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1 Samuel 21:11

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Samuel 21:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?
1 Samuel 21:11 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Samuel 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king`s business required haste.
9And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?
12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13And 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.
14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad; wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
← 1 Samuel 21:101 Samuel 21:12 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the servants of Achish said unto him, etc.] Who knew who David was, and perceiving that he was respected by Achish: [is] not this David the king of the land? of the land of the Philistines; so some render the words, “the king of this land” f443; which belongs unto him for his conquest of Goliath; for this was what was proposed by him, that whoever was the conqueror should possess the kingdom; and seeing it belongs to him, O Achish, why dost thou admit him to court? thou wilt be driven from the throne, and we shall be his servants, and not thine f444: but rather they mean the king of the land of Israel, having heard that he was anointed king by Samuel, and was to succeed Saul; or rather,…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The king of the land - The Philistines gave him the title which their own lords bore. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“King of the land - Of Canaan. They call him king, either more generally for the governor, the most eminent captain and commander, or, as the king elect, the person designed to be king: for, by this time, the fame of Saul's rejection, and David's destination to the kingdom, was got abroad among the Israelites, and from them, probably to the Philistines. Did they not sing, &c. - And therefore consider what to do; and now our great enemy is in thy hand, be sure thou never let him go alive. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 21:12”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“21:11 the king of the land: David’s reputation as a mighty warrior even greater than King Saul (see 18:7) had grown to the point where foreigners began referring to him as Israel’s king.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the servants: Psa 56:1 \*title the king: Sa1 16:1, Sa1 18:7, Sa1 18:8, Sa1 29:5 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 21:12”
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Related study paths

Read 1 Samuel 21 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification