King James Version

1 Samuel 21:13

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is 1 Samuel 21:14.

וַיְשַׁנּ֤וֹvayshanvoand alterשָׁנָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and alter”, the next action in the storyH8138to fold, i.e. duplicate (literally or figuratively); by implication, to transmute (transitive or intransitive)do (speak, strike) again, alter, double, (be given to) change, disguise, (be) diverse, pervert, prefer, repeat, return, do the second time.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).טַעְמוֹ֙tamvotasteטַעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “taste”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2940properly, a taste, i.e. (figuratively) perception; by implication, intelligence; transitively, a mandateadvice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding.בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔םbeeyneyhemin eye , , -sightעַיִןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd 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…וַיִּתְהֹלֵ֖לvayitholeland boastהָלַלconjunction, verb, hithpolel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and boast”, the next action in the storyH1984to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make ashow, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(-ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.בְּיָדָ֑םbeyadamin handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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, […ויתוvytvand scrabbleתָּוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and scrabble”, the next action in the storyH8427to mark out, i.e. (primitive) scratch or (definite) imprintscrabble, set (a mark).וַיְתָיו֙vaytayvand scrabbleתָּוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and scrabble”, the next action in the storyH8427to mark out, i.e. (primitive) scratch or (definite) imprintscrabble, set (a mark).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…דַּלְת֣וֹתdaltotdoorדֶּלֶתnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “door”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1817something swinging, i.e. the valve of adoordoor (two-leaved), gate, leaf, lid. (Psalm 141:3).הַשַּׁ֔עַרhashaarthe doorשַׁעַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the door”, the ordinary formH8179an opening, i.e. door or gatecity, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er).וַיּ֥וֹרֶדvayoredand bring downיָרַדconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and bring down”, the next action in the storyH3381to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)[idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take…רִיר֖וֹrirvospittleרִירnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “spittle”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7388saliva; by resemblance, brothspittle, white (of an egg).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).זְקָנֽוֹzeqanvobeardזָקָןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “beard”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2206the beard (as indicating age)beard.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(21-14) And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Young’s Literal Translation

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.

World English Bible

He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

Darby Translation

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

Douay-Rheims

And he changed his countenance before them, and slipt down between their hands: and he stumbled against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(21-14) And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he changed his appearance before him, and feigned himself a false character in that day; and drummed upon the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἠλλοίωσε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσεποιήσατο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἐτυμπάνιζεν ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις τῆς πόλεως, καὶ παρεφέρετο ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔπιπτεν ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας τῆς πύλης, καὶ τὰ σίελα αὐτοῦ κατέῤῥει ἐπὶ τὸν πώγωνα αὐτοῦ.