King James Version

1 Samuel 18:23

And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

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Hebrew

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וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּvaydabrvand speakדָבַרconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and speak”, the next action in the storyH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.עַבְדֵ֤יavdeservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.שָׁאוּל֙shaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbeazenein earאֹזֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct — “in ear”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH241broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man)[phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show.דָוִ֔דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַדְּבָרִ֖יםhadvarimthe causeדָּבָרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…הָאֵ֑לֶּהhaelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).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…דָּוִ֗דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.הַֽנְקַלָּ֤הhanqalahthe make brightקָלַלparticle, interrogative, verb, niphal, participle, absolute — “the make bright”, a verb used as a describing wordH7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), [idiom] slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make…בְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙veeyneykhemin eye , , -sightעַיִןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “in eye , , -sight”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him…הִתְחַתֵּ֣ןhitchatenjoin in affinityחָתַןverb, hithpael, infinitive construct — “join in affinity”, the to-form of the verbH2859to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriagejoin in affinity, father in law, make marriages, mother in law, son in law.בַּמֶּ֔לֶךְbamelekhin kingמֶלֶךְpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.וְאָנֹכִ֖יveanokhiand meאָנֹכִיconjunction, pronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “and me”H595II, me, [idiom] which.אִֽישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…רָ֥שׁrashlackרוּשׁverb, qal, participle, absolute — “lack”, a verb used as a describing wordH7326to be destitutelack, needy, (make self) poor (man).וְנִקְלֶֽהveniqlehand baseקָלָהconjunction, verb, niphal, participle, absolute — “and base”, a verb used as a describing wordH7034to be light (as implied in rapid motion), but figuratively, only (be (causatively, hold) in contempt)base, contemn, despise, lightly esteem, set light, seem vile.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said: 'Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

Young’s Literal Translation

And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, 'Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king — and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

World English Bible

Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”

Darby Translation

And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

Douay-Rheims

And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king’s son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said: 'Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David; and David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? whereas I am an humble man, and not honourable?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐλάλησαν οἱ παῖδες Σαοὺλ εἰς τὰ ὦτα Δαυὶδ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα· καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ, εἰ κούφον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν ἐπιγαμβρεῦσαι βασιλεῖ; κᾀγὼ ἀνὴρ ταπεινὸς, καὶ οὐχὶ ἔνδοξος.