1 Samuel 21:14

14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?
New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman?
The Message Bible (MSG)
14 Achish took one look at him and said to his servants, "Can't you see he's crazy? Why did you let him in here?
American Standard Version (ASV)
14 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 (GW)
14 Achish said to his officers, "Look at him! Don't you see [that he's] insane? Why bring him to me?
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
14 "Look! You can see the man is crazy," Achish said to his servants. "Why did you bring him to me?
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
14 Achish said to his servants, "Just look at the man! He's out of his mind! Why are you bringing him to me?

1 Samuel 21:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 21:14

Then said Achish to his servants, lo, you see the man is mad,
&c.] Which he said, as willing his servants should think so, and therefore rather the object of their pity than of their rage and malice; or as really believing he was so, which he and they might conclude not merely from these his actions, before described, which they might judge real and not feigned; but they might suppose this was truly his case, brought upon him by the ill usage of Saul, who pursuing him from place to place, and sending after him to take away his life, had really brought him to distraction; and this they might rather conclude from his coming to Gath, an enemy's country, and whose champion he had slain, and many others of them; which it might be thought no man in his senses would have done:

wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me?
for if he was brought to be employed in his service, he seemed very unfit for it, whether in the camp, or in the court; and if to be tried and condemned as an enemy, since he was a madman, he was rather to be pitied.

1 Samuel 21:14 In-Context

12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.
13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.
14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?
15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.