King James Version

1 Samuel 24:2

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is 1 Samuel 24:3.

וַיִּקַּ֣חvayiqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, the next action in the storyH3947to 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.שָׁא֗וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁתsheloshetthirdשָׁלוֹשׁadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, construct — “third”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).אֲלָפִ֛יםalafimthousandאֶלֶףadjective, cardinal, both genders, plural, absolute — “thousand”, the ordinary formH505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousandthousand.אִ֥ישׁisha 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…בָּח֖וּרbachuracceptableבָּחַרverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “acceptable”, a verb used as a describing wordH977properly, to try, i.e. (by implication) selectacceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.מִכָּלmikalfrom allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וַיֵּ֗לֶךְvayelekhand carryיָלַךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and carry”, the next action in the storyH3212to 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,…לְבַקֵּ֤שׁlevaqeshto beseechבָּקַשׁpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “to beseech”, the to-form of the verbH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).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).דָּוִד֙davidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֔יוvaanashayvand a certainאִישׁconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a 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…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,…פְּנֵ֖יpenea- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…צוּרֵ֥יtsureedgeצוּרnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6697properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous)edge, [idiom] (mighty) God (one), rock, [idiom] sharp, stone, [idiom] strength, [idiom] strong. See also H1049 (בֵּית צוּר).הַיְּעֵלִֽיםhayelimthe wild goatיָעֵלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the wild goat”, the ordinary formH3277an ibex (as climbing)wild goat.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(24-3) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,

World English Bible

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

Darby Translation

And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Douay-Rheims

And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(24-3) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of Saddæem.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἔλαβε μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τρεῖς χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτοὺς ἐκ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυὶδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον Σαδδαιέμ.