1 Samuel 21:14
New International Version
Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?

New Living Translation
Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman?

English Standard Version
Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

Berean Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?

King James Bible
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

New King James Version
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

New American Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me?

NASB 1995
Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

NASB 1977
Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

Amplified Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see that the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

Christian Standard Bible
“Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me?

American Standard Version
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad; wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he changed his sensibility in his eyes and was disfigured in their eyes, and he sat down at the door post of the door and he put spittle on his beard

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Anchus said to his servants, Lo! ye see the man is mad: why have ye brought him in to me?

Contemporary English Version
"Look at him!" Achish said to his officers. "You can see he's crazy. Why did you bring him to me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achis said to his servants: You saw the man was mad: why have you brought him to me?

English Revised Version
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Achish said to his officers, "Look at him! Don't you see [that he's] insane? Why bring him to me?

Good News Translation
So Achish said to his officials, "Look! The man is crazy! Why did you bring him to me?

International Standard Version
Achish told his officials, "Look, you see a person acting like a madman. Why'd you bring him to me?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said Achish unto his servants: 'Lo, when ye see a man that is mad, wherefore do ye bring him to me?

Literal Standard Version
And Achish says to his servants, “Behold, you see a man acting as a madman; why do you bring him to me?

Majority Standard Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?

New American Bible
Finally Achish said to his servants: “You see the man is mad. Why did you bring him to me?

NET Bible
Achish said to his servants, "Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me?

New Revised Standard Version
Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?

New Heart English Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: why then have ye brought him to me?

World English Bible
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?

Young's Literal Translation
And Achish saith unto his servants, 'Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Flees to Gath
13So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard. 14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? 15Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 21:13
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.

1 Samuel 21:15
Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?"


Treasury of Scripture

Then said Achish to his servants, See, you see the man is mad: why then have you brought him to me?

is mad.

Ecclesiastes 7:7
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

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1 Samuel 21
1. David at Nob obtains Ahimelech's hallowed bread
7. Doeg is present
8. David takes Goliath's sword
10. David at Gath feigns himself insane














(14) Then said Achish . . . the man is mad.--The Philistine king would look with peculiar sorrow and repulsion on a madman if, as according to Jewish tradition (see Philippson), his own wife and daughter were insane.

The device, however, succeeded, as David hoped it would, and he was suffered to depart in safety--nay, was even hurried out of the Philistine country. In old times, as now, in many parts of the East, the insane are looked upon as persons in some peculiar way possessed by, and therefore under the more immediate protection of, Deity. The life then of the hunted fugitive was perfectly safe from the moment the Philistines considered him mad.

There is a curious legend in the Talmud in which several events recorded in the Biblical account are confused. Part of it apparently refers to this strange choice of his of Phillstia as a place of refuge. "One day Satan appeared to him (David) in the shape of a gazelle, which, eluding his pursuit, decoyed him into the land of the Philistines. 'Ah!' said Ishbi-benob, when he caught sight of him, 'art thou the man that slew my brother, Goliath?' So saying, he seized and bound him."--Treatise Sanhedrin, fol. 95, cols 1, 2. The wild legend goes on to explain how, partly by miracle, partly with the aid of Abishai, David slew Ishbi-benob and escaped.

Verses 14, 15. - The man is mad. Achish supposes that David's madness was real, and "drove him away" (Psalm 34, title). Here we have only his contemptuous words, declaring that he had madmen enough of his own, and needed no more. As madmen were looked upon in old time as possessed by the Deity, and therefore as persons who must not be interfered with, they probably presumed upon the liberty granted them, and gave much annoyance. In my presence. Rather, "against me." Achish feared personal injury. Shall this fellow come into my house? A strong negative taking the form of a question. It means, David shall not enter into my service (comp. Psalm 34, title). The whole psalm bears witness to the deep perturbation of David's spirit, and helps to explain his strange conduct.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Achish
אָכִ֖ישׁ (’ā·ḵîš)
0
Strong's 397: Achish -- king of Gath

said
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
0
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
0
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his servants,
עֲבָדָ֑יו (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
0
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

“Look,
הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh)
0
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

you can see
תִרְאוּ֙ (ṯir·’ū)
0
Strong's 7200: To see

the man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
0
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

is insane!
מִשְׁתַּגֵּ֔עַ (miš·tag·gê·a‘)
0
Strong's 7696: To rave through insanity

Why
לָ֛מָּה (lām·māh)
0
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have you brought
תָּבִ֥יאוּ (tā·ḇî·’ū)
0
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

him
אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

to me?
אֵלָֽי׃ (’ê·lāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: 1 Samuel 21:14 Then said Achish to his servants Look (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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