After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
Parallel translations
- WEB David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
- KJV David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
- NKJV David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down.
- NASB Afterward, however, David got up and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.
- NLT David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.
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
David follows Saul out and humbly bows before him, addressing him as king. He pursues reconciliation with respect, not violence.
Overview
Rather than ambush Saul, David calls out openly and prostrates himself in honor, publicly affirming Saul's royal office. The posture of bowing reveals David's heart of submission even toward the one hunting him. By choosing honest appeal over force, David seeks to win Saul's conscience and clear his own name, exemplifying the way of meekness that overcomes evil with good.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Sam 25:23–24When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
- Exod 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- Rom 13:7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
- 1 Sam 26:17Then Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” “It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.
- 1 Sam 20:41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
- Gen 17:3Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
- 1 Pet 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
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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 24:8 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.