1 Samuel 21
How to read this: this is a word-for-word rendering straight from the original Hebrew, not a copyrighted translation — the top of each chip is the original word, the bottom is its plain-English sense. Faded chips mark words the Hebrew implies but wouldn't literally be spoken in English. Click any word for its full Strong's dictionary entry.
1
וַיָּבֹ֤אand he wentדָוִד֙Davidנֹ֔בֶהNob towardsאֶל־toאֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְAhimelechהַכֹּהֵ֑ןthe priestוַיֶּחֱרַ֨דand he trembledאֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְAhimelechלִקְרַ֣אתto meetדָּוִ֗דDavidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he saidלוֹ֙to the himמַדּ֤וּעַwhy?אַתָּה֙are youלְבַדֶּ֔ךָto alone youוְאִ֖ישׁand is anyoneאֵ֥יןthere notאִתָּֽךְ׃with you
2
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he saidדָּוִ֜דDavidלַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְto Ahimelechהַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priestהַמֶּלֶךְ֮the kingצִוַּ֣נִיhe commanded meדָבָר֒a matterוַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he saidאֵלַ֗יto meאִ֣ישׁanyoneאַל־may notיֵ֧דַעhe knowמְא֛וּמָהanythingאֶת־obj.הַדָּבָ֛רthe matterאֲשֶׁר־whichאָנֹכִ֥יIשֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖am sending youוַאֲשֶׁ֣רand whichצִוִּיתִ֑ךָI have commanded youוְאֶת־and obj.הַנְּעָרִ֣יםthe young menיוֹדַ֔עְתִּיI have directedאֶל־toמְק֥וֹםa place ofפְּלֹנִ֖יa certain oneאַלְמוֹנִֽי׃a certain one
3
4
וַיַּ֨עַןand he answeredהַכֹּהֵ֤ןthe priestאֶת־obj.דָּוִד֙Davidוַיֹּ֔אמֶרand he saidאֵֽין־there notלֶ֥חֶםis bread ofחֹ֖לprofanenessאֶל־toתַּ֣חַתunderיָדִ֑יhand myכִּֽי־thatאִם־exceptלֶ֤חֶםis bread ofקֹ֙דֶשׁ֙holinessיֵ֔שׁthereאִם־ifנִשְׁמְר֥וּthey have kept themselvesהַנְּעָרִ֖יםthe young menאַ֥ךְonlyמֵאִשָּֽׁה׃ פfrom a woman
5
וַיַּעַן֩and he answeredדָּוִ֨דDavidאֶת־obj.הַכֹּהֵ֜ןthe priestוַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he saidל֗וֹto the himכִּ֣יthatאִם־exceptאִשָּׁ֤הwomanעֲצֻֽרָה־is withheldלָ֙נוּ֙to the usכִּתְמ֣וֹלas yesterdayשִׁלְשֹׁ֔םthree days agoבְּצֵאתִ֕יwhen go out Iוַיִּהְי֥וּand they wereכְלֵֽי־the vessels ofהַנְּעָרִ֖יםthe young menקֹ֑דֶשׁholinessוְהוּא֙and itדֶּ֣רֶךְis a journey ofחֹ֔לprofanenessוְאַ֕ףand indeed?כִּ֥יforהַיּ֖וֹםthis dayיִקְדַּ֥שׁit is holyבַּכֶּֽלִי׃in the vessel
6
וַיִּתֶּן־and he gaveל֥וֹto the himהַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priestקֹ֑דֶשׁa holy thingכִּי֩forלֹא־notהָ֨יָהit wasשָׁ֜םthereלֶ֗חֶםbreadכִּֽי־thatאִם־exceptלֶ֤חֶםthe bread ofהַפָּנִים֙the presenceהַמּֽוּסָרִים֙which had been removedמִלִּפְנֵ֣יfrom to beforeיְהוָ֔הYahwehלָשׂוּם֙to putלֶ֣חֶםbread ofחֹ֔םheatבְּי֖וֹםon the dayהִלָּקְחֽוֹ׃was taken away it
7
8
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he saidדָּוִד֙Davidלַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְto Ahimelechוְאִ֛יןand where?יֶשׁ־thereפֹּ֥הhereתַֽחַת־underיָדְךָ֖hand yourחֲנִ֣יתis a spearאוֹ־orחָ֑רֶבa swordכִּ֣יforגַם־bothחַרְבִּ֤יsword myוְגַם־and as well asכֵּלַי֙weapons myלֹֽא־notלָקַ֣חְתִּיI tookבְיָדִ֔יin hand myכִּֽי־forהָיָ֥הit wasדְבַר־the matter ofהַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe kingנָחֽוּץ׃ סurgent
9
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he saidהַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priestחֶרֶב֩the sword ofגָּלְיָ֨תGoliathהַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜יthe Philistineאֲשֶׁר־whomהִכִּ֣יתָ׀you struck downבְּעֵ֣מֶקin the valley ofהָאֵלָ֗הthe Elahהִנֵּה־here!הִ֞יאitלוּטָ֣הis wrappedבַשִּׂמְלָה֮in the cloakאַחֲרֵ֣יbehindהָאֵפוֹד֒the ephodאִם־ifאֹתָ֤הּobj. itתִּֽקַּח־you will takeלְךָ֙for the yourselfקָ֔חtake itכִּ֣יforאֵ֥יןthere notאַחֶ֛רֶתis anotherזוּלָתָ֖הּexcept itבָּזֶ֑הin this placeוַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he saidדָּוִ֛דDavidאֵ֥יןthere notכָּמ֖וֹהָis like itתְּנֶ֥נָּהgive itלִּֽי׃to the me
10
11
וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּand they saidעַבְדֵ֤יthe servants ofאָכִישׁ֙Achishאֵלָ֔יוto himהֲלוֹא־¿ notזֶ֥הis thisדָוִ֖דDavidמֶ֣לֶךְthe king ofהָאָ֑רֶץthe landהֲל֣וֹא¿ notלָזֶ֗הof this oneיַעֲנ֤וּdo people singבַמְּחֹלוֹת֙with the dancesלֵאמֹ֔רto sayingהִכָּ֤הhe has struck downשָׁאוּל֙Saulבַּאֲלָפָ֔יוon thousands hisוְדָוִ֖דand Davidבְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃on ten thousands his
12
13
14
Frequently asked questions
Is this a Bible translation?
No — it's a word-for-word rendering of the original Hebrew text, tagged with Strong's numbers, so you can see exactly which original word underlies each part of the verse. For a devotional reading, see our Bible verses by topic section, which uses the King James Version.
What do the faded (italic) words mean?
They're words the Hebrew implies grammatically but that wouldn't be spoken as a separate word in natural English — shown here so nothing from the original text is hidden.
How do I look up what a word means?
Click any word — it links straight to that word's entry in our Strong's Concordance, with the full definition and how it's used elsewhere in the Bible.
Need a different tool?
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Think we tagged a word wrong?