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Friday, June 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Bible in Basic English

1 Samuel 29:8

And David said to Achish, But what have I done? what have you seen in your servant while I have been with you till this day, that I may not go and take up arms against those who are now making war on my lord the king?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Integrity;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Achish;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Disallow;   Esdraelon;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Achish;   Jezreel (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“But what have I done?” David replied to Achish. “From the first day I entered your service until today, what have you found against your servant to keep me from going to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
Hebrew Names Version
David said to Akhish, But what have I done? and what have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
King James Version
And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Lexham English Bible
Then David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I entered your service until this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
English Standard Version
And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
New Century Version
David asked, "What wrong have I done? What evil have you found in me from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go fight your enemies, my lord and king?"
New English Translation
But David said to Achish, "What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"
Amplified Bible
David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day when I [first] came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
New American Standard Bible
However, David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant since the day that I came before you, to this day, that I cannot go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou founde in thy seruant as long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe and fight against the enemies of my lorde the King?
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
Contemporary English Version
"But what have I done?" David asked. "Do you know of anything I've ever done that would keep me from fighting the enemies of my king?"
Complete Jewish Bible
David said to Akhish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant during the time I've been with you that disqualifies me from going and fighting against the enemies of my lord the king?"
Darby Translation
And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee to this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Easy-to-Read Version
David asked, "What have I done wrong? Have you found anything wrong with me since the day I came to you? So why won't you let me go to fight the enemies of my lord the king?"
George Lamsa Translation
And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I have come to you until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Good News Translation
David answered, "What have I done wrong, sir? If, as you say, you haven't found any fault in me since the day I started serving you, why shouldn't I go with you, my master and king, and fight your enemies?"
Literal Translation
And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I have been in your presence until today, that I may not go in and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde: What haue I done, & what hast thou marked in thy seruaunt, sence ye tyme that I haue bene in yi presence vnto this daye, that I shulde not come and fighte agaynst the enemies of my lorde the kynge?
American Standard Version
And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: And what haue I done? what hast thou founde in thy seruaunt as long as I haue ben with thee vnto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lorde the king?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said unto Achish: 'But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou found in thy seruant so long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Anchus, What have I done to thee? and what hast thou found in thy servant from the first day that I was before thee even until this day, that I should not come and war against the enemies of the lord my king?
English Revised Version
And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Berean Standard Bible
"But what have I done?" David replied. "What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide to Achis, Forsothe what `dide Y, and what hast thou founde in me thi seruaunt, fro the dai in which Y was in thi siyt til in to this dai, that Y come not, and fiyte ayens the enemyes of my lord the kyng?
Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Achish, `But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant from the day that I have been before thee till this day -- that I go not in and have fought against the enemies of my lord the king?'
Update Bible Version
And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what have you found in your slave so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant, so long as I have been with thee to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king.
World English Bible
David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
New King James Version
So David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
New Living Translation
"What have I done to deserve this treatment?" David demanded. "What have you ever found in your servant, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"
New Life Bible
David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came to you until now, that I may not go and fight against those who hate my lord the king?"
New Revised Standard
David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said David unto Achish - But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant, from the day that I came before thee, unto this day, - that I may not go in and fight, with the enemies of my lord the king.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Achis: But what have I done, or what hast thou found in me thy servant, from the day that I have been in thy sight until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
Revised Standard Version
And David said to A'chish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
THE MESSAGE
"But what have I done?" said David. "Have you had a single cause for complaint from the day I joined up with you until now? Why can't I fight against the enemies of my master the king?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

Contextual Overview

6 Then Achish sent for David and said to him, By the living Lord, you are upright, and everything you have done with me in the army has been pleasing to me: I have seen no evil in you from the day when you came to me till now: but still, the lords are not pleased with you. 7 So now go back, and go in peace, so that you do not make the lords of the Philistines angry. 8 And David said to Achish, But what have I done? what have you seen in your servant while I have been with you till this day, that I may not go and take up arms against those who are now making war on my lord the king? 9 And Achish in answer said, It is true that in my eyes you are good, like an angel of God: but still, the rulers of the Philistines have said, He is not to go up with us to the fight. 10 So get up early in the morning, with the servants of your lord who are with you, and go to the place I have given you, and have no evil design in your heart, for you are good in my eyes; but when there is light enough in the morning, go away. 11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

But what have: 1 Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 17:29, 1 Samuel 20:8, 1 Samuel 26:18

with: Heb. before

that I may not: 1 Samuel 28:2, 2 Samuel 16:18, 2 Samuel 16:19, Psalms 34:13, Psalms 34:14, Matthew 6:13

Cross-References

Genesis 29:3
And all the flocks would come together there, and when the stone had been rolled away, they would give the sheep water, and put the stone back again in its place on the mouth of the water-hole.
Genesis 34:14
And they said, It is not possible for us to give our sister to one who is without circumcision, for that would be a cause of shame to us:
Genesis 43:32
And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.
Mark 16:3
And they were saying among themselves, Who will get the stone rolled away from the door for us?
Luke 24:2
And they saw that the stone had been rolled away.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said unto Achish, what have I done?.... This question is anticipated by the speech of Achish, who had declared he had found no evil in him; but David must say something to put on an appearance of concern for being dismissed, when he was heartily glad of it:

and what hast thou found in thy servant, so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? which cannot be excused of great dissimulation, since nothing was more foreign from his heart, and against his will, than fighting against the Israelites, and which he determined to avoid if possible; and glad at heart he was to be thus excused, and freed from the straits and difficulties he was involved in; but that the Philistines might have no cause of suspicion of him, and that he was warmly attached to their interest among whom he was still to continue, he put on these airs. Abarbinel is of opinion that the lords of the Philistines were only afraid of David, but not of his men, and therefore were not solicitous about their going, but his, which gave David a concern; and since he was particularly singled out, he desired to know what special evil had been found in him; but when he understood, by the following answer of Achish, that his servants were to go with him, he was content, and said no more; but the princes asked, "what do these Hebrews here?" 1 Samuel 29:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See 1 Samuel 29:10 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 29:8. David said - what have I done? — Dr. Chandler and others may say what they will to make David act a consistent part in this business; but it is most evident, whatever his intentions might be as to the part he was to take in the approaching battle, he did intend to persuade Achish that he would fight against Israel; and affects to feel his reputation injured by not being permitted on this occasion to show his fidelity to the king of Gath.

It was in the order of God's gracious providence that the Philistine lords refused to let David go with them to this battle. Had he gone, he had his choice of two sins - First, If he had fought for the Philistines, he would have fought against God and his country. Secondly If he had in the battle gone over to the Israelites, he would have deceived and become a traitor to the hospitable Achish. God, therefore, so ordered it in his mercy that he was not permitted to go to a battle in which he was sure to be disgraced, whatever side he took, or with what success soever he might be crowned.


 
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