New International Version
1 Samuel 17:28
28When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
1 Samuel 17:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”
Context of 1 Samuel 17:28
26David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 29“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.
Read all of 1 Samuel 171 Samuel 17:28 word by word
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֱלִיאָב֙ אָחִ֣יו הַגָּד֔וֹל בְּדַבְּר֖וֹ אֶל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיִּֽחַר־אַף֩ אֱלִיאָ֨ב בְּדָוִ֜ד וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ לָמָּה־זֶּ֣ה יָרַ֗דְתָּ וְעַל־מִ֨י נָטַ֜שְׁתָּ מְעַ֨ט הַצֹּ֤אן הָהֵ֙נָּה֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲנִ֧י יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶת־זְדֹנְךָ֗ וְאֵת֙ רֹ֣עַ לְבָבֶ֔ךָ כִּ֗י לְמַ֛עַן רְא֥וֹת הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה יָרָֽדְתָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Eliabאֱלִיאָב'ĕlîy'âb · EliabH446
- his eldestגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: oldH1419
- brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- when he spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- was kindledחָרָהchârâh · to be incensedH2734
- against Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Why camest thou downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- hither? and with whom hast thou leftנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
- thoseהֵנָּהhênnâh · they(fem.)H2007
- fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- thy prideזָדוֹןzâdôn · arroganceH2087
- and the naughtinessרֹעַrôa‛ · evilH7455
- of thine heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- that thou mightest seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 17:28
- 1 Samuel 16:13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
- Genesis 37:4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
- Proverbs 18:19A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
- Proverbs 27:4Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
- Ecclesiastes 4:4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
- Matthew 10:36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
- Matthew 27:18For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
- Mark 3:21When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
- 1 Samuel 17:20Early 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.
- 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
- Psalms 35:11Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
- Jude 1:10Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17:28
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Why camest thou down? - From the heights of Bethlehem to the valley of Elah. Thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart - See the similar expression, Jeremiah 49. Compare the envy of Jacob‘s sons toward Joseph, and of the slanders heaped upon the Son of David in the days of His flesh.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
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28Eliab was angry, possibly because he was jealous that David was chosen to be king instead of him (1 Samuel 16:6–13).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 17:28
In the dictionaries
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
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