1 Samuel 21:14

14 And Achish saith unto his servants, `Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto 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 And David layeth these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath,
13 and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard.
14 And Achish saith unto his servants, `Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me?
15 A lack of madmen [have] I, that ye have brought in this one to act as a madman by me! doth this one come in unto my house?'
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.