1 Samuel 17:58

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...

Verse 1 Samuel 17:58. _WHOSE SON_ ART _THOU_, THOU _YOUNG MAN?_] That Saul should not know David with whom he had treated a little before, and even armed him for the combat, and that he should not know who his father was, though he had sent to his father for permission to David to reside constantly with him, (1 Samuel 16:22), is exceedingly strange! I fear all Bishop Warburton's attempts to rectify the chronology by assumed _anticipations_, will not account for this. I must honestly confess they do not satisfy me; and I must refer the reader to what immediately follows on the authenticity of the verses which concern this subject. ON the subject of that large omission in the Septuagint of which I have spoken on...

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 SAUL SAID UNTO HIM, WHOSE SON [ART] THOU, [THOU] YOUNG MAN?.... Still the question was such as did not necessarily imply ignorance of his person, but of his family: AND DAVID ANSWERED, I [AM] THE SON OF THY SERVANT JESSE THE BETHLEHEMITE; which doubtless refreshed the memory of Saul, and he quickly called to mind who he was. This interview was very probably at Gibeah of Saul, which was the place of his birth and residence, 1 Samuel 10:26, and where he kept his court, and to which he returned after the above victory was obtained....

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

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

_Saul Inquires About David's Background._ 1 Samuel 17:55-58 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. 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling _is._ 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son _art_ thou, _thou_ young man? And David answered, _I am_ the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. _21._ Why did Saul seemingly fail to recognize David? 1 Samuel 17:55-58 This does not necessarily mean tha

DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH 1 Samuel 17:1 to 1 Samuel 18:5 is evidently taken from a different document from 1 Samuel 16:14. In 1 Samuel 16:14; David is a man of war, and skilful in speech, and an expert harper, and has already become Saul's musician and armourbearer. In 1 Samuel 17 he is still a shepherd lad, who is personally unknown to Saul. LXX tries to get rid of the difficulty by omitting several vv., but the attempt is not altogether successful....