1 Samuel 22:15
New International Version
Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

New Living Translation
This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.”

English Standard Version
Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.”

Berean Standard Bible
Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”

King James Bible
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

New King James Version
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

New American Standard Bible
Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything against his servant or against any of the household of my father, because your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”

NASB 1995
“Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”

NASB 1977
“Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Did I just begin to ask of God on his behalf today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing small or great of this whole affair.”

Amplified Bible
Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute any guilt to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all about this entire matter.”

Christian Standard Bible
Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s family, for your servant didn’t have any idea about all this.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant didn’t have any idea about all this.”

American Standard Version
Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Is it today I have begun to inquire for him of God? God forbid it to me! Let not the King lay this matter on his Servant and upon the household of my father, because your Servant does not know any of this matter, great or little!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Have I begun to-day to enquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against thee whole of my father's house; for thy servant knew not in all these matters anything great or small.

Contemporary English Version
This isn't the first time I've talked with God for David, and it's never made you angry before! Please don't accuse me or my family like this. I have no idea what's going on!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
Did I begin to day to consult the Lord for him? far be this from me: let not the king suspect such a thing against his servant, or any one in all my father's house: for thy servant knew nothing of this matter, either little or great.

English Revised Version
Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Is this the first time I have prayed to God for him? Not at all! You shouldn't blame me or anyone in my family for this. I knew nothing at all about this."

Good News Translation
Yes, I consulted God for him, and it wasn't the first time. As for plotting against you, Your Majesty must not accuse me or anyone else in my family. I don't know anything about this matter!"

International Standard Version
Is today the first time I inquired of God for him? Absolutely not! The king shouldn't accuse his servant, or any of my father's family of anything, because your servant didn't know anything at all about this."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.'

Literal Standard Version
Today have I begun to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Do not let the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much.”

Majority Standard Bible
Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”

New American Bible
Is this the first time I have consulted God for him? No indeed! Let not the king accuse his servant or anyone in my family of such a thing. Your servant knows nothing at all, great or small, about the whole matter.”

NET Bible
Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse his servant or any of my father's house. For your servant is not aware of all this--not in whole or in part!"

New Revised Standard Version
Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? By no means! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any member of my father’s house; for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.”

New Heart English Bible
Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Do not let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more."

Webster's Bible Translation
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me. Let not the king impute any thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

World English Bible
Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.”

Young's Literal Translation
To-day have I begun to ask for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for thy servant hath known nothing of all this, less or more.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Slays the Priests of Nob
14Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house? 15Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair— not in part or in whole.” 16But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 22:16
But the king replied, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!"

2 Samuel 5:19
So David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" "Go," replied the LORD, "for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand."

2 Samuel 5:23
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, "Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

2 Samuel 15:11
Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.

2 Samuel 19:18
and crossed at the ford to carry over the king's household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king

2 Samuel 19:19
and said, "My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant's wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.


Treasury of Scripture

Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

the servant

Genesis 20:5,6
Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this…

2 Samuel 15:11
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

2 Corinthians 1:12
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

less or more [heb] little or great

1 Samuel 25:36
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

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Begin Begun House Household Impute Inquire Less Servant Today To-Day
1 Samuel 22
1. Companies resort unto David at Adullam
3. At Mizpeh he commends his parents unto the king of Moab
5. Admonished by Gad, he comes to Hareth,
6. Saul going to pursue him, complains of his servants' unfaithfulness
9. Doeg accuses Ahimelech
11. Saul commands to kill the priests
17. The footmen refusing, Doeg executes it
20. Abiathar escaping, brings David the news














(15) Did I then begin to enquire?--The English translation of the Hebrew here would imply that David had on many previous occasions received through him (the high priest) Divine directions from the Urim and Thummim. "Did I that day begin to enquire?" Abarbanel gives an alternative rendering: "That was the first day that I enquired of God for him, and I did not know that it was displeasing to thee." Another rendering is: "Did I enquire?" in a negative sense, suggesting the reply "No, I did not." On the whole, the alternative rendering suggested by Abarbanel, quoted in Lange, is the best: "That was the first day, &c." And the reason why Ahimelech allowed the sacred Urim to be consulted was that he supposed David was come (as he represented) on a mission direct from King Saul. Surely, thought the blameless high priest, I never supposed my king would have been wroth with me for that.

If we render as in the English Version, which has the support of many scholars and versions, the only possible explanation of the words, "Did I that day begin to enquire?" is to suppose that David had been in the habit of consulting the Urim on special occasions for the king. The king, when there was a king in Israel, it is nearly certain, alone had this right. The Talmud teaching here is most definite; and it is a point in which the Talmud tradition may be looked on as authoritative. "The Rabbis have taught--How were the Urim and Thummim oracularly consulted? The king or the chief of the legislative administration, who alone had the privilege of consulting the Urim, stood facing the priest, and the priest was facing the Shekinah and the 'Shem-hammephorash,' the ineffable name deposited with the Urim within the breastplate."--Treatise Yoma, fol. 73, cols. 1, 2.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Was that day
הַיּ֧וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

the first
הַחִלֹּ֛תִי (ha·ḥil·lō·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

time I inquired
לִשְׁאָל־ (liš·’āl-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

of God
בֵאלֹהִ֖ים (ḇê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

for him?
ל֥וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

Far be it
חָלִ֣ילָה (ḥā·lî·lāh)
Interjection | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2486: For, a profaned thing, far be it!

from me!
לִּ֑י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

Let not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

the king
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

accuse
יָשֵׂם֩ (yā·śêm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

your servant
בְּעַבְדּ֤וֹ (bə·‘aḇ·dōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

or any
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

of my father’s
אָבִ֔י (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

household,
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

for
כִּ֠י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

your servant
עַבְדְּךָ֙ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

knew
יָדַ֤ע (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

nothing
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

of this
זֹ֔את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

whole
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

affair�
דָּבָ֥ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

not in part
קָטֹ֖ן (qā·ṭōn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

or
א֥וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

in whole.�
גָדֽוֹל׃ (ḡā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent


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OT History: 1 Samuel 22:15 Have I today begun to inquire (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 22:14
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