Saul was told that David had fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
Parallel translations
- KJV And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
- BSB And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
- NKJV And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.
- NASB Now it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.
- NLT Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for 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
When Saul hears David has fled to Gath, he stops pursuing him. David's plan achieves its immediate aim of safety from Saul.
Overview
Saul abandons the chase once David is beyond his reach in Philistia. On the surface David's strategy works, granting him respite from relentless pursuit. Yet the relief comes at the cost of dwelling among enemies, and the narrative will probe whether such safety was worth the moral peril it created.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- 1 Sam 26:21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
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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 27:4 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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