1 Samuel 21:11 bbe — And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in t…

Bible in Basic English

"And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?"

— 1 Samuel 21:11, Bible in Basic English

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

1 Samuel 21:11 in Other Translations

3 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?”

  • WEB

    “The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"”

  • NET

    “The servants of Achish said to him,“Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying,‘Saul struck down his thousands, But David his tens of thousands’?””

1 Samuel 21 — Context

8

And David said to Ahimelech, Have you no sword or spear with you here? for I have come without my sword and other arms, because the king's business had to be done quickly.

9

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you put to death in the valley of Elah, is here folded in a cloth at the back of the ephod: take that, if you will, for there is no other sword here. And David said, there is no other sword like that; give it to me.

10

Then David got up and went in flight that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath.

11

And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?

12

And David took these words to heart, fearing Achish, the king of Gath.

13

So changing his behaviour before them, he made it seem as if he was off his head, hammering on the doors of the town, and letting the water from his mouth go down his chin.

14

Then Achish said to his servants, Look! the man is clearly off his head; why have you let him come before me?

1 Samuel 21:11 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Samuel 21:11 say?
1 Samuel 21:11 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?”
Where is 1 Samuel 21:11 in the Bible?
1 Samuel 21:11 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 21, verse 11.
Who wrote 1 Samuel?
1 Samuel is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel, Nathan, and Gad). It was written c. 930–722 BC.
What is the book of 1 Samuel about?
1 Samuel marks Israel's transition from judges to kings. It traces the births and ministries of the prophet Samuel, the rise and tragic fall of Saul as Israel's first king, and the anointing of the shepherd boy David, whose faith makes him a man after God's own heart.
What are the major themes of 1 Samuel?
1 Samuel explores themes including Kingship, Prophet, Faith vs. Fear, God's Sovereign Choice, Anointing. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Samuel 21:11.
What translation should I read 1 Samuel 21:11 in?
1 Samuel 21:11 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Samuel 21:11?
1 Samuel 21:11 reads (BBE): “And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2