1 Samuel 17:25

25 The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and 1will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."

1 Samuel 17:25 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:25

And the men of Israel said
To one another:

have ye seen this man that is come up?
taken notice of him, and observed him?

surely to defy Israel is he come up;
to challenge them to fight with him, and upbraid them with cowardice that they did not:

and it shall be [that] the man who killeth him;
this, and what follows, they said to encourage any person to engage with him, though none of them cared to encounter him themselves:

the king will enrich him with great riches;
give him a large gratuity, make a present of a great sum of money to him:

and will give him his daughter to be his wife,
in like manner as Caleb promised to give his daughter in marriage to the person that should take Kirjathsepher, ( Judges 1:12 ) ;

and make his father's house free in Israel;
from all tributes, taxes, levies, impositions, king's service, and duty; or, as the Targum,

``make his father's house freemen, nobles;''

raise it to the rank of nobility.

1 Samuel 17:25 In-Context

23 As he was talking with them, behold, the champion , the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.
24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.
25 The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."
26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"
27 The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, "Thus it will be done for the man who kills him."

Cross References 1

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. I.e. free from taxes and public service
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