1 Samuel 16:21

21 And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.

1 Samuel 16:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 16:21

And David came to Saul, and stood before him
As a servant, and ministered to him in the way, and for the purpose for which he was sent:

and he loved him greatly;
being a comely person, and a well behaved youth, and especially as he was serviceable to him with his music, in driving away melancholy from him:

and he became his armourbearer;
that is, he appointed him to this office, though we never read that he exercised it; nor did he go with Saul in this capacity to the battle related in the following chapter: it may be literally rendered: "and he was to him a bearer of vessels", or "instruments" ^F17; and Abarbinel thinks this is to be understood not of instruments of war, but of instruments of music to play with; which he brought in and bare before him when he went in to the king.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (Mylk avn wl yhyw) "et fuit ei ferens vasa", Montanus; "ferens instrumenta", Piscator.

1 Samuel 16:21 In-Context

19 So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.

20 And Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.

21 And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.

23 And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.