1 Samuel 29:4 net — But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him,“Send the man back! Let him return to the plac…

NET Bible

"But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him,“Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?"

— 1 Samuel 29:4, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

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1 Samuel 29:4 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?”

  • ASV

    “But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men? ”

  • WEB

    “But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men?”

  • DRB

    “But the prices of the Philistines were angry with him, and they said to him: Let this man return, and abide in his place, which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest he be an adversary to us, when we shall begin to fight: for how can he otherwise appease his master, but with our heads?”

  • BBE

    “But the rulers of the Philistines were angry with him, and said to him, Make the man go back to the place you have given him; do not let him go down with us to the fight, or he may be turned against us and be false to us: for how will this man make peace with his lord? will it not be with the heads of these men?”

  • KJVA

    “And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?”

1 Samuel 29 — Context

1

David Is Rejected by the Philistine Leaders The Philistines assembled all their troops at Aphek, while Israel camped at the spring that is in Jezreel.

2

When the leaders of the Philistines were passing in review at the head of their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were passing in review in the rear with Achish.

3

The leaders of the Philistines asked,“What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines,“Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time? I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!”

4

But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him,“Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?

5

Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced,‘Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands’?”

6

So Achish summoned David and said to him,“As surely as the LORD lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you serving with me in the army. I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion of the leaders, you are not reliable.

7

So turn and leave in peace. You must not do anything that the leaders of the Philistines consider improper!”

1 Samuel 29:4 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Samuel 29:4 say?
1 Samuel 29:4 in the NET Bible reads: “But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him,“Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?”
Where is 1 Samuel 29:4 in the Bible?
1 Samuel 29:4 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 29, verse 4.
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 29:4.
What translation should I read 1 Samuel 29:4 in?
1 Samuel 29:4 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 29:4?
1 Samuel 29:4 reads (NET): “But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him,“Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?” 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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