1 Samuel 21 · Verse 2

1 Samuel 21:2

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
1 Samuel 21:2, King James Version

1 Samuel 21:2 in other translations

BSB“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
WEBDavid said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’
ASVAnd David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.
YLTAnd David saith to Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king hath commanded me a matter, and he saith unto me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending thee, and which I have commanded thee; and the young men I have caused to know at such and such a place;
DARBYAnd David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business whereon I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I have directed the young men to such and such a place.
BBEAnd David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has given me orders and has said to me, Say nothing to anyone about the business on which I am sending you and the orders I have given you: and a certain place has been fixed to which the young men are to go.
WebsterAnd David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

What does 1 Samuel 21:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know--This was a direct falsehood, extorted through fear. David probably supposed, like many other persons, that a lie is quite excusable which is told for the sole purpose of saving the speaker's life. But what is essentially sinful, can never, from circumstances, change its immoral character; and David had to repent of this vice of lying (Psa 119:29).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 The king hath commanded me a business - All said here is an untruth, and could not be dictated by the Spirit of the Lord; but there is no reason to believe that David was under the influence of Divine inspiration at this time. It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie, in order to save life. Thus Diphilus: - Ὑπολαμβανω το ψευδος επι σωτηριᾳ Λεγομενον, ουδεν περιποιεισθαι δυσχερες. "I hold it right to tell a lie, in order to procure my personal safety; nothing should be avoided in order to save life." A heathen may say or sing thus; but no Christian can act thus, and save his soul, though he by doing so may save his life.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 21:1-9

David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfort in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may open our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David told Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scripture does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, and proved of bad consequence; for it occasioned the death of the priests…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 21:1-9 →

1 Samuel 21:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
דָּוִ֜דda.VidDavidH1732
לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְla.'a.chi.Me.lekhto AhimelechH288
הַכֹּהֵ֗ןha.ko.Henthe priestH3548
הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ha.me.leKhthe kingH4428
צִוַּ֣נִיtzi.Va.nihe commanded meH6680
דָבָר֒da.Vara matterH1697
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֵלַ֗י'e.Laito meH413
אִ֣ישׁ'ishanyoneH376
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יֵ֧דַעYe.da'he knowH3045
מְא֛וּמָהme.'U.mahanythingH3972
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַדָּבָ֛רha.da.Varthe matterH1697
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
אָנֹכִ֥י'a.no.KhiIH595
שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖sho.le.cha.Kha[am] sending youH7971
וַאֲשֶׁ֣רva.'a.Sherand whichH834
צִוִּיתִ֑ךָtzi.vi.Ti.khaI have commanded youH6680
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַנְּעָרִ֣יםha.ne.'a.Rimthe young menH5288
יוֹדַ֔עְתִּיyo.Da'.tiI have directedH3045
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מְק֥וֹםme.Koma place ofH4725
פְּלֹנִ֖יpe.lo.Nia certain oneH6423
אַלְמוֹנִֽי\׃'al.mo.Nia certain oneH492

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 21:2

  • Colossians 3:9

    Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

  • Galatians 2:12

    For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

  • 1 Samuel 22:22

    And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.

  • 1 Samuel 19:17

    And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

  • 1 Kings 13:18

    He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

  • Genesis 27:20

    And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

  • Genesis 27:24

    And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The king.The whole of this is a gross falsehood; and which was attended with the most fatal consequences. It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie in order to save life. Thus Diphilon [Hypo lambano to pseudas epi sotevea legomenon, ouden peripoieisthai duscheres.] "I hold it right to tell a lie for safety: nothing should be avoided to save life." A heathen may say or sing thus: but no Christian can act thus and save his soul, though he may save his life.
19:17; 22:22; Ge 27:20,24; 1Ki 13:18; Ps 119:29; Ga 2:12; Col 3:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 21:1

    Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

  • 1 Samuel 21:2

    And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

  • 1 Samuel 21:3

    Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondió David al sacerdote Ahimelech: El rey me encomendó un negocio, y me dijo: Nadie sepa cosa alguna de este negocio á que yo te envío, y que yo te he mandado; y yo señalé á los criados un cierto lugar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et David vint à Nob, auprès d’Akhimélec, le sacrificateur; et Akhimélec trembla en rencontrant David, et lui dit: Pourquoi es-tu seul et n’y a-t-il personne avec toi?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David sprach zu dem Priester Ahimelech: Der König hat mir eine Sache geboten; und er sprach zu mir: Niemand soll irgendwie um die Sache wissen, in der ich dich sende und die ich dir geboten habe! und die Knaben habe ich an den und den Ort beschieden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ait David ad Achimelech sacerdotem: Rex præcepit mihi sermonem, et dixit: Nemo sciat rem propter quam missus es a me, et cujusmodi præcepta tibi dederim: nam et pueris condixi in illum et illum locum.