1 Samuel 22 · Verse 6

1 Samuel 22:6

When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
1 Samuel 22:6, King James Version

1 Samuel 22:6 in other translations

BSBSoon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in hand and all his servants standing around him.
WEBSaul heard that David was discovered, with the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.
ASVAnd Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him: now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
YLTAnd Saul heareth that David hath become known, and the men who are with him, and Saul is abiding in Gibeah, under the grove in Ramah, and his spear is in his hand, and all his servants standing by him.
DARBYAnd Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk upon the height, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing by him.
BBEAnd news was given to Saul that David had been seen, and the men who were with him: now Saul was in Gibeah, seated under the tree in the high place, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were in their places before him.
WebsterWhen Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

What does 1 Samuel 22:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. Saul abode ... under a tree in Ramah--literally, "under a grove on a hill." Oriental princes frequently sit with their court under some shady canopy in the open air. A spear was the early scepter.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Saul abode in Gibeah - Saul and his men were in pursuit of David, and had here, as is the general custom in the East, encamped on a height, for so Ramah should be translated, as in the margin. His spear, the ensign of power (see on 1Sam 18:11 (note)), was at hand, that is stuck in the ground where he rested, which was the mark to the soldiers that there was their general's tent. And all his servants were standing about him - That is, they were encamped around him, or perhaps here there is a reference to a sort of council of war called by Saul for the purpose of delivering the speech recorded in the following verses.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 22:6-19
See the nature of jealous malice and its pitiful arts. Saul looks upon all about him as his enemies, because they do not just say as he says. In Ahimelech's answer to Saul we have the language of conscious innocence. But what wickedness will not the evil spirit hurry men to when he gets the dominion! Saul alleges that which was utterly false and unproved. But the most bloody tyrants have found instruments of their cruelty as barbarous as themselves. Doeg, having murdered the priests, went to the city, Nob, and put all to the sword there. Nothing so vile but those may do it, who have provoked God to give them up to their hearts' lusts. Yet this was the accomplishment of the threatenings against the house of Eli. Though Saul was unrighteous in doing this, yet God was righteous in permitting it. No word of God shall fall to the ground.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 22:6 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.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עvai.yish.Ma'and he heardH8085
שָׁא֔וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
כִּ֚יkithatH3588
נוֹדַ֣עno.Da'he was knownH3045
דָּוִ֔דda.VidDavidH1732
וַאֲנָשִׁ֖יםva.'a.na.Shimand [the] menH582
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhoH834
אִתּ֑וֹ'i.To[were] with himH854
וְשָׁאוּל֩ve.sha.'Uland SaulH7586
יוֹשֵׁ֨בyo.Shev[was] sittingH3427
בַּגִּבְעָ֜הba.giv.'Ahat <the> GibeahH1390
תַּֽחַת\־ta.chat-underH8478
הָאֶ֤שֶׁלha.'E.shelthe tamarisk treeH815
בָּֽרָמָה֙ba.ra.Mahat the high placeH7413
וַחֲנִית֣וֹva.cha.ni.Toand spear hisH2595
בְיָד֔וֹve.ya.Do[was] in hand hisH3027
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
עֲבָדָ֖יו'a.va.Davservants hisH5650
נִצָּבִ֥יםni.tza.Vim[were] standingH5324
עָלָֽיו\׃'a.Lavwith himH5921

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 22:6

  • Judges 4:5

    And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth–el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

  • Genesis 21:33

    And Abraham planted a grove in Beer–sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

  • 1 Samuel 19:9

    And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

  • 1 Samuel 18:10

    And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

  • 1 Samuel 20:33

    And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
tree. or, grove in a high place. spear.
18:10; 19:9; 20:33

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 22:5

    And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

  • 1 Samuel 22:6

    When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

  • 1 Samuel 22:7

    Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

Read all of 1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y oyó Saúl como había parecido David, y los que estaban con él. Estaba entonces Saúl en Gabaa debajo de un árbol en Rama, y tenía su lanza en su mano, y todos sus criados estaban en derredor de él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Saül entendit que David et les hommes qui étaient avec lui s’étaient montrés. Et Saül était assis à Guibha sous un tamaris, sur la hauteur, sa lance à la main, et tous ses serviteurs se tenaient auprès de lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als Saul hörte, daß David und die Männer, die bei ihm waren, entdeckt worden seien, -Saul aber saß zu Gibea, unter der Tamariske auf der Anhöhe, mit seinem Speer in der Hand, und alle seine Knechte standen bei ihm, -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et audivit Saul quod apparuisset David, et viri qui erant cum eo. Saul autem cum maneret in Gabaa, et esset in nemore quod est in Rama, hastam manu tenens, cunctique servi ejus circumstarent eum,