1 Samuel 27:11 kjva — And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines."

— 1 Samuel 27:11, King James Version with Apocrypha

Read in Another Translation

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1 Samuel 27:11 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.”

  • ASV

    “And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines. ”

  • WEB

    “David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell of us, saying, 'So did David, and so has been his way all the while he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'"”

  • NET

    “Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking,“This way they can’t tell on us, saying,‘This is what David did.’” Such was his practice the entire time that he lived in the country of the Philistines.”

  • DRB

    “And David saved neither man nor woman, neither brought he any of them to Geth, saying: Lest they should speak against us. So did David, and such was his proceeding all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.”

  • BBE

    “Not one living man or woman did David ever take back with him to Gath, fearing that they might give an account of what had taken place, and say, This is what David did, and so has he been doing all the time while he has been living in the land of the Philistines.”

1 Samuel 27 — Context

8

And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

9

And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

10

And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

12

And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

1 Samuel 27:11 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Samuel 27:11 say?
1 Samuel 27:11 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.”
Where is 1 Samuel 27:11 in the Bible?
1 Samuel 27:11 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 27, 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 27:11.
What translation should I read 1 Samuel 27:11 in?
1 Samuel 27:11 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 27:11?
1 Samuel 27:11 reads (KJVA): “And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.” 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.
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