1 Samuel 17:44

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then he said to David, 'Come here, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖י אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד לְכָ֣ה אֵלַ֔י וְאֶתְּנָה֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂ֣רְךָ֔ לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ ס

Transliteration

And wayyōʾmer the-pəlištî to-dāwid, "ləkâ to-me, and ʾettənâ ʾet-bəśārəkā to-ʿôp the-šāmayim and-to-behĕmat the-śādeh. s"

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + 3rd masculine singular Qal imperfect of *ʾmr* - and he said
• *pəlištî*: gentilic noun, masculine singular - Philistine
• *dāwid*: proper noun - David
• *ləkâ*: Qal imperative masculine singular of *hlk* + directional he - come
• *ʾettənâ*: 1st singular Qal imperfect cohortative of *ntn* - I will give
• *bəśārəkā*: noun, masculine singular construct + 2nd masculine singular suffix - your flesh
• *ʿôp*: noun, masculine singular construct - birds/fowl
• *šāmayim*: noun, masculine dual - heavens/sky
• *behĕmat*: noun, feminine singular construct - beasts/animals
• *śādeh*: noun, masculine singular - field
• *s*: section marker in Hebrew text

Word Meanings

• *ləkâ*: come/approach/go
• *ʾettənâ*: I will give/I will provide/I will offer
• *bəśārəkā*: your flesh/your body/your carcass
• *ʿôp*: birds/fowl/flying creatures
• *šāmayim*: heavens/sky
• *behĕmat*: beasts/animals/wildlife
• *śādeh*: field/open country/wilderness

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the field.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the Philistine{H6430} said{H559} to David,{H1732} Come{H3212} to me, and I will give{H5414} thy flesh{H1320} unto the birds{H5775} of the heavens,{H8064} and to the beasts{H929} of the field.{H7704}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the Philistine{H6430} said{H559}{(H8799)} to David{H1732}, Come{H3212}{(H8798)} to me, and I will give{H5414}{(H8799)} thy flesh{H1320} unto the fowls{H5775} of the air{H8064}, and to the beasts{H929} of the field{H7704}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and sayde vnto Dauid: Come hither to me, I wil geue thy flesh to the foules vnder the heauen, and to the beastes in the felde.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And the Philistim sayd to Dauid, Come to me, & I will giue thy flesh vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the field.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the Philistine sayde to Dauid: Come to me, and I wyll geue thy fleshe vnto the foules of the ayre, and to the beastes of the fielde.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and the Philistine saith unto David, `Come unto me, and I give thy flesh to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the Philistine said to David, Come here to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

• World English Bible (2000)

  The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The Philistine said to David,“Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!”

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 20:10-11 : 10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message: 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for even a handful for each of the people who follow me.' 11 The king of Israel replied, 'Tell him: One who arms himself for battle should not boast as if he is already victorious.'
• Ezek 28:9-9 : 9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” in the presence of those who kill you? Yet you are a man and not a god in the hands of those who wound you. 10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hand of outsiders, for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.
• Ezek 39:17-20 : 17 Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Speak to every kind of bird and all the wild animals, 'Assemble and come together from all around to my sacrifice that I am offering for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood.' 18 You shall eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all fattened animals from Bashan. 19 You will eat fat until you are satisfied and drink blood until you are drunk, from the sacrifice that I have prepared for you. 20 At my table, you will be filled with horses and riders, mighty men and all warriors,' declares the Lord GOD.
• 1 Sam 17:46 : 46 'Today, the LORD will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you down and cut off your head. I will give the corpses of the Philistines’ army today to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.'
• Prov 18:12 : 12 Before destruction, the heart of a person is proud, but humility comes before honor.
• Eccl 9:11-12 : 11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor does bread come to the wise, nor riches to the discerning, nor favor to the knowledgeable; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For no one knows their time. Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so are people ensnared by an evil time when it suddenly falls upon them.
• Jer 9:23 : 23 But let the one who boasts boast in this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight, declares the Lord.
• Ezek 28:2 : 2 Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Because your heart has grown proud, and you have said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas,” but you are a man and not a god, though you have set your heart as if it were the heart of a god—