1st Samuel Chapter 21 verse 13 Holy Bible
And he changed his behavior 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.
read chapter 21 in ASV
So changing his behaviour before them, he made it seem as if he was off his head, hammering on the doors of the town, and letting the water from his mouth go down his chin.
read chapter 21 in BBE
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
read chapter 21 in DARBY
And he changed his behavior 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.
read chapter 21 in KJV
And he changed his behavior 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.
read chapter 21 in WBT
He changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
read chapter 21 in WEB
and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard.
read chapter 21 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 13. - He changed his behaviour. The same word is used in the title of Psalm 34. Literally it means "his taste," and, like the Latin word sapientia, is derived from the action of the palate, and so from the faculty of discriminating flavours it came to signify the power of discrimination generally. Thus "to change his taste" means to act as if he had lost the power of distinguishing between objects. Feigned himself mad. Literally, "he roamed hither and thither" restlessly and in terror. In their hands. I.e. before them, in their presence. Scrabbled on the doors of the gate. The Vulgate and Septuagint read drummed upon them. Literally the verb means "to make the mark of a Tau," the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and which anciently was in the form of a cross. The gate, on the leaves of which David scrawled, was probably that of the court or waiting room, in which the servants of Achish passed their time when in attendance upon him. Possibly David had witnessed these symptoms of madness in Saul's case during his fits of insanity. The idea of some of the older commentators, that David really for a time went out of his mind, is opposed to the general sense of the narrative.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) He changed his behaviour.--These very words (with the substitution of Abimelech for Achish, a name which, as has been above suggested, seems to have been the "nomen dignitatis" for generations of Philistine kings) are found in the title of Psalms 34. The poem in question is, however, of a general, not of an historical character, and especially celebrates Jehovah's guardian care of the righteous. Its "acrostic" arrangement, however, suggests a later date than the time of David. If, as is quite possible, the royal psalmist was the original author, and that the deliverance on the present occasion suggested the theme, then it must have been brought into its present form by some later temple musician.Feigned himself mad.--Literally, he roamed hither and thither, restless and in terror.--Dean Payne Smith. "In their hands," that is, "in their presence." Some have supposed that the madness was not "simulated," but real. Wrought upon by excitement of fear and terrible anxiety, it has been suggested that the mind for a time lost its balance, and that David became temporarily really insane; but the sense of the narrative plainly indicates that the madness was feigned.Scrabbled on the doors of the gate.--Scratched on them; "scrabble" being probably a diminutive of "scrape" (Richardson, Dictionary). By others it is connected with "scribble." the root in either case being ultimately the same. The LXX. and Vulg. apparently translate from a slightly different word, and instead of "scrabbled," render "drummed" (impingebat) on the wings of the doors.Let his spittle fall.--That is, allowed the foam which comes from the mouth of a madman to hang about his beard. It has been cleverly suggested that David was only too well acquainted with all the signs of madness, from his long and intimate association with King Saul in his darker hours of insanity. There are other well-authenticated examples in history of great heroes, in seasons of sore danger, feigning madness like David, with a view of escaping from their enemies. For instance, according to the Shahnameh, Kai Khosrev feigned idiocy in face of mortal peril.
