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Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 20:26

And Saul hath not spoken anything on that day, for he said, `It [is] an accident; he is not clean -- surely not clean.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arrow;   Jealousy;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Entertainments;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jairite;   Jonathan;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Jonathan;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Jonathan;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chance;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Moon;   Peace-Offering;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, “Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he is unclean.”
Hebrew Names Version
Nevertheless Sha'ul didn't say anything that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
King James Version
Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
Lexham English Bible
But Saul said nothing on that day, for he thought, "Something happened to him. He is not ceremonially clean; surely he is not clean."
English Standard Version
Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean."
New Century Version
That day Saul said nothing. He thought, "Maybe something has happened to David so that he is unclean."
New English Translation
However, Saul said nothing about it that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean."
Amplified Bible
Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "It is an incident [of some kind] and he is not [ceremonially] clean—surely he is unclean."
New American Standard Bible
Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, "It must have been an accident; he is not clean, undoubtedly he is not clean."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Saul sayde nothing that day: for hee thought, Some thing hath befallen him, though he were cleane, or els becaus he was not purified.
Legacy Standard Bible
Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he said, "It is an accident; he is not clean; surely he is not clean."
Contemporary English Version
Saul didn't say anything that day, because he was thinking, "Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened."
Complete Jewish Bible
However, Sha'ul didn't say anything that day; because he thought, "Something has happened to him, he is unclean. Yes, that's it, he isn't clean."
Darby Translation
And Saul said nothing that day; for he thought, Something has befallen [him], that he is not clean: surely he is not clean.
Easy-to-Read Version
That day Saul said nothing. He thought, "Maybe something happened to David so that he is not clean."
George Lamsa Translation
Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, Something has happened to him, or perhaps he is unclean, or perhaps he has not purified himself.
Good News Translation
but Saul said nothing that day, because he thought, "Something has happened to him, and he is not ritually pure."
Literal Translation
But Saul did not say anything on that day, for he said, It is an accident; he is not clean; he is surely not clean.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Saul spake nothinge that daye, for he thoughte: There is somwhat happend vnto him, that he is not cleane.
American Standard Version
Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
Bible in Basic English
But Saul said nothing that day, for his thought was, Something has taken place making him unclean; it is clear that he is not clean.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, Saul sayde nothing at all that day: For he thought, Some thing hath befallen him, though he were cleane.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day; for he thought: 'Something hath befallen him, he is unclean; surely he is not clean.'
King James Version (1611)
Neuerthelesse, Saul spake not any thing that day: for hee thought, Some thing hath befallen him, hee is not cleane; surely he is not cleane.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.
English Revised Version
Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
Berean Standard Bible
Saul said nothing that day because he thought, "Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean-surely he is unclean."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Saul spak not ony thing in that dai; for he thouyte, that `in hap it bifelde to hym, that he was not clene `nether purified.
Update Bible Version
Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean.
World English Bible
Nevertheless Saul didn't say anything that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
New King James Version
Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean."
New Living Translation
Saul didn't say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, "Something must have made David ceremonially unclean."
New Life Bible
But Saul did not say anything that day. For he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean. For sure he is not clean."
New Revised Standard
Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, "Something has befallen him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Saul, however, spake nothing that day, - for he said to himself - It is, an accident, he is, not clean, because he hath not been cleansed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said nothing that day, for he thought it might have happened to him, that he was not clean, nor purified.
Revised Standard Version
Yet Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, "Something has befallen him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, "It is an accident, he is not clean, surely he is not clean."

Contextual Overview

24 And David is hidden in the field, and it is the new moon, and the king sitteth down by the food to eat, 25 and the king sitteth on his seat, as time by time, on a seat by the wall, and Jonathan riseth, and Abner sitteth at the side of Saul, and David's place is looked after. 26 And Saul hath not spoken anything on that day, for he said, `It [is] an accident; he is not clean -- surely not clean.' 27 And it cometh to pass on the second morrow of the new moon, that David's place is looked after, and Saul saith unto Jonathan his son, `Wherefore hath the son of Jesse not come in, either yesterday or to-day, unto the food?' 28 And Jonathan answereth Saul, `David hath been earnestly asked of me unto Beth-Lehem, 29 and he saith, Send me away, I pray thee, for a family sacrifice we have in the city, and my brother himself hath given command to me, and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me go away, I pray thee, and see my brethren; therefore he hath not come unto the table of the king.' 30 And the anger of Saul burneth against Jonathan, and he saith to him, `Son of a perverse rebellious woman! have I not known that thou art fixing on the son of Jesse to thy shame, and to the shame of the nakedness of thy mother? 31 for all the days that the son of Jesse liveth on the ground thou art not established, thou and thy kingdom; and now, send and bring him unto me, for he [is] a son of death.' 32 And Jonathan answereth Saul his father, and saith unto him, `Why is he put to death? what hath he done?' 33 And Saul casteth the javelin at him to smite him, and Jonathan knoweth that it hath been determined by his father to put David to death.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he is not clean: Leviticus 7:21, Leviticus 11:24, Leviticus 11:27, Leviticus 11:31, Leviticus 11:40, Leviticus 15:5, Leviticus 15:16, Leviticus 15:17, Leviticus 15:19-21, Numbers 19:16

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:26 - went not out Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning Zephaniah 1:7 - bid

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless, Saul spake not anything that day,.... About David's absence, took no notice of it, said nothing about it:

for he thought something had befallen him; some impurity, some nocturnal pollution, see Leviticus 15:16;

he [is] not clean, surely he [is] not clean; which he repeated in his mind for the confirmation of it, and in contempt, and to the reproach of David; and in this way he accounted for his absence the first day, and so was easy, it not being lawful and fitting for an unclean person in a ceremonial sense to eat of the peace offerings, which Saul and his family were now partaking of.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He is not clean - The new moon being a religious feast, and the meat to be eaten being peace-offerings, no one could assist at the feast who had any ceremonial uncleanness upon him (marginal references).


 
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