1 Samuel 16:21

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons.

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 messengers to Jesse to say, "Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep."

20 Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine.

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons.

22 Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: "I like David. Let him stay here in my service."

23 From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.