Bible Strands
1 Samuel 21:8
Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David addresses the priest Ahimelech at Nob while fleeing Saul’s pursuit. He poses the inquiry immediately after arriving at the sanctuary during a sudden departure.
The words — The phrase וְ/אִ֛ין יֶשׁ־פֹּה (ve./'In yesh- poh) literally means "and where [is there] here?" It functions as a direct request for available equipment.
The thread — The text records a displaced leader seeking arms during an urgent mission, a detail that 1 Samuel 21:9 resolves when Ahimelech points to Goliath’s sword. The narrative tracks how fleeing figures navigate immediate physical needs within sacred spaces.
Why it lands — The verse presents a practical moment of vulnerability where urgent duty overrides standard preparation. It requires the reader to observe how necessity drives the search for resources before the text supplies them.
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 David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.