1 Samuel 26:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David pleads to be heard, distinguishing whether God or wicked men have set Saul against him, and laments being driven from the Lord's land.
What Does 1 Samuel 26:19 Mean?
David asks for a hearing and lays out two possibilities. If the Lord has stirred Saul against him, then let an offering make peace; but if men have poisoned the king's mind, those slanderers stand cursed for driving David from the inheritance of the LORD, as if exile meant being pushed to serve other gods.
David's deepest grief is not the loss of safety but the loss of the place where he could worship among God's people. To be driven from the inheritance felt like being pressed toward foreign altars. Here is a heart that treasures nearness to God above comfort, and that longs, even in exile, to keep faith with the Lord. Such hunger for God's presence is itself a mark of true devotion.
1 Samuel 26:19 in the Original Language
nachalah (נַחֲלָה), 'inheritance' -- the covenant land bound up with belonging to the Lord and His people.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 26:19
What does 1 Samuel 26:19 mean?
David pleads to be heard, distinguishing whether God or wicked men have set Saul against him, and laments being driven from the Lord's land.