1 Samuel 24:2
New International Version
So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

New Living Translation
So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.

English Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks.

Berean Standard Bible
So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

King James Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

New King James Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.

NASB 1995
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

NASB 1977
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Amplified Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Christian Standard Bible
So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s choice men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

American Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul took three thousand choice men from all Israel and he went on to search for David and for his men on the face of The Mountain of Goats

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of Saddaeem.

Contemporary English Version
Saul led 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saul therefore took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David, and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats.

English Revised Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Saul took 3,000 of the best-trained men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Good News Translation
Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks.

International Standard Version
Saul took 3,000 of his best troops from all over Israel, and he went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Literal Standard Version
And Saul takes three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goes to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,

Majority Standard Bible
So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

New American Bible
So Saul took three thousand of the best men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men in the direction of the wild goat crags.

NET Bible
So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find David and his men in the region of the rocks of the mountain goats.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

New Heart English Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

World English Bible
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Spares Saul
1After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.” 2So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 26:2
So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.

2 Samuel 22:2
He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

Job 39:1
"Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?


Treasury of Scripture

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

Saul took

1 Samuel 13:2
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

and went

Psalm 37:32
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

Psalm 38:12
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

the rocks

Psalm 104:18
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

Psalm 141:6
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

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Best Chosen Crags David Israel Rocks Saul Search Seek Thousand Three Wild
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Best Chosen Crags David Israel Rocks Saul Search Seek Thousand Three Wild
1 Samuel 24
1. David, in a cave at En Gedi, spares his life
8. He shows thereby his innocence,
16. Saul, acknowledging his fault, takes an oath of David, and departs.














(2) Three thousand chosen men.--This large and carefully selected force is an indication how thoroughly impressed Saul was with the power of David at this juncture. He, indeed, evidently looked on him as a rival king, who must be met by a numerous and disciplined force.

Upon the rocks of the wild goats.--"Ibex rocks," so called because probably only these ibexes, the chamois of Syria, would find pasturage on them. Some have suggested that this was a proper name. The ibex is still found among the precipitous cliffs in the neighbourhood of Ain-jedy.

Verse 2. - Chosen. See on this word 1 Samuel 9:2. The rocks of the wild goats. Apparently this was the proper name of some cliffs near En-gedi, so called from their being frequented by the ibex, or Syrian chamois, an animal which, according to Thomson (p. 603) is still found there. It shows Saul's pertinacious hatred of David, that no sooner was the war with the Philistines over, than he pursues him with 3000 picked warriors into these lonely fastnesses. Comp. Psalm 57:4, written, according to the title, upon the occasion recorded in this chapter.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Saul
שָׁא֗וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

took
וַיִּקַּ֣ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

three
שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת (šə·lō·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

thousand
אֲלָפִ֛ים (’ă·lā·p̄îm)
Number - masculine plural
Strong's 505: A thousand

chosen
בָּח֖וּר (bā·ḥūr)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 970: Selected, a youth

men
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

from all
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and went
וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to look for
לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ (lə·ḇaq·qêš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

and his men
וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֔יו (wa·’ă·nā·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the region
פְּנֵ֖י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the Rocks
צוּרֵ֥י (ṣū·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

of the Wild Goats.
הַיְּעֵלִֽים׃ (hay·yə·‘ê·lîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3277: Mountain goat


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OT History: 1 Samuel 24:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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