KJV King James Version
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
1 Samuel 21:13
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
WEB World English Bible
He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
ASV American Standard Version
And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard.
Surrounding context — 1 Samuel 21
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, [Is] not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house?
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיְשַׁנּ֤וֹH8138 · sha.nahto changeאֶת־H853 · et[Obj.]טַעְמוֹ֙H2940 · ta.amtasteבְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔םH5869 · a.yineyeוַיִּתְהֹלֵ֖לH1984 · ha.lalto shineבְּיָדָ֑םH3027 · yadhandוַיְתָיו֙H8427 · ta.vahto markעַל־H5921 · aluponדַּלְת֣וֹתH1817 · daldoorהַשַּׁ֔עַרH8179 · sha.argateוַיּ֥וֹרֶדH3381 · ya.radto go downרִיר֖וֹH7388 · rirspittleאֶל־H413 · elto(wards)זְקָנֽוֹ׃H2206 · za.qanbeard
Cross-references
Proverbs 29:25The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.Ecclesiastes 7:7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.Psalm 34:1-22[A Psalm] of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:13
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →