King James Version

1 Samuel 16:2

And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…שְׁמוּאֵל֙shemuelShemuelשְׁמוּאֵלnoun, proper name — “Shemuel”H8050Shemuel, the name of three IsraelitesSamuel, Shemuel.אֵ֣יךְeykhhowאֵיךְparticle, interrogative — “how”H349how? or how!; also wherehow, what.אֵלֵ֔ךְelekhecarryיָלַךְverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “carry”, an unfinished actionH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…וְשָׁמַ֥עveshamaand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and hear”, a completed action in a sequenceH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…שָׁא֖וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.וַהֲרָגָ֑נִיvaharaganiand destroyהָרַגconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and destroy”, a completed action in a sequenceH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֗הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).עֶגְלַ֤תeglatheiferעֶגְלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “heifer”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5697a (female) calf, especially one nearly grown (i.e. a heifer)calf, cow, heifer.בָּקָר֙baqarherdבָּקָרnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “herd”, the ordinary formH1241beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herdbeeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.תִּקַּ֣חtiqachtakeלָקַחverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “take”, an unfinished actionH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.בְּיָדֶ֔ךָbeyadekhain handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “in hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔veamartaand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, a completed action in a sequenceH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לִזְבֹּ֥חַlizbochato sacrificeזָבַחpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to sacrifice”, the to-form of the verbH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.לַֽיהוָ֖הlayhvahto Jehovahיְהֹוָהpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).בָּֽאתִיbatito comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Samuel said: 'How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and say: I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Samuel saith, 'How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith, 'A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;

World English Bible

Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’

Darby Translation

And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

Douay-Rheims

And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Samuel said: 'How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and say: I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Samuel said, How can I go? whereas Saul will hear of it, and slay me: and the Lord said, Take a heifer in thine hand and thou shalt say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Σαμουὴλ πῶς πορευθῶ; καὶ ἀκούσεται Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με· καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, δάμαλιν βοῶν λάβε ἐν τῇ χειρί σου, καὶ ἐρεῖς, θῦσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ ἥκω.