New Living Translation
1 Samuel 17:20
20So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.
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
18And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.” 19David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. 21Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. 22David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.
Read all of 1 Samuel 171 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 17:28But 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!”
- Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.
- 1 Samuel 26:5David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors.
- Luke 19:43Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle 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
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries