The Meaning of 1 Samuel 29:8 Explained

1 Samuel 29:8

KJV: And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

YLT: And David saith unto Achish, 'But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant from the day that I have been before thee till this day -- that I go not in and have fought against the enemies of my lord the king?'

Darby: And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee to this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

ASV: And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  unto Achish,  But what have I done?  and what hast thou found  in thy servant  so long as  I have been with thee  unto this day,  that I may not go  fight  against the enemies  of my lord  the king? 

What does 1 Samuel 29:8 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 29:1-11 - Under Just Suspicion
David was in a strait! To what a plight had eighteen months of deceit brought him! He had no alternative other than to follow King Achish to battle, but it must have been with a sinking heart. It looked as if he would be forced to fight Saul, the Lord's anointed, and Jonathan, his friend, and the people whom he was one day to rule. Probably he turned in an agony of prayer to God, that he might be extricated from the net which his sins had woven. Read Deuteronomy 30:4.
An unexpected door opened in the valley of Achor. The Philistine lords took offense at David's position in the rear with the king, and insisted on his returning with his men to Ziklag. In the end Achish had to yield, though with great reluctance. He little realized the profound sense of belief with which David heard the royal order. As David stole off in the gray dawn with his men on the homeward journey, he must have broken into the words of Psalms 124:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 29

1  David marching with the Philistines
3  is disallowed by their princes
6  Achish dismisses him, with commendations of his fidelity

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 29:8 mean?

So said David to Achish but what have I done and what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you to day this that not I may go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־ אָכִ֗ישׁ כִּ֣י מֶ֤ה ؟ עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙ וּמַה־ מָּצָ֣אתָ בְעַבְדְּךָ֔ מִיּוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיִ֣יתִי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אָבוֹא֙ וְנִלְחַ֔מְתִּי בְּאֹיְבֵ֖י אֲדֹנִ֥י ؟ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אָכִ֗ישׁ  Achish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָכִישׁ  
Sense: Philistine king of Gath.
؟ עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙  have  I  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וּמַה־  and  what 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
מָּצָ֣אתָ  have  you  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
בְעַבְדְּךָ֔  in  your  servant 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
מִיּוֹם֙  as  long 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָיִ֣יתִי  I  have  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אָבוֹא֙  I  may  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְנִלְחַ֔מְתִּי  and  fight 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בְּאֹיְבֵ֖י  against  the  enemies 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
אֲדֹנִ֥י  of  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
؟ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.