The Meaning of 1 Samuel 29:3 Explained

1 Samuel 29:3

KJV: Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

YLT: And the heads of the Philistines say, 'What are these Hebrews?' and Achish saith unto the heads of the Philistines, 'Is not this David servant of Saul king of Israel, who hath been with me these days or these years, and I have not found in him anything wrong from the day of his falling away till this day.'

Darby: And the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found nothing in him since the day of his falling away to me to this day?

ASV: Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  the princes  of the Philistines,  What [do] these Hebrews  [here]? And Achish  said  unto the princes  of the Philistines,  [Is] not this David,  the servant  of Saul  the king  of Israel,  which hath been with me these days,  or these years,  and I have found  no fault  in him since  he fell  [unto me] unto this day? 

What does 1 Samuel 29:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 29:1-11 - Under Just Suspicion
David was in a strait! To what a plight had eighteen months of deceit brought him! He had no alternative other than to follow King Achish to battle, but it must have been with a sinking heart. It looked as if he would be forced to fight Saul, the Lord's anointed, and Jonathan, his friend, and the people whom he was one day to rule. Probably he turned in an agony of prayer to God, that he might be extricated from the net which his sins had woven. Read Deuteronomy 30:4.
An unexpected door opened in the valley of Achor. The Philistine lords took offense at David's position in the rear with the king, and insisted on his returning with his men to Ziklag. In the end Achish had to yield, though with great reluctance. He little realized the profound sense of belief with which David heard the royal order. As David stole off in the gray dawn with his men on the homeward journey, he must have broken into the words of Psalms 124:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 29

1  David marching with the Philistines
3  is disallowed by their princes
6  Achish dismisses him, with commendations of his fidelity

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 29:3 mean?

And said the princes of the Philistines what [are doing here] Hebrews these and said Achish to [Is] not this David the servant of Saul king of Israel who has been with me this [is] days or years and no I have found in him fault since he defected [to me] to day this -
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים מָ֖ה הָעִבְרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־ הֲלֽוֹא־ זֶ֨ה דָוִ֜ד עֶ֣בֶד ׀ שָׁא֣וּל מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה אִתִּי֙ זֶ֤ה יָמִים֙ אוֹ־ שָׁנִ֔ים וְלֹֽא־ מָצָ֤אתִי בוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה מִיּ֥וֹם נָפְל֖וֹ עַד־ ؟ הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה פ

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שָׂרֵ֣י  the  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
מָ֖ה  what  [are  doing  here] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הָעִבְרִ֣ים  Hebrews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.
הָאֵ֑לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָכִ֜ישׁ  Achish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָכִישׁ  
Sense: Philistine king of Gath.
הֲלֽוֹא־  [Is]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
זֶ֨ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
דָוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
עֶ֣בֶד ׀  the  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
שָׁא֣וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הָיָ֤ה  has  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אִתִּי֙  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
זֶ֤ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יָמִים֙  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
שָׁנִ֔ים  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וְלֹֽא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
מָצָ֤אתִי  I  have  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
בוֹ֙  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מְא֔וּמָה  fault 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.
מִיּ֥וֹם  since 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
נָפְל֖וֹ  he  defected  [to  me] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
؟ הַיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation