1 Samuel 27 · Verse 11

1 Samuel 27:11

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 27:11, King James Version

1 Samuel 27:11 in other translations

BSBDavid did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
WEBDavid saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”
ASVAnd David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
YLTNeither man nor woman doth David keep alive, to bring in word to Gath, saying, ‘Lest they declare it against us, saying, Thus hath David done, and thus is his custom all the days that he hath dwelt in the fields of the Philistines.'
DARBYAnd David left neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, for he said, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David. And such was his custom as long as he abode in the country of the Philistines.
BBENot one living man or woman did David ever take back with him to Gath, fearing that they might give an account of what had taken place, and say, This is what David did, and so has he been doing all the time while he has been living in the land of the Philistines.
WebsterAnd David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should inform against us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

What does 1 Samuel 27:11 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 27:8-12

While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun public notice, but we must in no situation be idle. We must always try to do somewhat in the cause of God. This expedition David hid from Achish. But an equivocation which serves the purpose of a lie, is as like to it as a…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 27:8-12 →

1 Samuel 27:11 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.

וְאִ֨ישׁve.'Ishand a manH376
וְאִשָּׁ֜הve.'i.Shahand a womanH802
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יְחַיֶּ֣הye.chai.Yehhe let liveH2421
דָוִ֗דda.VidDavidH1732
לְהָבִ֥יאle.ha.Vi'to bringH935
גַת֙gatGathH1661
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
פֶּן\־pen-lestH6435
יַגִּ֥דוּya.Gi.duthey should tellH5046
עָלֵ֖ינוּ'a.Lei.nuon usH5921
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
כֹּֽה\־koh-thusH3541
עָשָׂ֤ה'a.Sahhe has doneH6213
דָוִד֙da.VidDavidH1732
וְכֹ֣הve.Khohand [is] thusH3541
מִשְׁפָּט֔וֹmish.pa.Topractice hisH4941
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַ֨יָּמִ֔יםhai.ya.Mimthe daysH3117
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
יָשַׁ֖בya.Shavhe has dweltH3427
בִּשְׂדֵ֥הbis.Dehin [the] region ofH7704
פְלִשְׁתִּֽים\׃fe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 27:11

  • Proverbs 29:25

    The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

  • Proverbs 12:19

    The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

  • 1 Samuel 22:22

    And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lest.
22:22; Pr 12:19; 29:25

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 27:10

    And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

  • 1 Samuel 27:11

    And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

  • 1 Samuel 27:12

    And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

Read all of 1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 27:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Ni hombre ni mujer dejaba á vida David, que viniese á Gath; diciendo: Porque no den aviso de nosotros, diciendo, Esto hizo David. Y esta era su costumbre todo el tiempo que moró en tierra de los Filisteos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David ne laissait vivre ni homme ni femme pour les ramener à Gath, de peur, disait-il, qu’ils ne rapportent quelque chose contre nous, disant: Ainsi a fait David. Et telle fut sa coutume pendant tous les jours qu’il habita la campagne des Philistins.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und David ließ weder Mann noch Weib am Leben, um sie nach Gath zu bringen, indem er sagte: Daß sie nicht über uns berichten und sprechen: So hat David getan. Und so war seine Weise alle die Tage, die er im Gefilde der Philister wohnte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Virum et mulierem non vivificabat David, nec adducebat in Geth, dicens: Ne forte loquantur adversum nos: Hæc fecit David: et hoc erat decretum illi omnibus diebus quibus habitavit in regione Philisthinorum.