1 Samuel 21:13

And David changed his mouth before Achish, and felled down betwixt their hands, and he painted on the doors of the gate, and his dribbles, that is, spittles, flowed down into his beard.

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

In Context

12And David took these words in his heart, and he dreaded greatly of the face of Achish, king of Gath. (And David took these words to heart, and so he greatly feared King Achish of Gath.)

14And Achish said to his servants, See ye the mad man? (or See ye not that the man is mad?) why brought ye him to me?

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

1 Samuel 17:11Soothly Saul and all men of Israel heard such words of the Philistine, and they were astonished, and dreaded greatly (or and were greatly afraid).

Proverbs 29:25He that dreadeth a man, shall fall soon; he that hopeth in the Lord, shall be raised [up]. (He who feareth someone, shall soon fall; but he who hopeth in the Lord, shall be raised up.)

Isaiah 51:12I, I myself, that is, I am he, I am he, that shall comfort you; who art thou, that thou dreadest of a deadly man, and of the son of man, that shall wax dry so as hay? (I, I myself, shall comfort you; so why then fearest thou any mortal, yea, the son of a man, who shall grow as dry as grass, or like straw?)

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 21:11-15

David Driven from Achish. ( b. c. 1057.) 10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 Samuel 21:13