1 Samuel 24 · Verse 2

1 Samuel 24:2

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

1 Samuel 24:2, King James Version

1 Samuel 24:2 in other translations

BSB	So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
WEB	Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
ASV	Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
YLT	And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,
DARBY	And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
BBE	Then Saul took three thousand of the best men out of all Israel, and went in search of David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
Webster	Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

What does 1 Samuel 24:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

1Sa 24:1-7. David in a Cave at Engedi Cuts Off Saul's Skirt, but Spares His Life. 2. Saul ... went ... to seek David ... upon the rocks of the wild goats--Nothing but the blind infatuation of fiendish rage could have led the king to pursue his outlawed son-in-law among those craggy and perpendicular precipices, where were inaccessible hiding places. The large force he took with him seemed to give him every prospect of success. But the overruling providence of God frustrated all his vigilance.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Rocks of the wild goats - The original (צורי היעלים tsurey haiyeelim) is variously understood. The Vulgate makes a paraphrase: Super abruptissimas petras quae solis ibicibus perviae sunt; "On the most precipitous rocks over which the ibexes alone can travel." The Targum: the caverns of the rocks. The Septuagint make the original a proper name; for out of צרוי היעלים tsurey haiyeelim, they make Σαδδαιεμ Saddaiem, and in some copies Αειαμειν Aeiamein, which are evidently corruptions of the Hebrew.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 24:1-7

God delivered Saul into David's hand. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. He had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the king. He reasons strongly, both with himself and with his men, against doing Saul any hurt. Sin is a thing which it becomes us to startle at, and to resist temptations thereto. He not only would not do this bad thing himself, but he would not suffer…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 24:1-7 →

1 Samuel 24:2 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.

וַיִּקַּ֣חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947

שָׁא֗וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586

שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁתshe.Lo.shetthreeH7969

אֲלָפִ֛ים'a.la.Fimthousand<s>H505

אִ֥ישׁ'ishmanH376

בָּח֖וּרba.ChurchosenH977

מִכָּל\־mi.kolfrom allH3605

יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

וַיֵּ֗לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980

לְבַקֵּ֤שׁle.va.Keshto seekH1245

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

דָּוִד֙da.VidDavidH1732

וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֔יוva.'a.na.Shavand men hisH582

עַל\־'al-onH5921

פְּנֵ֖יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440

צוּרֵ֥יtzu.Rei[the] rocks ofH6697

הַיְּעֵלִֽים\׃hai.ye.'e.Limthe mountain goatsH3277

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 24:2

1 Samuel 26:2
Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
Psalms 141:6
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Psalms 104:18
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
1 Samuel 13:2
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth–el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
Psalms 38:12
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
Psalms 37:32
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Saul took.
13:2
and went.
Ps 37:32; 38:12
the rocks.
Ps 104:18; 141:6

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

Context

1 Samuel 24:1
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En–gedi.
1 Samuel 24:2
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
1 Samuel 24:3
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

Read all of 1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y como Saúl volvió de los Filisteos, diéronle aviso diciendo: He aquí que David está en el desierto de Engaddi.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il arriva que, quand Saül fut revenu de la poursuite des Philistins, on lui rapporta, en disant: Voici, David est au désert d’En-Guédi.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und es geschah, als Saul von der Verfolgung der Philister zurückgekehrt war, da berichtete man ihm und sprach: Siehe, David ist in der Wüste Engedi.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cumque reversus esset Saul, postquam persecutus est Philisthæos, nuntiaverunt ei, dicentes: Ecce David in deserto est Engaddi.