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1 Samuel 23:20

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Samuel 23:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king`s hand.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king`s hand.
1 Samuel 23:20 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Samuel 23

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18And they two made a covenant before Jehovah: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king`s hand.
21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have had compassion on me.
22Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtly.
23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
← 1 Samuel 23:191 Samuel 23:21 →
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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
“Now therefore, O king, come down, etc.] From Gibeah to Ziph, and the wilderness of it, where David was: according to all the desires of thy soul to come down; to seize such a prey which he was greatly desirous of, and of nothing more so than of that according to Abarbinel, the sense is, that the thing was ready in whatever way he should desire it; if he chose to come down himself, and lay hold on him, they invite him to come down; but if he did not choose to come down himself, they would seize him, and bring him to him, and deliver him up into his hand, and so he would be under no necessity of going down after him: and our part [shall be] to deliver him into the king’s hand; this we will…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“23:20 Both Keilah (23:12) and Ziph (23:14; Ps 54:title) were located in Judah, but neither one provided sanctuary for David, a native of Judah. David’s ascension to power was not the result of his own tribe’s loyalty but because of the will of God.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“all the desire: Deu 18:6; Sa2 3:21; Psa 112:10; Pro 11:23 our part: Kg1 21:11-14; Kg2 10:5-7; Psa 54:3; Pro 29:26 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 23:21”
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Related study paths

Read 1 Samuel 23 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification