1 Samuel 17:55

_AND WHEN SAUL SAW DAVID GO FORTH AGAINST THE PHILISTINE, HE SAID UNTO ABNER, THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST, ABNER, WHOSE SON IS THIS YOUTH? AND ABNER SAID, AS THY SOUL LIVETH, O KING, I CANNOT TELL._ Saul ... said unto Abner ... whose son is this youth? A young man is more spoken of in many Eastern countries by his father's name than his own. The growth of the beard and other changes on a now full-grown youth prevented the king from recognizing his former favourite minstrel....

48-58 See how frail and uncertain life is, even when a man thinks himself best fortified; how quickly, how easily, and by how small a matter, the passage may be opened for life to go out, and death to enter! Let not the strong man glory in his strength, nor the armed man in his armour. God resists the proud, and pours contempt on those who defy him and his people. No one ever hardened his heart against God and prospered. The history is recorded, that all may exert themselves for the honour of God, and the support of his cause, with bold and unshaken reliance on him. There is one conflict in which all the followers of the Lamb are, and must be engaged; one enemy, more formidable than Goliath, still challenges the armies of Israel. But "resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Go forth to battle with the faith of David, and the powers of darkness shall not stand against you. But how o...

WHOSE SON ... - See the marginal reference note....

EXPOSITION 1 SAMUEL 17:20-9 HE CAME TO THE TRENCH. More probably the barricade, or outer circle of defence for their camp, made of their wagons (see on 1 Samuel 10:22). Strictly the word means a _wagon track, _but the primary meaning of the verb is _to be round. _This was the shape of camps in old time, and they were protected against surprise by having the wagons and baggage placed round them. The word occurs again in 1 Samuel 26:5, 1 Samuel 26:7. The latter part of the verse is literally, "And he came to the circle of the wagons, and to the host that was goi

AND WHEN SAUL SAW DAVID GO FORTH AGAINST THE PHILISTINE,.... Set out to meet him, and engage with him, as he might from the side of the mountain, where he was encamped: HE SAID UNTO ABNER, THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST; his own cousin, whom he had raised to this high post in the army, 1 Samuel 14:50; ABNER, WHOSE SON [IS] THIS YOUTH? it is thought strange by many that Saul should not know who he was, when he had been often at his court, and served him as a musician, and had been very useful to him, and he loved him, and made him his armourbearer, and even had just now conversed with him about encountering with the Philistine, and had clothed him with his own armour: to get rid of the former part of the objection, some have supposed that this event happened before David was his musician and armourbearer, and is by anticipation spoken of in...

2. DAVID AND GOLIATH CHAPTER 17 _ 1. Goliath of Gath, the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:1)_ 2. David's errand and inquiry (1 Samuel 17:12) 3. David's offer to fight Goliath (1 Samuel 17:31) 4. David's victory (1 Samuel 17:41) 5. Saul's inquiry (1 Samuel 17:55) Modern critics are practically unanimous in regarding the story of this chapter as unhistorical. One of the leading arguments they advance is the statement found in...

1 SAMUEL 17:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 18:5. DAVID AND GOLIATH (E, with additione by R). In this section two narratives seem to have been interwoven. For the sake of convenience, we may denote one set of passages by (A), and the other by (B), thus: (A) 1 Samuel 17:1; 1 Samuel 17:32. (B) 1 Samuel 17:12; 1 Samuel 17:55 to 1 Samuel 18:5. The (B) passages, together w

WHOSE SON... ? Though Saul had just had an interview with David, he did not know his father, whom he had promised (1 Samuel 17:25) to make free in Israel. Note in all these passages _(verses:_ 55, 56, 58) Saul's inquiry is not about David, but about David's father. THY SOUL. thyself (emph.) Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

Saul's inquiry concerning David's parentage 55. _he said unto Abner_ This section is not found in the Septuagint (B). On the difficulty of reconciling it with ch. 16 see Note VI. P. 241....

WHOSE SON IS THIS YOUTH? &C.— Saul probably knew David's person, but had forgotten the name of his father. He does not ask, therefore, who the youth is, but _whose son_ he is; a question of the more consequence to him, as he had promised his daughter in marriage to the conqueror of Goliath. Besides, as David had been for some time absent from Saul, perhaps a year or two, what is there improbable, that the youth, who had been so little with Saul, should, after such an absence, not even be remembered by him in person at first view; especially as he was now in his shepherd's habit, and not in that of one of Saul's guards (see the note ch. 1 Samuel 16:21.); and when Saul had himself been employed in a multiplicity of important affairs, seen such a variety of different persons since the first interview with David, and had been disordered by the melancholy of his own mind? But it is mu