1 Samuel 21 14

1 Samuel 21:14 kjv

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 nkjv

Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 niv

Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 esv

Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 nlt

Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman?

1 Samuel 21 verses

1 Samuel 21 14 Meaning

David, fleeing from King Saul, arrived in Gath, the Philistine city ruled by King Achish. To escape certain death or imprisonment from Achish's servants, who recognized him as the renowned warrior from Israel, David adopted a desperate survival tactic. He feigned complete mental derangement, presenting himself as a harmless, incapacitated madman through specific, degrading actions, thus causing Achish to perceive him as unfit to be in his court or a threat, leading to his expulsion. This act was a critical moment in David's flight, demonstrating his cunning and his desperate state while also showing God's preservation.

1 Samuel 21 14 Context

This verse occurs during a desperate phase in David's life, following his anointing as king by Samuel, but before he took the throne. King Saul, consumed by jealousy and demonic influence, relentlessly sought to kill David. Having just left Ahimelech the priest after acquiring the consecrated bread and Goliath's sword in Nob (1 Sam 21:1-9), David's situation was precarious. With nowhere safe to go within Israel, he fled to Gath, a Philistine city, seeking refuge in the land of Israel's enemies. This act in 1 Samuel 21:14 is David's response to being recognized by the servants of Achish, who pointed out his identity as Israel's warrior who slew Goliath (1 Sam 21:11). Historically, Philistia was a long-standing adversary of Israel, and entering their territory, especially for a famous Israelite warrior, was a perilous move. Culturally, madness was often viewed with a mix of fear and reverence, sometimes as a divine affliction or curse, meaning madmen were typically left unharmed or even protected by common convention, as they were not seen as rational threats.

1 Samuel 21 14 Word analysis

• So David pretended (וַיִּתְהַלֵּל - vayithhalel): The Hebrew verb is halal, often meaning "to praise" or "to boast," but in the hitpael stem (vayithhalel), it means "to act mad" or "to play the fool," specifically in a frenzied, boisterous manner. It denotes feigning, not actual insanity. This highlights David's conscious, strategic act of deception for survival, an extreme measure of humility and degradation.
• to be insane (מִשֶּׁגַּע - mishaggea): Literally "like a madman." This adverbial phrase further emphasizes the charade, painting a vivid picture of extreme mental derangement. It shows the convincing nature of David's performance.
• in their presence: This indicates the public nature of David's performance, directed specifically at King Achish's servants and, by extension, the king himself. The act was for a distinct audience to achieve a desired outcome.
• and acted like a madman (וַיִּתְחַלֵּל - vayithchallel): The verb challel here, from the root meaning 'to profane' or 'to defile', signifies acting in a way that profanes oneself, defiles one's dignity, or lowers oneself. It specifically describes the unseemly behavior. The doubling of descriptive phrases ("pretended to be insane" and "acted like a madman") emphasizes the comprehensive and convincing nature of his charade.
• making marks on the doors of the gate (וַיְטָו - vay'tav על-דלתות השׁער - 'al-daltōt hashsha'ar): The verb yitāv (or tavah) means 'to make marks', 'to scratch', or 'to scrawl.' The image is one of frenzied, uncontrolled scribbling or defacing public property, which would be an action typical of someone not in their right mind. The "doors of the gate" were a prominent, public location, underscoring the spectacle of his act and its visibility to the Philistine officials.
• and letting his saliva run down his beard (וַיּוֹרֶד רִירוֹ - vayyored rîrō 'al-zeqānō): This is perhaps the most disgusting and degrading detail of his feigned madness. "Saliva running down the beard" was universally recognized as a sign of complete lack of self-control, mental incapacitation, and profound shame/dishonor in ancient Near Eastern culture. A bearded man letting his beard, a symbol of honor and masculinity, be soiled in such a manner was a definitive sign of severe mental instability or a cursed state, designed to make him seem pathetic and non-threatening.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "So David pretended to be insane in their presence": This highlights the deliberate and calculated nature of David's deception. He recognized the imminent danger and quickly devised a counter-strategy. His public performance aimed to change their perception of him from a dangerous warrior to a harmless, afflicted individual.
  • "and acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard": These are tangible, repulsive manifestations of his assumed condition. These specific actions served to convince his captors of his supposed madness. They were not arbitrary actions but rather culturally understood signals of insanity designed to elicit revulsion and pity, thus leading to his dismissal rather than detention. This demonstrated the extreme measures David was willing to undertake for his life and God's greater plan.

1 Samuel 21 14 Bonus section

• Theologically Complex Action: David's feigned madness, while effective, raises ethical questions regarding deception. The biblical text presents this event not as a model of behavior for moral imitation in general but as a descriptive account of God's preservation of His anointed even amidst human fear and the use of imperfect, human strategies. It showcases the messy reality of life and faith, where even heroes engage in morally ambiguous actions, yet God remains sovereign over outcomes.
• Contrast with Later Dignity: This deeply humiliating act stands in stark contrast to David's eventual royal dignity and strength as King of Israel. It serves as a potent reminder of the low point he reached, underscoring the profound transformation and ascent orchestrated by God in his life.
• Echoes in Proverbs: The act of playing the fool can sometimes be found as a motif in wisdom literature, albeit often in a negative light. Here, however, David's "folly" served a wise, strategic purpose for his preservation.
• God's Sovereignty and Means: The account implicitly underscores that God is not limited to conventional or 'dignified' methods of protection. He can use even desperate human ingenuity and the biases of enemies to accomplish His plans for His chosen servants.

1 Samuel 21 14 Commentary

1 Samuel 21:14 depicts a moment of extreme desperation and resourcefulness in David's life. Facing certain death or imprisonment in enemy territory after being recognized, David employed a survival strategy that required immense humility and self-degradation: feigning insanity. His actions—scratching on gates and drooling down his beard—were deliberately repugnant and culturally recognizable signs of one utterly devoid of reason and dignity. This portrayal was successful; King Achish concluded David was a mere madman and expelled him as a burdensome presence, not a threat. While human cunning was certainly at play, the larger biblical narrative implies God's enabling hand in David's survival. This incident is profoundly reflected in Psalm 34 and Psalm 56, attributed to David after his escape, where he expresses thanksgiving to God for deliverance from all his fears and enemies. It reminds us that God often preserves His servants through various means, sometimes allowing them to pass through undignified circumstances, ultimately for their protection and the fulfillment of His divine purpose.