1 Samuel 26 · Verse 16

1 Samuel 26:16

This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
1 Samuel 26:16, King James Version

1 Samuel 26:16 in other translations

BSBThis thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
WEBThis thing isn’t good that you have done. As the LORD lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”
ASVThis thing is not good that thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.
YLTNot good is this thing which thou hast done; Jehovah liveth, but ye are sons of death, in that ye have not watched over your lord, over the anointed of Jehovah; and now, see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water which is at his bolster.'
DARBYThis thing is not good which thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not guarded your master, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.
BBEWhat you have done is not good. By the living Lord, death is the right fate for you, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil. Now see, where is the king's spear, and the vessel of water which was by his head?
WebsterThis thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

What does 1 Samuel 26:16 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…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 26:13-20 →

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…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 26:13-20 →

1 Samuel 26:16 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.

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
ט֞וֹבTov[is] goodH2896
הַדָּבָ֣רha.da.Varthe thingH1697
הַזֶּה֮ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
עָשִׂיתָ֒'a.si.Tayou have doneH6213
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehof YahwehH3068
כִּ֤יkiforH3588
בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[are] sons ofH1121
מָ֙וֶת֙ma.vetdeathH4194
אַתֶּ֔ם'a.TemyouH859
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherwhoH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛םshe.mar.Temyou watchedH8104
עַל\־'al-overH5921
אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֖ם'a.do.nei.Khemmaster<s> yourH113
עַל\־'al-overH5921
מְשִׁ֣יחַme.Shi.ach[the] [one] anointed ofH4899
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְעַתָּ֣ה\׀ve.'a.Tahand nowH6258
רְאֵ֗הre.'EhseeH7200
אֵֽי\־'ei-where?H335
חֲנִ֥יתcha.Nit[is] [the] spear ofH2595
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
צַפַּ֥חַתtza.Pa.chat[the] jug ofH6835
הַמַּ֖יִםha.Ma.yim<the> waterH4325
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
מְרַאֲשֹׁתָֽיו\׃me.ra.'a.sho.tov[was the] place of head hisH4763

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 26:16

  • 1 Samuel 26:11

    The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

  • 2 Samuel 12:5

    And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

  • 2 Samuel 19:28

    For all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

  • 1 Samuel 26:9

    And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?

  • Ephesians 2:3

    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

  • 1 Samuel 20:31

    For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

  • Psalms 79:11

    Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

  • Psalms 102:20

    To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

  • 1 Samuel 24:6

    And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
worthy to die. Heb. the sons of death.
20:31; 2Sa 12:5; 19:28; Ps 79:11; 102:20; *margins
Eph 2:3
Lord's.
9,11; 24:6

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 26:15

    And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

  • 1 Samuel 26:16

    This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

  • 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.

Read all of 1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Esto que has hecho, no está bien. Vive Jehová, que sois dignos de muerte, que no habéis guardado á vuestro señor, al ungido de Jehová. Mira pues ahora dónde está la lanza del rey, y la botija del agua que estaba á su cabecera.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ce que tu as fait là n’est pas bien. L’ Éternel est vivant, que vous êtes dignes de mort, vous qui n’avez pas gardé votre seigneur, l’oint de l’ Éternel! Et maintenant, regarde où est la lance du roi, et la cruche à eau qui était à son chevet.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Nicht gut ist diese Sache, die du getan hast. So wahr Jehova lebt, ihr seid Kinder des Todes, weil ihr nicht gewacht habt über euren Herrn, über den Gesalbten Jehovas! Und nun sieh nach, wo der Speer des Königs ist und der Wasserkrug, die zu seinen Häupten waren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non est bonum hoc, quod fecisti: vivit Dominus, quoniam filii mortis estis vos, qui non custodistis dominum vestrum, christum Domini: nunc ergo vide ubi sit hasta regis, et ubi sit scyphus aquæ qui erat ad caput ejus.