1 Samuel 24 · Verse 8

1 Samuel 24:8

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
1 Samuel 24:8, King James Version

1 Samuel 24:8 in other translations

BSBAfter that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
WEBDavid also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
ASVDavid also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
YLTand David riseth afterwards, and goeth out from the cave, and calleth after Saul, saying, ‘My lord, O king!' And Saul looketh attentively behind him, and David boweth--face to the earth--and doth obeisance.
DARBYDavid also arose afterwards, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
BBEAnd after that David came out of the hollow rock, and crying after Saul said, My lord the king. And when Saul gave a look back, David went down on his face and gave him honour.
WebsterDavid also rose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

What does 1 Samuel 24:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 24:8-15
8-15. David also arose ... and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul--The closeness of the precipitous cliffs, though divided by deep wadies, and the transparent purity of the air enable a person standing on one rock to hear distinctly the words uttered by a speaker standing on another (Jud 9:7). The expostulation of David, followed by the visible tokens he furnished of his cherishing no evil design against either the person or the government of the king, even when he had the monarch in his power, smote the heart of Saul in a moment and disarmed him of his fell purpose of revenge. He owned the justice of what David said, acknowledged his own guilt, and begged kindness to his house. He seems to have been naturally susceptible of strong, and, as in this instance, of good and grateful impressions. The improvement of his temper, indeed, was but transient--his language that of a man overwhelmed by the force of impetuous emotions and constrained to admire the conduct, and esteem the character, of one whom he hated and dreaded. But God overruled it for ensuring the present escape of David. Consider his language and behavior. This language--"a dead dog," "a flea," terms by which, like Eastern people, he strongly expressed a sense of his lowliness and the entire committal of his cause to Him who alone is the judge of human actions, and to whom vengeance belongs, his steady repulse of the vindictive counsels of his followers; the relentings of heart which he felt even for the apparent indignity he had done to the person of the Lord's anointed; and the respectful homage he paid the jealous tyrant who had set a price on his head--evince the magnanimity of a great and good man, and strikingly illustrate the spirit and energy of his prayer "when he was in the cave" (Psa 142:1).

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 24:8-15
David was falsely charged with seeking Saul's hurt; he shows Saul that God's providence had given him opportunity to do it. And it was upon a good principle that he refused to do it. He declares his fixed resolution never to be his own avenger. If men wrong us, God will right us, at farthest, in the judgment of the great day.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 24:8 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.

וַיָּ֨קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
דָּוִ֜דda.VidDavidH1732
אַחֲרֵי\־'a.cha.rei-afterH310
כֵ֗ןKhenthusH3651
וַיֵּצֵא֙vai.ye.Tze'and he went outH3318
[ ][ ]
מֵֽהַמְּעָרָ֔הme.ha.me.'a.rahfrom the caveH4631
וַיִּקְרָ֧אvai.yik.Ra'and he called outH7121
אַֽחֲרֵי\־'a.cha.rei-afterH310
שָׁא֛וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
לֵאמֹ֖רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
אֲדֹנִ֣י'a.do.NiO lord myH113
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וַיַּבֵּ֤טvai.ya.Betand he lookedH5027
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
אַֽחֲרָ֔יו'a.cha.Ravbehind himH310
וַיִּקֹּ֨דvai.yi.Kodand he bowed lowH6915
דָּוִ֥דda.VidDavidH1732
אַפַּ֛יִם'a.Pa.yimfaceH639
אַ֖רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] ground towardsH776
וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ\׃\ \סvai.yish.Ta.chuand he bowed downH7812

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 24:8

  • 1 Samuel 25:23-24

    And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

  • 1 Samuel 26:17

    And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

  • Romans 13:7

    Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

  • 1 Samuel 20:41

    And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

  • Genesis 17:3

    And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

  • Exodus 20:12

    Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

  • 1 Peter 2:17

    Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
My lord.
26:17
David stooped.
20:41; 25:23,24; Ge 17:3; Ex 20:12; Ro 13:7; 1Pe 2:17

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 24:7

    So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

  • 1 Samuel 24:8

    David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

  • 1 Samuel 24:9

    And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

Read all of 1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así quebrantó David á los suyos con palabras, y no les permitió que se levantasen contra Saúl. Y Saúl, saliendo de la cueva, fuése su camino.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David retint ses hommes par ses paroles, et ne leur permit pas de s’élever contre Saül. Et Saül se leva de la caverne, et alla son chemin.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David wehrte seinen Männern mit diesen Worten und ließ ihnen nicht zu, sich wider Saul zu erheben. Und Saul stand auf aus der Höhle und zog seines Weges.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et confregit David viros suos sermonibus, et non permisit eos ut consurgerent in Saul: porro Saul exsurgens de spelunca, pergebat cœpto itinere.