The Meaning of 1 Samuel 29:4 Explained

1 Samuel 29:4

KJV: And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

YLT: And the heads of the Philistines are wroth against him, and the heads of the Philistines say to him, 'Send back the man, and he doth turn back unto his place whither thou hast appointed him, and doth not go down with us into battle, and is not to us for an adversary in battle; and wherewith doth this one reconcile himself unto his lord -- is it not with the heads of those men?'

Darby: But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go again to his place where thou hast appointed him, that he go not down with us to the battle, that in the battle he be not an adversary to us; for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself to his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

ASV: But he princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the princes  of the Philistines  were wroth  with him; and the princes  of the Philistines  said  unto him, Make  this fellow  return,  that he may go again  to his place  which thou hast appointed  him, and let him not go down  with us to battle,  lest in the battle  he be an adversary  to us: for wherewith should he reconcile  himself unto his master?  [should it] not [be] with the heads  of these men? 

What does 1 Samuel 29:4 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 29:4 mean?

But were angry with him the princes of the Philistines so said to him the princes of the Philistines Make return - this fellow that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him that him and not do let him go down with us to battle and lest he become our adversary in the battle for with what could he reconcile this [one] his master if not with the heads of men those
וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּ עָלָ֜יו שָׂרֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים הָשֵׁ֣ב אֶת־ ؟ הָאִ֗ישׁ וְיָשֹׁב֙ אֶל־ מְקוֹמוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹ שָׁ֔ם וְלֹֽא־ יֵרֵ֤ד עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹא־ יִֽהְיֶה־ לָּ֥נוּ לְשָׂטָ֖ן בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וּבַמֶּ֗ה יִתְרַצֶּ֥ה זֶה֙ ؟ אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֲל֕וֹא בְּרָאשֵׁ֖י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵֽם

וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּ  But  were  angry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָצַף  
Sense: to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth.
עָלָ֜יו  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שָׂרֵ֣י  the  princes  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים  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.
וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ  so  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לוֹ֩  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
שָׂרֵ֨י  the  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים  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.
הָשֵׁ֣ב  Make  return 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ הָאִ֗ישׁ  this  fellow 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְיָשֹׁב֙  that  he  may  go  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מְקוֹמוֹ֙  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹ  you  have  appointed  for  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
שָׁ֔ם  that  him 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵרֵ֤ד  do  let  him  go  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
עִמָּ֙נוּ֙  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה  to  battle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וְלֹא־  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִֽהְיֶה־  he  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָּ֥נוּ  our 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
לְשָׂטָ֖ן  adversary 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂטָן  
Sense: adversary, one who withstands.
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה  in  the  battle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וּבַמֶּ֗ה  for  with  what 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
יִתְרַצֶּ֥ה  could  he  reconcile 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָצָא 
Sense: to be pleased with, be favourable to, accept favourably.
זֶה֙  this  [one] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
؟ אֲדֹנָ֔יו  his  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הֲל֕וֹא  if  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בְּרָאשֵׁ֖י  with  the  heads  of 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
הָהֵֽם  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 29:4?

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