For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
Parallel translations
- WEB For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.
- BSB When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
- NKJV For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.
- NASB Though if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.
- NLT Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.
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 marvels that David let his enemy go free and prays the Lord reward him. He acknowledges David's act as extraordinary grace.
Overview
Saul observes that men do not normally release a cornered enemy unharmed, so David's mercy is exceptional. He invokes a blessing from Yahweh upon David for the good shown to him. The verse highlights how mercy toward enemies stands out against the world's instinct for vengeance and invites God's own reward, a principle Jesus would later teach plainly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Judg 17:2And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
- 1 Sam 26:25Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
- 1 Sam 23:21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
- Prov 25:21–22If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
- Ps 18:20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
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 24:19 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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