The Meaning of 1 Samuel 24:4 Explained

1 Samuel 24:4

KJV: And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

YLT: And the men of David say unto him, 'Lo, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Lo, I am giving thine enemy into thy hand, and thou hast done to him as it is good in thine eyes;' and David riseth and cutteth off the skirt of the upper robe which is on Saul -- gently.

Darby: And David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.

ASV: And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the men  of David  said  unto him, Behold the day  of which the LORD  said  unto thee, Behold, I will deliver  thine enemy  into thine hand,  that thou mayest do  to him as it shall seem good  unto thee.  Then David  arose,  and cut off  the skirt  of Saul's  robe  privily. 

What does 1 Samuel 24:4 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 24:1-15 - Returning Good For Evil
Engedi is situated on the western shore of the Dead Sea. As Saul entered the cave, a very insidious temptation presented itself to David. Why not rid the kingdom of this cruel and oppressive monarch? Would it not confer a public benefit? Had not Samuel promised David the kingdom? Even if he himself did not strike the blow, why not let his men, who were not so squeamish, do so!But the man of God must not yield to such suggestions. He insisted on waiting the Lord's own time. He would not anticipate, by a single hour, the fulfillment of the great word on which he had been taught to rest through these weary years. The sensitiveness of his conscience was indicated in his compunction at having cut off a piece of the royal robe.
Never forget that opportunity does not make a wrong thing right. That the ship was waiting to sail to Tarshish did not make it right for Jonah to take passage. Our actions must not be determined by the opening of the door of circumstance, but by conscience, faith, obedience, and the high sense of Christian honor. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 24

1  David, in a cave at En Gedi, spares his life
8  He shows thereby his innocence,
16  Saul, acknowledging his fault, takes an oath of David, and departs

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 24:4 mean?

And said the men of David to him this is the day of which said Yahweh to you behold I will deliver - - your enemy into your hand that you may do to him as it seems good to you and arose David and cut off a corner of robe of which of Saul secretly
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י דָוִ֜ד אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּ֨ה הַיּ֜וֹם אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־ אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֣ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י נֹתֵ֤ן אֶת־ [איביך] (אֹֽיִבְךָ֙) בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יִטַ֣ב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֗ד וַיִּכְרֹ֛ת כְּנַֽף־ הַמְּעִ֥יל אֲשֶׁר־ לְשָׁא֖וּל בַּלָּֽט

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַנְשֵׁ֨י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
דָוִ֜ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּ֨ה  this  is 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הַיּ֜וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָמַ֧ר  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלֶ֗יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּ֨ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נֹתֵ֤ן  will  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
[איביך]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(אֹֽיִבְךָ֙)  your  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ  into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ  that  you  may  do 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לּ֔וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִטַ֣ב  it  seems  good 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וַיָּ֣קָם  and  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דָּוִ֗ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיִּכְרֹ֛ת  and  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
כְּנַֽף־  a  corner 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
הַמְּעִ֥יל  of  robe 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְעִיל  
Sense: robe.
אֲשֶׁר־  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְשָׁא֖וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
בַּלָּֽט  secretly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לָט  
Sense: secrecy, mystery, enchantment.