1st Samuel Chapter 28 verse 2 Holy Bible
And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.
read chapter 28 in ASV
And David said to Achish, You will see now what your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Then I will make you keeper of my head for ever.
read chapter 28 in BBE
And David said to Achish, Thereby thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my person for ever.
read chapter 28 in DARBY
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
read chapter 28 in KJV
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.
read chapter 28 in WBT
David said to Achish, Therefore you shall know what your servant will do. Achish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.
read chapter 28 in WEB
And David saith unto Achish, `Therefore -- thou dost know that which thy servant dost do.' And Achish saith unto David, `Therefore -- keeper of my head I do appoint thee all the days.'
read chapter 28 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 2. - Surely thou shalt know. Hebrew, "Therefore thou shalt know," i.e. if the case be so, thou shalt know, etc. The rendering of the A.V. makes David repeat the words of Achish, which literally are, "knowing thou shalt know," the Hebrew way of making a strong affirmation. David's reply is really ambiguous, but is understood by Achish as a boastful assent, and he thereupon promises, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head, i.e. captain of my bodyguard, forever. Therefore is exactly the same word as that used by David, and has just the same meaning, namely, "If the case be so, if thou provest thy valour, then I, etc. SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR (vers. 3-25).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) And David said to Achish.--Sorely perplexed, David temporises. He dares not refuse; and yet, the idea of commanding a Philistine division in a war with Israel was to him a terrible alternative.And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.--The King of Gath, like so many others with whom the winning son of Jesse came in contact in his career, seems to have been completely won by his loveable, generous character, and would not see any ambiguity in David's reply, but at once offers him in the coming campaign a most distinguished appointment in the army of Gath--the command of the body-guard: for this is what Ewald understands the offer of King Achish to signify.But, as we shall see, the blind confidence of the king was not fully shared in by the Philistine chieftains; jealousy of the distinguished stranger captain opened their eyes to David's real feelings. (See 1Samuel 29:3; 1Samuel 29:11.) It is also quite conceivable, too, that whispers respecting David s expeditions during the past year were current in some Philistine quarters. The eyes of the king, thought these more far-seeing nobles, were blinded by his partiality for his military vassal. (See Note on 1Samuel 29:3.)
