yuel nether wickidnesse is in myn hond, nether Y synnede ayens thee; but thou aspiest my lijf, that thou do it awei. 12 The Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and the Lord venge me of thee; but myn hond be not in thee, 13 as it is seid also in eld prouerbe, Wickidnesse schal go out of wickid men; therfor myn hond be not in thee. 14 `Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle. 15 The Lord be iuge, and the Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and se, and deme my cause, and delyuere me fro thin hond.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: 2 Samuel 6:20, 1 Kings 21:7

a dead dog: 1 Samuel 17:43, 2 Samuel 3:8, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9

a flea: 1 Samuel 26:20, Judges 8:1-3

Reciprocal: Job 7:17 - magnify Job 13:25 - break Psalms 113:7 - needy Psalms 124:7 - Our soul Psalms 142:6 - for they Lamentations 4:18 - hunt Mark 14:48 - Are

Cross-References

Genesis 15:8
And Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde it?
Genesis 24:1
Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.
Genesis 24:2
And he seide to the eldere seruaunt of his hows, that was souereyn on alle thingis that he hadde, Put thou thin hond vndur myn hipe,
Genesis 24:7
the Lord of heuene that took me fro the hows of my fadir, and fro the lond of my birthe, which spak to me, and swoor, and seide, Y schal yyue this lond to thi seed, he schal sende his aungel bifore thee, and thou schalt take fro thennus a wijf to my sone; forsothe if the womman nyle sue thee,
Genesis 24:8
thou schalt not be holdun bi the ooth; netheles lede not ayen my sone thidur.
Genesis 24:9
Therfore the seruaunt puttide his hond vndur the hipe of Abraham, his lord, and swoor to him on this word.
Genesis 24:10
And he took ten camels of the floc of his lord, and yede forth, and bar with him of alle the goodis of his lord; and he yede forth, and cam to Mesopotanye, to the citee of Nachor.
Genesis 24:11
And whanne he hadde maad the camels to reste with out the citee, bisidis the pit of watir, in the euentid, in that tyme in which wymmen ben wont to go out to drawe watir,
Genesis 24:13
Lo! Y stonde nyy the welle of watir, and the douytris of enhabiters of this citee schulen go out to drawe watir;
Genesis 24:15
And he hadde not yit fillid the wordis with ynne hym silf, and lo! Rebecca, the douytir of Batuel, sone of Melcha, wijf of Nachor, brothir of Abraham, yede out, hauynge a watir pot in hir schuldre;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

After whom is the king of Israel come out?.... From his court and palace, with an army of men, and at the head of them:

after whom dost thou pursue? with such eagerness and fury:

after a dead dog; as David was in the opinion, and according to the representation of his enemies, a dog, vile, mean, worthless, of no account; a dead dog, whose name was made to stink through the calumnies cast upon him; and if a dead dog, then as he was an useless person, and could do no good, so neither could he do any hurt, not so much as bark, much less bite; and therefore it was unworthy of so great a prince, a lessening, a degrading of himself, as well as a vain and impertinent thing, to pursue after such an one, that was not worthy of his notice, and could do him neither good nor harm:

after a flea? a little contemptible animal, not easily caught, as it is observed by some, and when caught good for nothing. David, by this simile, fitly represents not only his weakness and impotence, his being worthless, and of no account, and beneath the notice of such a prince as Saul; but the circumstances he was in, being obliged to move from place to place, as a flea leaps from one place to another, and is not easily taken, and when it is, of no worth and value; signifying, that as it was not worth his pains to seek after him, so it would be to no purpose, he should not be able to take him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

After whom ... - i. e., was it consistent with the dignity of the king of Israel to lead armies in pursuit of a weak and helpless individual like David?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 24:14. After a dead dog — A term used among the Hebrews to signify the most sovereign contempt; see 2 Samuel 16:9. One utterly incapable of making the least resistance against Saul, and the troops of Israel. The same idea is expressed in the term flea. The Targum properly expresses both thus: one who is weak, one who is contemptible.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile