Limitless Word
an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.
1 Samuel 23:27 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!”
  • KJV But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
  • BSB Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”
  • NKJV But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”
  • NASB But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have launched an attack against the land!”

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

A messenger urgently summons Saul to repel a Philistine raid on the land.

Overview

At the critical moment, news of a Philistine invasion forces Saul to break off his pursuit. This providential interruption rescues David just as capture loomed. The timing reveals the LORD's sovereign hand orchestrating events to protect His anointed without David lifting a finger.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • 2 Kgs 19:9When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
  • Ps 116:3The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.
  • Rev 12:16The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
  • 1 Chr 14:13The Philistines made a another raid in the valley.
  • Deut 32:36For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large.
  • Gen 22:14Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 23:27YouTube · 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 23:27 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.