“The Lord bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!
Parallel translations
- WEB Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.
- KJV And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
- BSB “May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me.
- NKJV And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.
- NASB Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, since you have had compassion on me.
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 blesses the Ziphites for their compassion on him, welcoming their help.
Overview
Saul invokes the LORD's blessing on the Ziphites for their loyalty, ironically claiming divine favor for an unjust pursuit. His twisted gratitude shows a conscience that has confused God's name with his own murderous aims. The scene exposes how rejected leadership can cloak evil in pious language.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 22:8that all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?”
- Judg 17:2He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless my son!”
- Isa 66:5Hear Yahweh’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed.
- Mic 3:11Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, “Isn’t Yahweh among us? No disaster will come on us.”
- Ps 10:3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh.
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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 23:21 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
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