King James Version

1 Samuel 26:18

And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvayomerand 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…לָ֥מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.זֶּ֛הzehthe one...the otherזֶהpronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…אֲדֹנִ֥יadonilordאָדוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH113sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.רֹדֵ֖ףrodefchaseרָדַףverb, qal, participle, absolute — “chase”, a verb used as a describing wordH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).אַחֲרֵ֣יachareafterאַחַרpreposition — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…עַבְדּ֑וֹavdvoservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.כִּ֚יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…מֶ֣הmehhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.עָשִׂ֔יתִיasitidoעָשָׂהverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “do”, a completed actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…וּמַהumahand howמָהconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.בְּיָדִ֖יbeyadiin handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, 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, […רָעָֽהraahbadרַעnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he said: 'Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

Young’s Literal Translation

and he saith, 'Why [is] this — my lord is pursuing after his servant? for what have I done, and what [is] in my hand evil?

World English Bible

He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?

Darby Translation

And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

Douay-Rheims

And he said: Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? What have I done? or what evil is there in my hand?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And he said: 'Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for in what have I sinned? and what unrighteousness has been found in me?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν, ἱνατί τοῦτο καταδιώκει ὁ κύριος ὀπίσω τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ; ὅτι τί ἡμάρτηκα; καὶ τί εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδίκημα;