⁶And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that ^athe women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with gladness, and with ¹musical instruments.

⁷And the women ^asang as they ¹were merry and said,

“^bSaul has struck his thousands,

^cAnd David his ten thousands.”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

1Possibly three-stringed lutes
1Or danced

Cross references

a Ex 15:20, 21; Judg 11:34; Ps 68:25; 149:3
a Ex 15:21; 1 Sam 21:11; 29:5
b 1 Sam 21:11
c 2 Sam 18:3

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,

and David his ten thousands.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. As they danced, the women sang:

Saul has killed his thousands,

but David his tens of thousands.

NLTNew Living Translation

When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song:

“Saul has killed his thousands,

and David his ten thousands!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

When they were coming back after David had returned from striking down the Philistine, the women went out from all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments. And the women sang as they danced, and they said,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,

but David his ten thousands!”

KJV 1900King James Version

And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said,

Saul hath slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands.

Public Domain