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And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
1 Samuel 18:14 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.
  • KJV And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
  • BSB and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
  • NASB David was successful in all his ways, for the Lord was with him.
  • NLT David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

David acts wisely in all he does because the Lord is with him. His consistent success flows from God's presence.

Overview

In every undertaking David behaves wisely, and the reason given is that Yahweh is with him. His prudence and prosperity are the fruit of divine favor, not mere natural talent. The repeated emphasis on God's presence with David reassures the reader that his rise is the Lord's doing and pictures the blessing that rests on the One God appoints.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Gen 39:23The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
  • Matt 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
  • 1 Sam 16:18Then one of the young men answered, and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and Yahweh is with him.”
  • Josh 6:27So Yahweh was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
  • Gen 39:2–3Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • Matt 1:23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
  • Acts 18:10for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
  • 1 Sam 10:7Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do what is appropriate for the occasion; for God is with you.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 18:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 18:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.