1 Samuel 17:34

1 Samuel 17:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
• New International Version (NIV)But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
• English Standard Version (ESV)But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

Context of 1 Samuel 17:34

32David said to King Saul, ‘We should not be afraid of this Philistine! I am your servant. I am ready to go and fight against him.’ 33Saul replied, ‘You could not fight against this strong Philistine. You are only a boy! He has been a brave soldier since he was a young man.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Sir, I have been a shepherd who takes care of his father's sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear would come to take a lamb from among the sheep. 35Then I would chase after the lion or the bear. I would knock it down and I would save the lamb from its mouth. If the wild animal turned to attack me, I would take hold of its neck. Then I would hit it and kill it. 36I have killed lions and bears like that. I will do the same to this unclean Philistine. He has insulted the army of our God, who lives for ever.

1 Samuel 17:34 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל רֹעֶ֨ה הָיָ֧ה עַבְדְּךָ֛ לְאָבִ֖יו בַּצֹּ֑אן וּבָ֤א הָֽאֲרִי֙ וְאֶת־הַדּ֔וֹב וְנָשָׂ֥א שֶׂ֖ה מֵהָעֵֽדֶר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• Thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• keptרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• and there cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• a lionאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• and a bearדֹּבdôb dôb · bearH1677
• and tookנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• a lambזֶהzeh · lambH2089
• a lambשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
• out of the flockעֵ֫דֶר‛êder · flockH5739

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Thy servant kept his father's sheep - He found it necessary to give Saul the reasons why he undertook this combat; and why he expected to be victorious. I have courage to undertake it, and strength to perform it. Both have been tried in a very signal manner: (1). A lion came upon my flock, and seized a lamb; I ran after him, he attacked me, I seized hold of him by his shaggy locks, smote and slew him, and delivered the lamb. (2). A bear came in the same…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34The narrative does not make it certain whether the lion and the bear came on one and the same, or on two different occasions. If it was on one occasion, the probability would be that the bear, having seized a lamb and carrying it off, a lion appeared to dispute the prize with the bear, or with David after he had taken it from the bear, and that David killed first one and then the other.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-39Verses 31-39 A shepherd lad, come the same morning from keeping sheep, had more courage than all the mighty men of Israel. Thus God often sends good words to his Israel, and does great things for them, by the weak and foolish things of the world. As he had answered his brother's passion with meekness, so David answered Saul's fear with faith. When David kept sheep, he proved himself very careful and tender of his flock. This reminds us of Christ, the good…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 34-3634-36. a lion, and a bear--There were two different rencontres, for those animals prowl alone. The bear must have been a Syrian bear, which is believed to be a distinct species, or perhaps a variety, of the brown bear. The beard applies to the lion alone. Those feats seem to have been performed with no weapons more effective than the rude staves and stones of the field, or his shepherd's crook.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 17:34

• Armies
• Championship
• Courage
• David
• Decision
• Lion
• Shepherd

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Arise
• Assay
• Bear
• Carriage
• Cattle
• Cause
• Coat

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