And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
- BSB Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
- NKJV And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
- NASB Now, behold, I know that you will certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
- NLT And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.
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 confesses he knows David will surely be king and the kingdom will be established in his hand. Even Saul admits God's purpose for David.
Overview
In a striking moment, Saul concedes what he has long fought against: that David will reign and that his throne will be secure. This unwilling testimony from David's rival confirms the divine election announced when Samuel anointed David. It assures the reader that God's plan will stand despite all human opposition, a confidence ultimately fulfilled in David's greater Son whose kingdom is everlasting.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Sam 23:17And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
- 2 Sam 3:17–18And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you:
- Matt 2:3–6When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- Matt 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
- 1 Sam 13:14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
- Matt 2:13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
- 1 Sam 20:30–31Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?
- Job 15:25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
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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 24:20 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.