1 Samuel 17:11

11 Und Saul und ganz Israel hörten diese Worte des Philisters, und sie erschraken und fürchteten sich sehr.

1 Samuel 17:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:11

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,
&c.] For they were delivered with such a tone and strength of voice, as to be heard very generally, at least by many, and which soon was reported through the whole army:

they were dismayed, and greatly afraid;
which may seem strange, when there were so many valiant men among them, as Saul himself, who had behaved with so much courage against the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites; but now the Spirit of God was departed from him, and he was become timorous and fearful; and though he was much better than he had been, yet still he was not the man of spirit and resolution as before: there was also Abner, the general of his army, a very valiant man, a great man in Israel, and yet appears not on this occasion; and, what is more wonderful, Jonathan the son of Saul was present, as appears from ( 1 Samuel 18:1 ) who had not only smitten a garrison of the Philistines, but with one man more only had attacked another garrison, and routed the whole army of the Philistines, and yet now shows not his head against a single man: so it is when God cuts off the spirits of princes, or takes away their courage; victory over this man, and the glory of it, were reserved for David; and all this fear and dread throughout the armies of Israel were suffered, that he might appear the more glorious.

1 Samuel 17:11 In-Context

9 Wenn er mit mir zu kämpfen vermag und mich erschlägt, so wollen wir eure Knechte sein; wenn ich ihn aber überwinde und ihn erschlage, so sollt ihr unsere Knechte sein und uns dienen.

10 Und der Philister sprach: Ich habe die Schlachtreihen Israels verhöhnt an diesem Tage! Gebet mir einen Mann, daß wir miteinander kämpfen!

11 Und Saul und ganz Israel hörten diese Worte des Philisters, und sie erschraken und fürchteten sich sehr.

12 David nun war der Sohn jenes Ephratiters von Bethlehem-Juda, dessen Name Isai war und der acht Söhne hatte; und der Mann war in den Tagen Sauls alt, im Alter vorgerückt unter den Männern.

13 Und die drei ältesten Söhne Isais waren hingegangen, sie waren Saul nachgefolgt zum Streit; und die Namen seiner drei Söhne, die in den Streit gezogen, waren: Eliab, der Erstgeborene, und sein Zweiter, Abinadab, und der Dritte, Schamma.