1 Samuel 22:23

23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

1 Samuel 22:23 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping."
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”
The Message Bible (MSG)
23 Stay here with me. Don't be afraid. The one out to kill you is out to kill me, too. Stick with me. I'll protect you."
American Standard Version (ASV)
23 Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
23 Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The one who is seeking my life is [also] seeking your life. However, you will be under my protection."
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
23 Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me."
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
23 So stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me."

1 Samuel 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 22:23

Abide thou with me, fear not
He appeared to be in a fright; which is not to be wondered at, as not knowing what to do, and where to go and provide for his safety; when, to allay his fears, and make him easy, David invites and encourages him to stay with him, and not be afraid of Saul, nor any other:

for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life;
or, as Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, "my life he seeks who seeks thy life"; we are in the same circumstances, and have the same common enemy, and therefore it is best and safest to be together; as the Targum,

``he that seeks to kill me seeks to kill thee;''

and as Jarchi adds, he that loves me will love thee, and he that keeps my life will keep thine:

but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard;
intimating, that he would be as careful of him as of himself; and that for this reason, as Ben Gersom suggests, because he brought the ephod with the Urim and Thummim with him, by which he could inquire of God for him; but this was the thing David was confident of, that God would preserve him, and raise him to the kingdom, and therefore Abiathar might be sure of safety with him: at this time he penned the fifty second psalm, which shows the frame of spirit he was now in; see ( Psalms 52:1-9 ) .

1 Samuel 22:23 In-Context

21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family.
23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

Cross References 1

  • 1. S 1 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 2:26
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