Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for I Samuel 21:14

וַיְשַׁנּ֤וֹ אֶת־טַעְמוֹ֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּתְהֹלֵ֖ל בְּיָדָ֑ם ויתו [וַיְתָיו֙] עַל־דַּלְת֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔עַר וַיּ֥וֹרֶד רִיר֖וֹ אֶל־זְקָנֽוֹ׃

And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Rashi on I Samuel

His behavior. His words.
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Rashi on I Samuel

And feigned madness. He acted insane.11The Midrash relates that Dovid said to ה׳ that he understood all creation of ה׳ with the exception of madness, for which he saw no purpose. ה׳ then responded that He will demonstrate to him the value of madness and that Dovid will need it.12I.e., he wrote in a normal handwriting, irrational statements.
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Rashi on I Samuel

He scribbled. He wrote.13He wrote, ‘Ochish the King of Gas owes me one hundred thousand gold coins and his wife owes me fifty.’
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Rashi on I Samuel

His saliva. His saliva; anything which drips is called 'ריר' as in, 'in saliva [בְּרִיר] of health',14Iyov 6:6. and as in, '[whether] his flesh run [דָר]'.15Vayikra 15:3.
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