1 Kings 1:2

New Life Version

So his servants said to him, "Let a young woman who has never had a man be found for my lord the king. Let her help the king and become his nurse. And let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So his servants said to him: “Let us search for a young virgin for my lord the king. She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm.”

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.

King James Version
Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

English Standard Version
Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm."

New Century Version
They said to him, "We will look for a young woman to care for you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm."

New English Translation
His servants advised him, "A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, to take care of the king's needs and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you and keep our master, the king, warm."

Amplified Bible
So his servants said to him, "Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king and let her attend him and become his nurse; let her lie against your chest, so that my lord the king may feel warm."

New American Standard Bible
So his servants said to him, "Have them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and have her attend the king and become his nurse; and have her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore his seruants saide vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord ye King a yong virgin, and let her stand before the King, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

Legacy Standard Bible
So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm."

Contemporary English Version
His officials said, "Your Majesty, we will look for a young woman to take care of you. She can lie down beside you and keep you warm."

Complete Jewish Bible
His servants said to him, "Let us try to find a young virgin for my lord the king. She can wait on the king and be a companion for him, and she can lie next to you, so that my lord the king will get some heat."

Darby Translation
And his servants said to him, Let there be found for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get warm.

Easy-to-Read Version
So they said to him, "We will find a young woman to care for you. She will lie next to you and keep you warm."

George Lamsa Translation
Wherefore his servants said to him, Behold, your servants are before you, let them seek for our lord the king a young virgin; and let her wait upon the king, and let her minister to him, and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may get warm.

Good News Translation
So his officials said to him, "Your Majesty, let us find a young woman to stay with you and take care of you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm."

Lexham English Bible
His servants said to him, "Let them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king. Let her be of use for him, and let her lie in your lap that my lord the king may be warm."

Literal Translation
And his servants said to him, Let them seek out a young woman for my lord the king, a virgin, and she shall stand before the king, and be a nurse to him, and lie in your bosom, and my lord the king shall have heat.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: Let vs seke a yonge damsell a virgin for oure lorde the kynge, to stonde before the kynge, and to norish him, & to slepe in his armes, and to warme oure lorde the kynge.

American Standard Version
Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

Bible in Basic English
So his servants said to him, Let search be made for a young virgin for my lord the king, to take care of him and be waiting on him; and you may take her in your arms, and so my lord the king will be warm.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore his seruauntes sayde vnto him: Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgyn, to stande before the king and to cherishe him, and let her lye in thy bosome, that my lorde the king may get heate.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wherefore his servants said unto him: 'Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and be a companion unto him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.'

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore his seruants said vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a yong virgin, and let her stand before the King, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And his servants said, Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed.

English Revised Version
Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

Berean Standard Bible
So his servants said to him, "Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor hise seruauntis seiden to hym, Seke we to oure lord the kyng a yong wexynge virgyn; and stonde sche bifor the kyng, and nursche sche hym, and slepe in his bosum, and make hoot oure lord the kyng.

Young's Literal Translation
and his servants say to him, `Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she hath stood before the king, and is to him a companion, and hath lain in thy bosom, and my lord the king hath heat.'

Update Bible Version
Therefore his slaves said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

World English Bible
Therefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.

New King James Version
Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm."

New Living Translation
So his advisers told him, "Let us find a young virgin to wait on you and look after you, my lord. She will lie in your arms and keep you warm."

New Revised Standard
So his servants said to him, "Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king, and be his attendant; let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may be warm."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore his servants said unto him - Let there be sought for my lord the king, a young woman - a virgin, so shall she stand before the king, that she may become his companion, - and she shall lie in thy bosom, and my lord the king shall get, heat.

Douay-Rheims Bible
His servants therefore, said to him: Let us seek for our Lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom and warm our lord the king.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young maiden be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait upon the king, and be his nurse; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may be warm."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm."

Contextual Overview

¹ Now King David was old. He had lived many years. They covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. ² So his servants said to him, "Let a young woman who has never had a man be found for my lord the king. Let her help the king and become his nurse. And let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm." ³ So they looked through all the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and found Abishag the Shunammite. And they brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was very beautiful. She became the king's nurse and helped him. But the king did not have sex with her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let there be sought: Heb. Let them seek

a young virgin: Heb. a damsel, a virgin. stand. Deuteronomy 10:8, 1 Samuel 16:21, 1 Samuel 16:22, 2 Chronicles 29:11

cherish him: Heb. be a cherisher unto him

lie: Genesis 16:5, Deuteronomy 13:6, 2 Samuel 12:3, Micah 7:5

get heat: Ecclesiastes 4:11

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 1:15 - very old 1 Kings 2:17 - Abishag 2 Kings 15:38 - Jotham Esther 2:2 - Let there be

Cross-References

Genesis 1:12
Plants grew out of the earth, giving their own kind of seeds. Trees grew with their fruit, and their kind of seeds. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the open space of the heavens to divide day from night. Let them tell the days and years and times of the year.

Job 26:7
He spreads out the north over empty waste, and hangs the earth on nothing.

Job 26:14
See, these are only a few of the things He does. And how quiet are the words spoken about Him! But who can understand His powerful thunder?"

Psalms 33:6
The heavens were made by the Word of the Lord. All the stars were made by the breath of His mouth.

Isaiah 45:18
This is what the Lord Who made the heavens, the God Who planned and made the earth, and everything in it and did not make it a waste place, but made it a place for people to live in, says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Nahum 2:10
Everything has been taken from her! Yes, she is an empty waste! Hearts are melting in fear and knees are knocking! All bodies suffer, and all their faces turn white!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore his servants said unto him,.... His physicians; so Joseph's physicians are called his servants, Genesis 50:2;

let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; not only a young woman, but a virgin, that has more natural heat than women that have bore children have, which is abated thereby:

and let her stand before the king: minister to him, serve him with whatsoever he should want to eat or drink; and so by being in his presence, and taking things at her hand, she might be the more ingratiated into his affections:

and let her cherish him; as the husband the wife, so she her husband, as doubtless David was; and that by giving him cordials to cheer his spirits, and everything that was convenient for him, and particularly by lying with him. Kimchi interprets the word of her being profitable to him, in which sense the word is used, Job 22:2; that is, by warming him; Ben Gersom understands it of her being made mistress of his treasures, according to the sense of the word in Isaiah 22:15; that she might have the command of his purse, and provide anything proper for him, without being taken notice of or obstructed; but the Targum is better,

"and let her be near him,''

lie close unto him, and even in his bosom, as in the next clause:

and let her lie in his bosom; which shows that it was proposed that he should marry her, at least that she should become his concubine wife, since this phrase is descriptive of a wife, Micah 7:5; nor can it be thought his physicians would advise, or he agree to have a young woman admitted to his bed, without marriage; and if this had not been the case, it would not have answered the design of Adonijah in requesting her in marriage after his father's death, which was to make way to ascend the throne when opportunity should offer; nor would his request have been so much resented by Solomon as it was, 1 Kings 2:17;

that my lord the king may get heat: and somewhat similar to this, Galen, that great physician, prescribed in like cases d.

d Vid. Poli Synopsin in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Since the Jewish law allowed polygamy, David’s conduct in following - what has been said to have been - physician’s advice, was blameless.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 1:2. Let there be sought - a young virgin — This was the best remedy which in his state could be prescribed. His nearly exhausted frame would infallibly absorb from her young and healthy body an additional portion of animal heat, and consequently trim and revive the flame of animal life. This is properly, as I have elsewhere expressed it, Friar Bacon's secret for the cure of old age.