Lectionary Calendar
Friday, September 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

1 Samuel 19:16

And when the messengers were come in, behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillowe of goates heere vnder the head of it.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Falsehood;   Jealousy;   Michal;   Pillow;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Teraphim;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Michal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bed;   Bolster;   Cattle;   David;   Michal;   Teraphim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bolster;   Michal;   Pillow;   Quilt;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ancestor-Worship;   Bolster;   God;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Ten Commandments;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Michal ;   Teraphim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Teraphim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mi'chal;   Teraphim;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bolster;   Goats' Hair;   God;   Images;   Michal;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anthropomorphism;   Teraphim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.
Hebrew Names Version
When the messengers came in, behold, the terafim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
King James Version
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
Lexham English Bible
When the messengers came, to their surprise the idol was on the bed with the quilt of goat's hair at the head.
English Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New Century Version
When the messengers entered David's house, they found just an idol on the bed with goats' hair on its head.
New English Translation
When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat's hair at its head.
Amplified Bible
When the messengers came in, there was the household idol on the bed with a quilt of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it.
Legacy Standard Bible
The messengers came, and behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.
Contemporary English Version
When the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.
Complete Jewish Bible
But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.
Darby Translation
And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed, and the net of goats' [hair] at its head.
Easy-to-Read Version
The messengers went to David's house. They went inside to get him, but they saw it was only a statue and that its hair was only goats' hair.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the messengers came in, behold, there was an idol in the bed, with a pillow of goats skin at its head.
Good News Translation
They went inside and found the household idol in the bed and the goats' hair pillow at its head.
Literal Translation
And the messengers came in. And, behold, the image was on the bed, and the quilt of goat's hair was at his head-place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the messaungers came, beholde, the ymage laye in the bed, and a goates ßkynne at the heade of it.
American Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof.
Bible in Basic English
And when the men came in, there was the image in the bed, with the cushion of goat's hair at its head
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the quilt of goats' hair at the head thereof.
King James Version (1611)
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goates haire for his bolster.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat’s liver at his head.
English Revised Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ [hair] at the head thereof.
Berean Standard Bible
And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the quilt of goats' hair on its head.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof.
Young's Literal Translation
And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim [are] on the bed, and the mattress of goats' [hair], [for] his pillows.
Update Bible Version
And when the messengers came in, look, the talismans were in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at his head.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the messengers had come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goat's [hair] for his bolster.
World English Bible
When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.
New King James Version
And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats' hair for his head.
New Living Translation
But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head.
New Life Bible
When the men came in, the house god was on the bed, with the goat hair pillow at its head.
New Revised Standard
When the messengers came in, the idol was in the bed, with the covering of goats' hair on its head.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the messengers entered, lo! the household god in the bed, - with a fly-net of goats-hair at its head.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat skin at his head.
Revised Standard Version
And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats' hair at its head.

Contextual Overview

11 Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: And Michol Dauids wyfe tolde it him, saying: If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne. 12 And so Michol let Dauid downe through a windowe: and he went and fled, and was saued. 13 And Michol toke an image, and layde it in the bed, & put a pillowe stuffed with goates heere vnder the head of it, and couered it with a cloth. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to fetche Dauid, she said, he is sicke. 15 And Saul sent the messengers againe to see Dauid, saying: Bring him to me bed and all, that I may slay him. 16 And when the messengers were come in, behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillowe of goates heere vnder the head of it. 17 And Saul sayde vnto Michol: Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemie, that he is escaped? Michol aunswered Saul: For he sayd vnto me, let me go, or els I will kill thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And when: It is highly probable that David, when supposed to be sick, was thought to be hid in the harem or chamber of Michal. "The harems," says Deut. Lam. Motraye, "are sanctuaries, as sacred and inviolable, for persons pursed by justice for any crime, debt, etc., as the Roman Catholic churches in Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc." Thus we find, that to effect his purpose, Saul sent messengers to Michal, but they treated her harem with too much respect to enter it at first; but being authorised by Saul, they entered even into her chamber; and during the delay occasioned by respect for the privacy of Michal, David escaped. 1 Samuel 19:16

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 18:24 - into an inner chamber Psalms 59:8 - Thou

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
And before they went to rest, the men of the citie [euen] the men of Sodome compassed the house rounde about, both olde and young, all people fro [all] quarters.
Genesis 19:5
And they callyng vnto Lot, sayde vnto hym: Where are the men whiche came in to thee this nyght? bryng them out vnto vs, that we may knowe them.
Genesis 19:8
Behold, I haue two daughters whiche haue knowen no man, them wyll I bryng out nowe vnto you, and do with them as it [seemeth] good in your eyes: only vnto these men do nothyng, for therefore came they vnder the shadowe of my roofe.
Genesis 19:10
But the men put foorth their hande, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the doore.
Genesis 19:15
And when the mornyng arose, the angels caused Lot to speede him, saying: Stande vp, take thy wyfe, and thy two daughters which be at hande, lest thou perishe in the sinne of the citie.
Genesis 19:16
And as he prolonged the tyme, the men caught both him, his wife, and his two daughters by the handes, the Lorde beyng mercyfull vnto hym: and they brought hym foorth, and set hym without the citie.
Genesis 19:18
And Lot sayde vnto them: Oh not so my Lordes.
Genesis 19:19
Beholde thy seruaunt hath founde grace in thy syght, and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed vnto me in sauyng my lyfe: Beholde I can not be saued in the mountayne, lest some harme fall vppon me, and I dye.
Genesis 19:35
And the younger arose, and laye with hym: & he perceaued it not, neither whe she lay downe, neither whe she rose vp.
Genesis 19:36
Thus were both the daughters of Lot with chylde by their father.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the messengers were come in,.... To David's house, and into the room where he was supposed to lie:

behold, [there was] an image in the bed to their great surprise; they expected to see David, but instead of him the teraphim, as in

1 Samuel 19:13; if they had been in the room before, and thought they had seen David in the bed, they might be the more surprised to find that it was only an image they saw:

with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster;

1 Samuel 19:13- :.


 
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