Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”
- KJV Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.
- NKJV Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
- NASB Now then, O king, come down, since you fully desire to do so; and our part shall be to hand him over to the king.”
- NLT Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
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
The Ziphites urge Saul to come down, pledging to hand David over to him.
Overview
The Ziphites invite Saul to act on his desire and promise to deliver David into his hand. Their eagerness to please the king reveals hearts more set on Saul's favor than on justice. This betrayal heightens David's peril and his dependence on the LORD for deliverance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 23:12So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.
- 2 Kgs 10:5–7So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”
- 1 Kgs 21:11–14So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
- 2 Sam 3:21Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
- Prov 11:23The desire of the righteous leads only to good, but the hope of the wicked brings wrath.
- Prov 29:26Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.
- Ps 112:10The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.
- Deut 18:6Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,
- Ps 54:3For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah
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 23:20 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.