1 Samuel 21:14Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?
The setting
Gath, Philistine territory, ~1020 BC. David stands drooling and scratching at doors before King Achish. Modern-day Tell es-Safi, Israel.
The emotion here: disgusted and annoyed at the waste of his time
The original word
məhōlēl (מְהֹלֵל) — acting like a madman, feigning insanity as survival strategy
Why it matters
Gath was Goliath's hometown - David was hiding among the family of the giant he killed
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 21:14
David wrote Psalm 34 after this humiliating episode - titled 'when he feigned madness'
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows David's lack of faith, but it actually demonstrates strategic thinking under extreme pressure - even godly people must use wisdom to survive.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 21:14
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 21:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 21:14 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Achish. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include deception success, judgment. Notable phrases: you see the man is mad.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 21:14 mean to you, today?
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