Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, September 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 19:16

And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim [are] on the bed, and the mattress of goats' [hair], [for] his pillows.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Falsehood;   Jealousy;   Michal;   Pillow;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Teraphim;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Michal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bed;   Bolster;   Cattle;   David;   Michal;   Teraphim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bolster;   Michal;   Pillow;   Quilt;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ancestor-Worship;   Bolster;   God;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Ten Commandments;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Michal ;   Teraphim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Teraphim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mi'chal;   Teraphim;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bolster;   Goats' Hair;   God;   Images;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anthropomorphism;   Teraphim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.
Hebrew Names Version
When the messengers came in, behold, the terafim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
King James Version
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
Lexham English Bible
When the messengers came, to their surprise the idol was on the bed with the quilt of goat's hair at the head.
English Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New Century Version
When the messengers entered David's house, they found just an idol on the bed with goats' hair on its head.
New English Translation
When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat's hair at its head.
Amplified Bible
When the messengers came in, there was the household idol on the bed with a quilt of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it.
Legacy Standard Bible
The messengers came, and behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Contemporary English Version
When the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.
Complete Jewish Bible
But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.
Darby Translation
And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed, and the net of goats' [hair] at its head.
Easy-to-Read Version
The messengers went to David's house. They went inside to get him, but they saw it was only a statue and that its hair was only goats' hair.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the messengers came in, behold, there was an idol in the bed, with a pillow of goats skin at its head.
Good News Translation
They went inside and found the household idol in the bed and the goats' hair pillow at its head.
Literal Translation
And the messengers came in. And, behold, the image was on the bed, and the quilt of goat's hair was at his head-place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the messaungers came, beholde, the ymage laye in the bed, and a goates ßkynne at the heade of it.
American Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof.
Bible in Basic English
And when the men came in, there was the image in the bed, with the cushion of goat's hair at its head
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the messengers were come in, behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillowe of goates heere vnder the head of it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the quilt of goats' hair at the head thereof.
King James Version (1611)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goates haire for his bolster.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat’s liver at his head.
English Revised Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ [hair] at the head thereof.
Berean Standard Bible
And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the quilt of goats' hair on its head.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof.
Update Bible Version
And when the messengers came in, look, the talismans were in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at his head.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the messengers had come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goat's [hair] for his bolster.
World English Bible
When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
New King James Version
And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats' hair for his head.
New Living Translation
But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head.
New Life Bible
When the men came in, the house god was on the bed, with the goat hair pillow at its head.
New Revised Standard
When the messengers came in, the idol was in the bed, with the covering of goats' hair on its head.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the messengers entered, lo! the household god in the bed, - with a fly-net of goats-hair at its head.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat skin at his head.
Revised Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.

Contextual Overview

11 And Saul sendeth messengers unto the house of David to watch him, and to put him to death in the morning; and Michal his wife declareth to David, saying, `If thou art not delivering thy life to-night -- tomorrow thou art put to death.' 12 And Michal causeth David to go down through the window, and he goeth on, and fleeth, and escapeth; 13 and Michal taketh the teraphim, and layeth on the bed, and the mattress of goats' [hair] she hath put [for] his pillows, and covereth with a garment. 14 And Saul sendeth messengers to take David, and she saith, `He [is] sick.' 15 And Saul sendeth the messengers to see David, saying, `Bring him up in the bed unto me,' -- to put him to death. 16 And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim [are] on the bed, and the mattress of goats' [hair], [for] his pillows. 17 And Saul saith unto Michal, `Why thus hast thou deceived me -- that thou dost send away mine enemy, and he is escaped?' and Michal saith unto Saul, `He said unto me, Send me away: why do I put thee to death?'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And when: It is highly probable that David, when supposed to be sick, was thought to be hid in the harem or chamber of Michal. "The harems," says Deut. Lam. Motraye, "are sanctuaries, as sacred and inviolable, for persons pursed by justice for any crime, debt, etc., as the Roman Catholic churches in Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc." Thus we find, that to effect his purpose, Saul sent messengers to Michal, but they treated her harem with too much respect to enter it at first; but being authorised by Saul, they entered even into her chamber; and during the delay occasioned by respect for the privacy of Michal, David escaped. 1 Samuel 19:16

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 18:24 - into an inner chamber Psalms 59:8 - Thou

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
Before they lie down, the men of the city -- men of Sodom -- have come round about against the house, from young even unto aged, all the people from the extremity;
Genesis 19:5
and they call unto Lot and say to him, `Where [are] the men who have come in unto thee to-night? bring them out unto us, and we know them.'
Genesis 19:8
lo, I pray you, I have two daughters, who have not known any one; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do to them as [is] good in your eyes; only to these men do not anything, for therefore have they come in within the shadow of my roof.'
Genesis 19:10
And the men put forth their hand, and bring in Lot unto them, into the house, and have shut the door;
Genesis 19:15
And when the dawn hath ascended, then the messengers press upon Lot, saying, `Rise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters who are found present, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.'
Genesis 19:16
And he lingereth, and the men lay hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, through the mercy of Jehovah unto him, and they bring him out, and cause him to rest without the city.
Genesis 19:18
And Lot saith unto them, `Not [so], I pray thee, my lord;
Genesis 19:19
lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, and thou dost make great thy kindness which thou hast done with me by saving my life, and I am unable to escape to the mountain, lest the evil cleave [to] me, and I have died;
Genesis 19:35
And they cause their father to drink wine on that night also, and the younger riseth and lieth with him, and he hath not known in her lying down, or in her rising up.
Genesis 19:36
And the two daughters of Lot conceive from their father,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the messengers were come in,.... To David's house, and into the room where he was supposed to lie:

behold, [there was] an image in the bed to their great surprise; they expected to see David, but instead of him the teraphim, as in

1 Samuel 19:13; if they had been in the room before, and thought they had seen David in the bed, they might be the more surprised to find that it was only an image they saw:

with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster;

1 Samuel 19:13- :.


 
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