Bible Strands
1 Kings 11:21
When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Hadad, an Edomite prince raised in Pharaoh’s household, addresses the Egyptian king immediately after receiving news of David’s death and Joab’s execution. He formally petitions for permission to depart Egypt and return to his homeland.
The words — The Hebrew verb שָׁמַע (sha.Ma') records Hadad’s reception of the report, while שָׁכַב (sha.Khav) literally describes David lying down with his ancestors, a direct textual description of death rather than a metaphor.
The thread — The pattern of departing a foreign court after a threat ends appears in Exodus 4:19, where God directs Moses to leave Midian because his pursuers are dead. The death of a monarch also marks a structural shift in 1 Kings 2:10, where David’s burial concludes a reign.
Why it lands — The text presents a straightforward political request triggered by specific deaths, requiring the reader to track how the removal of a protector alters exile dynamics. It asks the reader to observe the precise conditions under which a displaced figure may petition for restoration.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 2:10 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
- Genesis 45:24 Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!”
- Exodus 4:19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”
- Joshua 2:21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
- 1 Samuel 9:26 They got up early in the morning, and just before dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way!” So Saul got ready, and both he and Samuel went outside together.
- 2 Samuel 3:21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
- 1 Kings 2:34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.
- Matthew 2:20 “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.”