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Saturday, September 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

1 Samuel 24:14

After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dog (Sodomite?);   Flea;   Humility;   Proverbs;   Self-Control;   Thompson Chain Reference - Humility;   Humility-Pride;   Insects;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dog, the;   Insects;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dogs;   Right-Hand;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dog;   Flea;   Providence;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Dog;   Flea;   Mephibosheth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Insects;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dog;   Flea;   Prayer;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Flea;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dog;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   Dog,;   Flea,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Flea;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Dog;   Flea;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dead;   Dog;   Flea;   Saul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - God;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?
Hebrew Names Version
After whom is the king of Yisra'el come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
King James Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Lexham English Bible
After whom did the king of Israel go out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After one flea?
English Standard Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
New Century Version
Whom is the king of Israel coming out against? Whom are you chasing? It's as if you are chasing a dead dog or a flea.
New English Translation
Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?
Amplified Bible
"After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue [with three thousand men]? A dead dog, a single flea?
New American Standard Bible
"After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?
Geneva Bible (1587)
After whom is the King of Israel come out? after whome doest thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flea?
Legacy Standard Bible
After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog, after a single flea?
Contemporary English Version
Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea.
Complete Jewish Bible
as the old saying has it, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness, but I will not lay a hand on you.'
Darby Translation
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.
Easy-to-Read Version
Who are you chasing? Did the king of Israel bring an army to chase a single flea or a dying dog?
George Lamsa Translation
After whom have you come out, O king of Israel? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea?
Good News Translation
Look at what the king of Israel is trying to kill! Look at what he is chasing! A dead dog, a flea!
Literal Translation
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After a flea?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whom persecutest thou O kynge of Israel, whom persecutest thou? a deed dogg? a flee?
American Standard Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
King James Version (1611)
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dogge, after a flea.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As the old proverb says, Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones: but my hand shall not be upon thee.
English Revised Version
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Berean Standard Bible
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle.
Young's Literal Translation
`After whom hath the king of Israel come out? after whom art thou pursuing? -- after a dead dog! after one flea!
Update Bible Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Webster's Bible Translation
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea?
World English Bible
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
New King James Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
New Living Translation
Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?
New Life Bible
After whom has the king come out? After whom are you running? After a dead dog? After a little bug?
New Revised Standard
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
After whom, hath the king of Israel come forth? After whom, art thou in pursuit? After a dead dog! after a single flea!
Douay-Rheims Bible
(24-15) After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.
Revised Standard Version
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
THE MESSAGE
"What does the king of Israel think he's doing? Who do you think you're chasing? A dead dog? A flea? God is our judge. He'll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now—and set me free of you!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?

Contextual Overview

9 And David said to Saul, Why do you give any attention to those who say that it is my desire to do you wrong? 10 Look! you have seen today how the Lord gave you up into my hands even now in the hollow of the rocks: and some would have had me put you to death, but I had pity on you: for I said, Never will my hand be lifted up against my lord, who has been marked with the holy oil. 11 And see, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for the fact that I took off the skirt of your robe and did not put you to death is witness that I have no evil purpose, and I have done you no wrong, though you are waiting for my life to take it. 12 May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord give me my rights against you, but my hand will never be lifted up against you. 13 There is an old saying, From the evil-doer comes evil: but my hand will never be lifted up against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect. 15 So let the Lord be judge, and give a decision between me and you, and see and give support to my cause, and keep me from falling into your hands.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: 2 Samuel 6:20, 1 Kings 21:7

a dead dog: 1 Samuel 17:43, 2 Samuel 3:8, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9

a flea: 1 Samuel 26:20, Judges 8:1-3

Reciprocal: Job 7:17 - magnify Job 13:25 - break Psalms 113:7 - needy Psalms 124:7 - Our soul Psalms 142:6 - for they Lamentations 4:18 - hunt Mark 14:48 - Are

Cross-References

Genesis 15:8
And he said, O Lord God, how may I be certain that it will be mine?
Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
Genesis 24:2
And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
Genesis 24:7
The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and made an oath to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land: he will send his angel before you and give you a wife for my son in that land.
Genesis 24:8
And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
Genesis 24:9
And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
Genesis 24:10
And the servant took ten of his master's camels, and all sorts of good things of his master's, and went to Mesopotamia, to the town of Nahor.
Genesis 24:11
And he made the camels take their rest outside the town by the water-spring in the evening, at the time when the women came to get water.
Genesis 24:13
See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get water:
Genesis 24:15
And even before his words were ended, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-vessel on her arm.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

After whom is the king of Israel come out?.... From his court and palace, with an army of men, and at the head of them:

after whom dost thou pursue? with such eagerness and fury:

after a dead dog; as David was in the opinion, and according to the representation of his enemies, a dog, vile, mean, worthless, of no account; a dead dog, whose name was made to stink through the calumnies cast upon him; and if a dead dog, then as he was an useless person, and could do no good, so neither could he do any hurt, not so much as bark, much less bite; and therefore it was unworthy of so great a prince, a lessening, a degrading of himself, as well as a vain and impertinent thing, to pursue after such an one, that was not worthy of his notice, and could do him neither good nor harm:

after a flea? a little contemptible animal, not easily caught, as it is observed by some, and when caught good for nothing. David, by this simile, fitly represents not only his weakness and impotence, his being worthless, and of no account, and beneath the notice of such a prince as Saul; but the circumstances he was in, being obliged to move from place to place, as a flea leaps from one place to another, and is not easily taken, and when it is, of no worth and value; signifying, that as it was not worth his pains to seek after him, so it would be to no purpose, he should not be able to take him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

After whom ... - i. e., was it consistent with the dignity of the king of Israel to lead armies in pursuit of a weak and helpless individual like David?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 24:14. After a dead dog — A term used among the Hebrews to signify the most sovereign contempt; see 2 Samuel 16:9. One utterly incapable of making the least resistance against Saul, and the troops of Israel. The same idea is expressed in the term flea. The Targum properly expresses both thus: one who is weak, one who is contemptible.


 
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