1 Samuel 22:4
New International Version
So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

New Living Translation
So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.

English Standard Version
And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Berean Standard Bible
So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

King James Bible
And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

New King James Version
So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

New American Standard Bible
Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

NASB 1995
Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

NASB 1977
Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the fortress.

Amplified Bible
Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Christian Standard Bible
So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

American Standard Version
And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

Contemporary English Version
So he brought his parents to the king of Moab, and they stayed with him while David was in hiding.

English Revised Version
And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He brought them to the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was living in his fortified camp.

Good News Translation
So David left his parents with the king of Moab, and they stayed there as long as David was hiding out in the cave.

International Standard Version
David left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time David was in the stronghold.

Majority Standard Bible
So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

NET Bible
So he had them stay with the king of Moab; they stayed with him the whole time that David was in the stronghold.

New Heart English Bible
He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

World English Bible
He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he leads them before the king of Moab, and they dwell with him all the days of David’s being in the fortress.

Young's Literal Translation
and he leadeth them before the king of Moab, and they dwell with him all the days of David's being in the fortress.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he conducted them before the king of Moab: and they will dwell with him all the days David was in the fortress.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he left them under the eyes of the king of Moab, and they abode with him all the days that David was in the hold.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he left them before the face of the king of Moab. And they stayed with him for all the days that David was in the stronghold.

New American Bible
He left them with the king of Moab; they stayed with him as long as David remained in the stronghold.

New Revised Standard Version
He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he left them with the king of Moab; and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in Mizpeh.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he left them with the King of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the days when was David in Metspaya
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he brought them before the king of Moab; and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he persuaded the King of Moab, and they dwell with him continually, while David was in the hold.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Flees to Adullam and Mizpeh
3From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.” 4So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold. 5Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.…

Cross References
Ruth 1:1-5
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. / The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there. / Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, ...

2 Samuel 9:1-13
Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?” / And there was a servant of the house of Saul named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. / So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.” ...

2 Samuel 19:31-40
Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there. / Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. / The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.” ...

1 Kings 2:7
But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

1 Kings 17:8-16
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: / “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” / So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” ...

2 Kings 4:1-7
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” / “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” / “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. ...

2 Kings 8:1-6
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” / So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines. / At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land. ...

Psalm 27:10
Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

Psalm 37:25
I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Isaiah 16:3-4
“Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees. / Let my fugitives stay with you; be a refuge for Moab from the destroyer.” When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ceased, and the oppressors have vanished from the land,

Jeremiah 49:11
Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.”

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...

Mark 9:41
Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.

Luke 4:25-26
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. / Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.


Treasury of Scripture

And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelled with him all the while that David was in the hold.

in the hold

2 Samuel 23:13,14
And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim…

1 Chronicles 12:16
And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.

Gad

2 Samuel 24:11
For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

1 Chronicles 21:9
And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

1 Chronicles 29:29
Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,

depart

1 Samuel 23:1-6
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors…

Nehemiah 6:11
And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

Psalm 11:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

David departed

Matthew 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Jump to Previous
Abode David David's Dwell Dwelt Hold Leadeth Moab Safe Stronghold Time
Jump to Next
Abode David David's Dwell Dwelt Hold Leadeth Moab Safe Stronghold Time
1 Samuel 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














So he left them
This phrase refers to David's action of entrusting his parents to the care of the king of Moab. The Hebrew root for "left" is "נָחָה" (nachah), which can also mean to guide or lead. This indicates David's intentional and protective decision to ensure the safety of his family during a tumultuous time. Historically, David's connection to Moab is significant, as his great-grandmother Ruth was a Moabitess, suggesting a familial bond that might have influenced his decision.

with the king of Moab
The king of Moab at this time is not named in the text, but Moab was a neighboring nation east of the Dead Sea. The Moabites were often in conflict with Israel, yet here we see a moment of cooperation. This highlights the complex political landscape of the time, where alliances could be formed out of necessity. The Moabites' willingness to harbor David's family may reflect the respect or fear they had for David, who was gaining a reputation as a formidable leader.

and they stayed with him
The Hebrew word for "stayed" is "יָשַׁב" (yashab), meaning to dwell or remain. This implies a period of stability and safety for David's family amidst the chaos of Saul's pursuit. It underscores the theme of divine provision and protection, as God provides refuge for David's family in a foreign land, echoing the broader biblical narrative of God as a refuge for His people.

as long as David was in the stronghold
The "stronghold" refers to a place of security and defense, likely the cave of Adullam or another fortified location where David sought refuge from Saul. The Hebrew term "מְצוּדָה" (metsudah) conveys the idea of a fortress or a place of safety. This period in David's life is marked by his reliance on God for protection and guidance. The stronghold symbolizes not only a physical place of safety but also a spiritual refuge, as David often turned to God in prayer and worship during his time in hiding.

(4) While that David was in the hold.--This "hold" is, of course, identical with the "hold" of 1Samuel 22:5, from which Gad the prophet directs David to depart, and to return into the land of Judah. It was, most likely, in the Land of Moab.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So he left
וַיַּנְחֵ֕ם (way·yan·ḥêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5148: To guide, to transport

them in
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

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

of the king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Moab,
מוֹאָ֑ב (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

and they stayed
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ (way·yê·šə·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

with
עִמּ֔וֹ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

him the whole
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

time
יְמֵ֥י (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

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

was
הֱיוֹת־ (hĕ·yō·wṯ-)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in the stronghold.
בַּמְּצוּדָֽה׃ (bam·mə·ṣū·ḏāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4686: A net, capture, a fastness


Links
1 Samuel 22:4 NIV
1 Samuel 22:4 NLT
1 Samuel 22:4 ESV
1 Samuel 22:4 NASB
1 Samuel 22:4 KJV

1 Samuel 22:4 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 22:4 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 22:4 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 22:4 French Bible
1 Samuel 22:4 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 22:4 He brought them before the king (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 22:3
Top of Page
Top of Page