The Meaning of 1 Samuel 22:3 Explained

1 Samuel 22:3

KJV: And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

YLT: And David goeth thence to Mizpeh of Moab, and saith unto the king of Moab, 'Let, I pray thee, my father and my mother go out with you, till that I know what God doth for me;'

Darby: And David went thence to Mizpeh in Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth amongst you, till I know what God will do for me.

ASV: And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  went  thence to Mizpeh  of Moab:  and he said  unto the king  of Moab,  Let my father  and my mother,  I pray thee, come forth,  [and be] with you, till I know  what God  will do  for me. 

What does 1 Samuel 22:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1Sa 22:1-10 - Captain Of An Outlawed Band
What a striking analogy there is between the gathering of these outlawed men to David, and the attraction of publicans and sinners, in all ages, to Christ! He also is outlawed by "the prince of this world." To find Christ, we must go outside the camp, where He has set up the standard of His cross. How many of those who were in distress or in debt, or who were "bitter of soul," 1 Samuel 22:2, r.v. margin, have gathered to Him and have been received! Rejected by all others, they have found an asylum in his heart of love, and out of such refugees He is founding a kingdom that can never be moved, and forming an army that will break forever the power of evil.
Notice David's care for his parents. Our love to God should make us not less but more attentive to those to whom we are bound by nature's ties. It is probable that David's descent from Ruth, the Moabitess, may have suggested Moab as a suitable asylum; but in any case it was a wise precaution to shield the aged pair in the land of a neutral nation. In our experience, the warning of the prophet Gad has its counterpart in the gracious impressions of the Holy Spirit. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1Sa 22

1  Companies resort unto David at Adullam
3  At Mizpeh he commends his parents unto the king of Moab
5  Admonished by Gad, he comes to Hareth,
6  Saul going to pursue him, complains of his servants' unfaithfulness
9  Doeg accuses Ahimelech
11  Saul commands to kill the priests
17  The footmen refusing, Doeg executes it
20  Abiathar escaping, brings David the news

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 22:3 mean?

And went David from there to Mizpah of Moab and he said to the king of Moab let come here please my father and mother with you until till I know what will do for me God
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ דָּוִ֛ד מִשָּׁ֖ם מִצְפֵּ֣ה מוֹאָ֑ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ אֶל־ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֗ב יֵֽצֵא־ נָ֞א אָבִ֤י וְאִמִּי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֵדַ֔ע מַה־ יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ לִּ֖י אֱלֹהִֽים

וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ  And  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דָּוִ֛ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מִשָּׁ֖ם  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
מִצְפֵּ֣ה  to  Mizpah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְפֶּה  
Sense: a city in the district of the Shephelah or lowlands of Judah.
מוֹאָ֑ב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מוֹאָ֗ב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
יֵֽצֵא־  let  come  here 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
נָ֞א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אָבִ֤י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְאִמִּי֙  and  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
אִתְּכֶ֔ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
עַ֚ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  till 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֵדַ֔ע  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִּ֖י  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהִֽים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).