1 Samuel 26:5

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him.
KJV
And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
WEB
Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.
ASV
And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him.
DARBY
And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay within the wagon-defence, and the people were encamped round about him.
BLB
And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped there. And David saw the place where Saul lay there, and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army. And Saul lay within the camp, and the people encamped all around him.
ÅB
Så brøt David opp og kom til det sted hvor Saul hadde leiret seg, og David så stedet hvor Saul og hans hærfører Abner, Ners sønn, hadde lagt seg til å sove; Saul lå i vognborgen, men folket hadde leiret seg rundt omkring ham.
OTB
David reiste seg da og kom til stedet der Saul hadde slått leir. Og David så stedet der Saul lå, og Abner, sønn av Ner, hærføreren hans. Nå lå Saul i den indre kretsen av leiren, og folket lå leiret rundt ham.
B1930
Så brøt David op og kom til det sted hvor Saul hadde leiret sig, og David så stedet hvor Saul og hans hærfører Abner, Ners sønn, hadde lagt sig til å sove; Saul lå i vognborgen, men folket hadde leiret sig rundt omkring ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 17:55

    And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 14:50–51

    And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 17:20

    And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 3:7–8

    And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 3:33–38

    And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

    Read in context
  • 1 Chronicles 9:39

    And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 2:8–12

    But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 9:1

    Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

    Read in context