Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”
- KJV Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
- NKJV Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.”
- NASB Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, “It must have been an accident; he is not clean, undoubtedly he is not clean.”
- NLT Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”
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
Saul says nothing the first day, assuming David is ceremonially unclean.
Overview
Saul attributes David's absence to ritual uncleanness, a temporary condition under the Law that would bar him from the sacred meal. His silence on the first day delays the test's resolution. The detail reflects the religious framework of the festival and heightens the suspense before Saul's true reaction emerges.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Lev 15:5Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 11:24These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
- Lev 11:27All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
- Lev 7:20–21But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.
- Lev 15:16–17When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 11:31These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.
- Num 19:16Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
- 1 Sam 16:5“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
- Lev 15:19–21When a woman has a discharge consisting of blood from her body, she will be unclean due to her menstruation for seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 11:40Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 20:26 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.