1 Samuel 26 · Verse 13

1 Samuel 26:13

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
1 Samuel 26:13, King James Version

1 Samuel 26:13 in other translations

BSBThen David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them.
WEBThen David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain far away, a great space being between them;
ASVThen David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;
YLTAnd David passeth over to the other side, and standeth on the top of the hill afar off--great is the place between them;
DARBYAnd David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space being between them.
BBEThen David went over to the other side, and took his place on the top of a mountain some distance away, with a great space between them;
WebsterThen David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space being between them:

What does 1 Samuel 26:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 26:13-20
13-20. Then David ... stood on the top of an hill afar off ... and cried to the people--(See on Jud 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine. Hostile parties can thus speak to each other, while completely beyond the reach of each other's attack. It results from the peculiar features of the country in many of the mountain districts.

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 26:13-20
David reasoned seriously and affectionately with Saul. Those who forbid our attendance on God's ordinances, do what they can to estrange us from God, and to make us heathens. We are to reckon that which exposes us to sin the greatest injury that can be done us. If the Lord stirred thee up against me, either in displeasure to me, taking this way to punish me for my sins against him, or in displeasure to thee, if it be the effect of that evil spirit from the Lord which troubles thee; let Him accept an offering from us both. Let us join in seeking peace, and to be reconciled with God by sacrifice.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 26:13 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.

וַיַּעֲבֹ֤רvai.ya.'a.Vorand he passed overH5674
דָּוִד֙da.VidDavidH1732
הָעֵ֔בֶרha.'E.verthe other sideH5676
וַיַּעֲמֹ֥דvai.ya.'a.Modand he stoodH5975
עַל\־'al-onH5921
רֹאשׁ\־rosh-[the] top ofH7218
הָהָ֖רha.Harthe hillH2022
מֵֽרָחֹ֑קme.ra.Chokfrom a distanceH7350
רַ֥בravgreatH7227
הַמָּק֖וֹםha.ma.Kom<the> placeH4725
בֵּינֵיהֶֽם\׃bei.nei.Hem[was] between themH996

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 26:13

  • 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.

  • Judges 9:7

    And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the top.
24:8; Jud 9:7David, by retiring to a place of safety before he called to Abner, seems to have manifested more distrust of Saul than he had done on a former occasion. Yet he desired that Saul and all Israel should be informed of his conduct at this time. Abner and his soldiers, by neglecting to guard Saul when he slept, had exposed his life, and merited to be treated as his enemies, though he confided in them as friends; for, although their sound sleep was undoubtedly supernatural, yet there might be a neglect of placing sentinels, arising from contempt of David's small company. Saul also deemed David his enemy, though he had before spared and protected his life.

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 26:12

    So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

  • 1 Samuel 26:13

    Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

  • 1 Samuel 26:14

    And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

Read all of 1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y pasando David de la otra parte, púsose desviado en la cumbre del monte, habiendo grande distancia entre ellos;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David passa de l’autre côté, et se tint sur le sommet de la montagne, de loin: il y avait un grand espace entre eux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David ging hinüber nach der anderen Seite und stellte sich auf den Gipfel des Berges von ferne; der Raum zwischen ihnen war groß.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque transisset David ex adverso, et stetisset in vertice montis de longe, et esset grande intervallum inter eos,