The Meaning of 1 Samuel 29:6 Explained

1 Samuel 29:6

KJV: Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.

YLT: And Achish calleth unto David, and saith unto him, 'Jehovah liveth, surely thou art upright, and good in mine eyes is thy going out, and thy coming in, with me in the camp, for I have not found in thee evil from the day of thy coming in unto me till this day; and in the eyes of the princes thou art not good;

Darby: And Achish called David, and said to him, As Jehovah liveth, thou art upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is acceptable to me; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day; but thou art not acceptable to the lords.

ASV: Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Achish  called  David,  and said  unto him, Surely, [as] the LORD  liveth,  thou hast been upright,  and thy going out  and thy coming in  with me in the host  [is] good  in my sight:  for I have not found  evil  in thee since the day  of thy coming  unto me unto this day:  nevertheless the lords  favour  thee not. 

What does 1 Samuel 29:6 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 29:6 mean?

and called Achish to David and said to him surely [as] lives Yahweh for have been upright you and [is] good in my sight your going out and your coming in with me in the army for not I have found in you evil since the day of your coming to me to day This and nevertheless the lords do favor you
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־ דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵ֠לָיו חַי־ יְהוָ֞ה כִּי־ יָשָׁ֣ר אַתָּ֗ה וְט֣וֹב בְּ֠עֵינַי צֵאתְךָ֨ וּבֹאֲךָ֤ אִתִּי֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה כִּ֠י לֹֽא־ מָצָ֤אתִֽי בְךָ֙ רָעָ֔ה מִיּ֛וֹם בֹּאֲךָ֥ אֵלַ֖י עַד־ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הַסְּרָנִ֖ים ט֥וֹב אָֽתָּה

וַיִּקְרָ֨א  and  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אָכִ֜ישׁ  Achish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָכִישׁ  
Sense: Philistine king of Gath.
דָּוִ֗ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֠לָיו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חַי־  surely  [as]  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָ֞ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יָשָׁ֣ר  have  been  upright 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
וְט֣וֹב  and  [is]  good 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בְּ֠עֵינַי  in  my  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
צֵאתְךָ֨  your  going  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וּבֹאֲךָ֤  and  your  coming  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אִתִּי֙  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה  in  the  army 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
מָצָ֤אתִֽי  I  have  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
בְךָ֙  in  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
רָעָ֔ה  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
מִיּ֛וֹם  since  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בֹּאֲךָ֥  of  your  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֖י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וּבְעֵינֵ֥י  and  nevertheless 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַסְּרָנִ֖ים  the  lords 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סֶרֶן 
Sense: lord, ruler, tyrant.
ט֥וֹב  do  favor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.