1 Samuel 17:20

1 Samuel 17:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
• New International Version (NIV)Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.

Context of 1 Samuel 17:20

18Also take these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of the unit. See how your brothers are doing and bring back news of them. 19Now they are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, picked up the provisions and went just as Jesse had directed him. And he came to the encampment as the army was going out in battle formation shouting the battle cry. 21Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22Then David left his provisions in the care of the supply keeper, and ran to the ranks and came and greeted his brothers.

1 Samuel 17:20 word by word

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם דָּוִ֜ד בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּטֹּ֤שׁ אֶת־הַצֹּאן֙ עַל־שֹׁמֵ֔ר וַיִּשָּׂ֣א וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖הוּ יִשָׁ֑י וַיָּבֹא֙ הַמַּעְגָּ֔לָה וְהַחַ֗יִל הַיֹּצֵא֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔ה וְהֵרֵ֖עוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• rose up earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
• in the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• and leftנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
• the sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• with a keeperשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• and tookנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• and wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• as Jesseיִשַׁיyishay 'îyshay · JesseH3448
• had commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• him; and he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the trenchמַעְגָּלma‛gâl ma‛gâlâh · trackH4570
• as the hostחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• was going forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• to the fightמַעֲרָכָהma‛ărâkâh · rankH4634
• and shoutedרוּעַrûa‛ · to shoutH7321
• for the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 17:20

• 1 Samuel 17:28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption (overconfidence) and the evil of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.”
• Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline].
• 1 Samuel 26:5So David arose and went to the place where Saul had camped, and saw the spot where Saul lay, as well as Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying inside the circle of the camp, with the army camped around him.
• Luke 19:43For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side,

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The trench - Rather, “the wagons,” which were all put together in the camp so as to form a kind of bulwark or fortification (see 1 Samuel 26:5, 1 Samuel 26:7). Here David left his “carriage” 1 Samuel 17:22, i. e., the things which he had carried, “his things” as we should say, or baggage (translated stuff in 1 Samuel 10:22; 1 Samuel 25:13; 1 Samuel 30:24). There seems to have been an officer (“the keeper,” 1 Samuel 17:22) in the Hebrew army whose charge…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-30Verses 12-30 Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army at that critical juncture; but the wise God orders actions and affairs, so as to serve his designs. In times of general formality and lukewarmness, every degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to venture more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride and ambition, and by none more than by near relations, like Eliab, or negligent superiors. It was a trial of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. David left the sheep with a keeper--This is the only instance in which the hired shepherd is distinguished from the master or one of his family. trench--some feeble attempt at a rampart. It appears (see Margin) to have been formed by a line of carts or chariots, which, from the earliest times, was the practice of nomad people.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 17:20

• Armies
• Battle
• Championship
• Decision
• Jesse
• Rising

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jesse
• Arise
• Assay
• Carriage
• Cause
• Coat
• Elhanan
• Naughtiness
• Prevail

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings