60 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Saul, and they,.... That is, the sons of Jesse, and brethren of David: and all the men of Israel; the soldiers in the army: were in the valley Elah; or "by" it, near unto it; for they were set in array on the mountain on the side of it: fighting with the Philistines; not actually engaged in battle, but drawn up for it; prepared and in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David rose up early in the morning,.... Being very ready and eager to obey his father's orders, and visit his brethren: and left the sheep with a keeper; which showed his care and faithfulness in the discharge of his office; he was not unmindful of his father's sheep, any more than of his commands: and took; the ephah of parched corn, the ten...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For Israel and all the Philistines had put the battle in array,.... Both sides prepared for it, and drew up in line of battle: army against army; rank against rank, battalion against battalion, the right wing of the one against the left of the other, &c.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David left his carriage in the hand the keeper of the carriage,.... That is, he left load of provisions he brought with him in the hand of the keeper of the bag and baggage of the army, their clothes, and such like things; not having an opportunity to deliver them to his brethren, who were just going to engage in battle: and ran into the army;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And as he talked with them,.... About their health, and the errand he came upon, and the message of his father to them, and how it was with him, who sent them his best wishes: behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name: of whom see 1 Samuel 17:4; he came out of the valley, and drew near to the mountain the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man,.... Even as it should seem before they heard him; knowing who he was, and what he was about to say, having seen and heard him forty days running: fled from him, and were sore afraid; it is pretty much a whole army should be afraid of one man, and flee from him; they must be greatly forsaken of God,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the men of Israel said,.... To one another: have ye seen this man that is come up? taken notice of him, and observed him? surely to defy Israel is he come up; to challenge them to fight with him, and upbraid them with cowardice that they did not: and it shall be [that] the man who killeth him; this, and what follows, they said to encourage any...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David spake to the men that stood by him,.... Who were next to him, looking upon the Philistine, and hearing what he said, saying, what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? which he asked not for the sake of the reward, but to observe the necessity there was of some man's engaging...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the people answered him after this manner,.... Told him what was proposed to be done in honour to the man that should attempt to kill him, and succeed: saying, so shall it be done to the man that killeth him; as before related, that he should be enriched, marry the king's daughter, and his family be ennobled, 1 Samuel 17:25.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men,.... Heard the questions he put to them, by which he perceived his inclination: and Eliab's anger was kindled against David; because what he had said carried in it a tacit reproach of him, and others, that they had not the courage, and did not attempt to encounter with the Philistine;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David said, what have I now done?.... That is criminal and blameworthy; as if he should say, I have only expressed an indignation against this uncircumcised Philistine, and a concern for the glory of God, and the honour of the people of Israel: [is there] not a cause? either for his coming to the camp, being sent by his father; or of his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he turned from him towards another,.... From his brother Eliab, to another person right against him, and directed his discourse to him: and spake after the same manner: as in 1 Samuel 17:26; inquiring what encouragement would he given to a man that should attempt to kill the Philistine, and expressing his concern to hear the armies of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the words were heard which David spake,.... To one, and to another, and these reported to other persons, and so they went from one to another through many hands: they rehearsed [them] before Saul; coming to the ears of some of his courtiers and counsellors, or officers about him, they told him what such an one had said: and he sent for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him,.... The Philistine, though so gigantic, mighty, and blustering: this he said within himself, so Kimchi; as David perceived the hearts of most, if not all, did, since none dared to go out and fight him, but on the contrary fled from him: thy servant will go and fight with this...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Saul said to David, thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him,.... Had neither strength of body, nor skill in military affairs, to encounter with a man of his stature, and warlike genius and practice: for thou [art but] a youth; some say about fourteen or sixteen years of age, but very probably about twenty, and not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David said unto Saul,.... In answer to his objection of inability to encounter with one so superior to him; and this answer is founded on experience and facts, and shows that he was not so weak and inexpert as Saul took him to be: thy servant kept his father's sheep; which he was not ashamed to own, and especially as it furnished him with an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I went out after him,.... Whether a lion or a bear; but mention after being made of his beard, a lion rather is meant: and smote him; with his fist, or rather with his shepherd's staff: and delivered [it] out of his mouth; snatched it out from thence, or obliged him to drop it, by beating him: and when he arose against me; after he had let go...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear,.... At different times, and several of them at one time or another; whenever any of them came into the flock, he used to lay hold on them and kill them, with all the ease imaginable. The Jews suppose this phrase denotes many of them (h). And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them; as he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And David said moreover,.... For the further confirmation of it, and as more strongly expressing his faith of it; not as owing to any natural strength or skill of his, but to the power of God, of whose assistance he made no question: the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear; for to him he ascribes his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Saul armed David with his armour,.... Not with what he wore himself; for it cannot be thought he would strip himself of his armour in the field of battle, and when just going to it; and besides what suited the one would not be fit for the other, their bulk and stature being different i but this was some armour Saul had brought with him,...