1 Samuel 21 13

1 Samuel 21:13 kjv

And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

1 Samuel 21:13 nkjv

So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.

1 Samuel 21:13 niv

So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

1 Samuel 21:13 esv

So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.

1 Samuel 21:13 nlt

So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.

1 Samuel 21 verses

1 Samuel 21 13 Meaning

This verse describes David's desperate act of feigning madness before Achish, the king of Gath. Driven by fear for his life, David deliberately altered his behavior, scribbled on the doors, and allowed saliva to run down his beard, making himself appear as if he had lost his sanity. This act was a cunning ploy to avoid being recognized and apprehended as an enemy, thereby ensuring his escape.

1 Samuel 21 13 Context

This verse is set in a critical period of David's life. He has recently been fleeing from King Saul, who is increasingly consumed by jealousy and intent on killing him. David had just gone to Nob, the city of priests, where he deceitfully obtained the sacred bread (showbread) and Goliath's sword from Ahimelech the priest (1 Sam 21:1-9). Fearing for his life and likely thinking Saul's reach extended too far within Israel, David chose to flee to Gath, a Philistine city, and the home of Goliath, the giant he had famously killed. His intent was to find refuge with an enemy king, Achish, hoping that he would be safer there than in Israel. However, upon arrival, Achish's servants recognized David as "the king of the land" and the slayer of tens of thousands, realizing the potential threat he posed. This recognition immediately puts David's life in extreme peril, leading directly to his desperate act of feigned madness. This specific chapter portrays David's human vulnerability, fear, and reliance on cunning rather than direct divine intervention in his moments of deepest need.

1 Samuel 21 13 Word analysis

• So: Implies a consequence or continuation from the preceding events. David's actions are a direct response to his capture and the realization that his identity has been revealed to Achish.
• he changed: Hebrew שָׂנָה (shanah). The Niphal participle מִשָּׁנֶה (mishaneh) means "to be changed," "to be altered," "to feign." This isn't an accidental alteration but a deliberate, acted-out transformation of behavior. It denotes a pretense, a strategic shift from his true self. This act is a form of deception, a human survival strategy when divine help feels distant or immediate threats are overwhelming.
• his behavior: Refers to David's customary actions, composure, and speech, all of which he deliberately distorted. This encompasses his entire demeanor and interaction. The focus is on the visible manifestation of his inner state.
• before: Implies a public display, directly in the presence of King Achish and his servants. This performance was specifically designed for an audience.
• them: Referring to Achish and his servants who had recognized and seized him, and whose judgment he sought to deceive.
• and feigned madness: Hebrew וַיִּתְהַלֵּל (vayyithallel) from the root הָלַל (halal), which can mean "to praise," "to boast," but in the Hithpael stem, as used here, it means "to act like a madman," "to play the fool," or "to rave." This is an active, reflexive verbal form, showing David himself performing the action upon himself. It implies putting on a theatrical display of mental derangement. It signifies a profound loss of dignity for David, God's anointed king, reduced to acting insane for survival.
• in their hands: Signifies that David was under their control, captured, and subject to their power. His life was literally "in their hands." This underscores the extreme pressure and immediate danger he faced.
• and scribbled on the doors of the gate: The Hebrew term for scribbled or scratched is וַיְתָו (vayyetav), derived from a root suggesting marking or sketching. This implies irrational, meaningless defacement, consistent with mad behavior. Doing it on "doors of the gate" is a highly public and conspicuous act, typical of a disoriented person with no regard for property or public norms.
• and let his saliva run down on his beard: This is a direct, vivid description of an act that indicates loss of self-control, mental incapacitation, or severe distress. Dripping saliva (יִזַּל, yizzal) on one's beard, especially in a culture where beards were symbols of honor and dignity, would be highly repulsive and signify extreme unkemptness and mental breakdown. It's a key physical manifestation chosen to convince observers of his alleged madness.

1 Samuel 21 13 Bonus section

• David's Lack of Faith/Fear: While resourceful, David's actions in Gath can be seen as a low point of faith. Instead of trusting God for deliverance or seeking His counsel, he resorts to human trickery. This period of flight highlights David's human vulnerabilities and reliance on self-preservation, which contrasts with his later, stronger demonstrations of faith (e.g., confronting Goliath, Psa 23, Psa 27). This particular act of deceit, coupled with his earlier lie to Ahimelech, shows David under extreme duress.
• Irony: It is profoundly ironic that David, the national hero who brought down Goliath of Gath, must now act as a madman in the Philistine capital, returning to the very place associated with his greatest victory in utter disgrace and humility to save his own life. The "greatest" becomes the "lowest" for survival.
• Divine Sovereignty: Although David's actions were human and deceptive, God's sovereign hand can still be seen in his deliverance. Achish was persuaded, and David was spared. This episode shows that God works through imperfect vessels and even in situations where human fear and cunning dominate, God can still bring about His purposes, preserving David for his destined kingship.
• Literary Foreshadowing: This event also foreshadows future moments in David's life where he employs tactical deception or operates on the fringes for survival (e.g., joining the Philistines in 1 Samuel 27) and the complexity of leadership under persecution.

1 Samuel 21 13 Commentary

First Samuel 21:13 powerfully illustrates David's desperate plight and cunning resourcefulness. Fleeing the obsessive rage of King Saul, David, the Lord's anointed, found himself cornered in Gath, the very city of Goliath whom he had killed. Identified by King Achish's servants, David's life hung by a thread. His fear (as echoed in Psa 56) was so profound that it drove him to employ an undignified yet strategically effective act: feigning madness.

This was no ordinary deception; it involved demeaning acts such as scratching bizarre marks on city gates and letting saliva drool onto his beard—behaviors considered utterly undignified and characteristic of a person out of their mind. The word וַיִּתְהַלֵּל (vayyithallel), translated "feigned madness," implies an intentional self-humiliation to appear incapacitated, rendering himself harmless and therefore unworthy of Achish's attention or punishment. Kings typically did not bother with the insane; they posed no threat and often were seen as cursed or an annoyance.

This episode reveals the intense pressure David was under, and highlights a moment when his human wisdom and cunning took precedence over direct faith or inquiry of the Lord. While the Psalms attributed to this period (Psa 34 and 56) reflect deep trust in God despite distress, this particular action reveals David's immediate human strategy for survival. It underscores that even a man after God's own heart faced moments of profound fear and resorted to desperate, ethically complex measures. God’s providence is often at work even through flawed human choices, guiding and protecting His chosen ones despite their momentary lapses or questionable means.

Example: Just as one might feign incompetence to avoid a difficult task, David feigned madness to escape a death sentence, strategically degrading his status to preserve his life.