1 Samuel 17:29

29 David replied, "What have I done now? {I merely asked a question}!

1 Samuel 17:29 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:29

And David said, what have I now done?
&c.] That is criminal and blameworthy; as if he should say, I have only expressed an indignation against this uncircumcised Philistine, and a concern for the glory of God, and the honour of the people of Israel:

[is there] not a cause?
either for his coming to the camp, being sent by his father; or of his expressing himself with indignation at the Philistine's defiance of the armies of Israel. Some take the sense to be, that he had done nothing, he had not committed any fact; it was mere words what he had said, he had attempted nothing, and therefore there was no reason to bear so hard upon him; to this purpose is the Targum,

``what have I done as yet? is it not a word "only" which I have spoken?''

but the former sense seems best.

1 Samuel 17:29 In-Context

27 And the troops had spoken to him according to this word, saying, "So it will be done for the man who defeats him."

28 His oldest brother Eliab heard while he was speaking to the men, {and Eliab became very angry against David} and said, "Why have you come down today, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumptuousness and the evil of your heart! For you have come down in order to see the battle!"

29 David replied, "What have I done now? {I merely asked a question}!

30 He turned around from him to another opposite [him] and {he spoke to him in the same way}, and the people {answered him as before}.

31 Now the words which David had spoken were heard and they reported [them] {to} Saul, and he summoned him.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "[Is] this not a word?"