He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?
Parallel translations
- KJV And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
- BSB And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
- NKJV And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?
- NASB He also said, “Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
- NLT Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime?
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 asks why Saul pursues him, protesting his innocence and lack of wrongdoing. He appeals to conscience and evidence rather than force.
Overview
David questions the justice of Saul's relentless hunt, asking what evil he has actually done. His plea rests on his clear conscience, freshly demonstrated by sparing Saul's life. The appeal models how the righteous may answer false accusation with honesty and an appeal to God's judgment rather than retaliation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 24:9David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you?’
- 1 Sam 24:11–14Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.
- Ps 69:4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
- Ps 7:3–5Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,
- John 10:32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”
- John 8:46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
- John 18:23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?”
- Ps 35:7For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
- 1 Sam 17:29David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 26:18 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.