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 portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 19They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 21Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 22After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

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 17:28When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle!”
• Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.
• 1 Samuel 26:5So David set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general in command of his army, were sleeping. Now Saul was lying in the entrenchment, and the army was camped all around him.
• Luke 19:43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from 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