The Meaning of 1 Samuel 19:10 Explained

1 Samuel 19:10

KJV: And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

YLT: and Saul seeketh to smite with the javelin through David, and through the wall, and he freeth himself from the presence of Saul, and he smiteth the javelin through the wall; and David hath fled and escapeth during that night.

Darby: And Saul sought to smite David and the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

ASV: And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Saul  sought  to smite  David  even to the wall  with the javelin;  but he slipped away  out of Saul's  presence,  and he smote  the javelin  into the wall:  and David  fled,  and escaped  that night. 

What does 1 Samuel 19:10 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 19:1-12 - Noble Intercession Implacable Hate
Not content with exchanging his dress and weapons with his friend, Jonathan pleaded David's cause at court. He had the royal ear and spoke as David's daysman. As he touched upon his brother-in-law's devotion, modesty and courage, the father's heart relented. We must not, however, take Jonathan's interposition as illustrating our Lord's, because Jesus stands for us in the presence of One whose love requires no argument. But learn to abide in "the secret place of the Most High," and hide thyself, until thou hast learned what thou should do, 1 Samuel 19:2.
While Saul's troops were watching the house on the outside, the psalmist was appealing to God as his strength, and hiding in Him as his strong tower. See Psalms 59:9; Psalms 59:17. Wait on God during the hours when your enemy is waiting for you. We must not only pray for God's help, but expect and look out for it. All true waiting must be combined with singing. Sing, persecuted soul, in sure confidence that the glorious deliverance awaiting you is near at hand! Notice that Holy Scripture never conceals and never palliates wrong-doing. It does not excuse "lies of necessity." See Leviticus 19:11; Colossians 3:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 19

1  Elkanah, a Levite, having two wives, worships yearly at Shiloh
4  He cherishes Hannah, though barren, and provoked by Peninnah
9  Hannah in grief prays for a child
12  Eli first rebuking her, afterwards blesses her
19  Hannah, having born Samuel, stays at home till he is weaned
24  She presents him, according to her vow, to the Lord

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 19:10 mean?

And sought Saul to pin with the spear David and to the wall but he slipped away from presence of Saul and he drove - the spear into the wall So David fled and escaped night that -
וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ שָׁא֜וּל לְהַכּ֤וֹת בַּֽחֲנִית֙ בְּדָוִ֣ד וּבַקִּ֔יר וַיִּפְטַר֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י שָׁא֔וּל וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶֽת־ הַחֲנִ֖ית בַּקִּ֑יר וְדָוִ֛ד נָ֥ס וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא פ

וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ  And  sought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
שָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
לְהַכּ֤וֹת  to  pin 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בַּֽחֲנִית֙  with  the  spear 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲנִית  
Sense: spear.
בְּדָוִ֣ד  David 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וּבַקִּ֔יר  and  to  the  wall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיר  
Sense: wall, side.
וַיִּפְטַר֙  but  he  slipped  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּטַר  
Sense: to separate, set free, remove, open, escape, burst through.
מִפְּנֵ֣י  from  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַיַּ֥ךְ  and  he  drove 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַחֲנִ֖ית  the  spear 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲנִית  
Sense: spear.
בַּקִּ֑יר  into  the  wall 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיר  
Sense: wall, side.
וְדָוִ֛ד  So  David 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
נָ֥ס  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט  and  escaped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
בַּלַּ֥יְלָה  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
הֽוּא  that 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation