Chapter Book
Loading
Change Translation
Loading...
  • Recent Translations
  • All Translations

1 Samuel 16:21

Share

Settings

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.
Read Chapter Compare
PREVIOUS 1 Samuel 16:20 NEXT 1 Samuel 16:22

1 Samuel 16:21 in Other Translations

KJV
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
ESV
21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
NLT
21 So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
MSG
21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him immediately and made him his right-hand man.
CSB
21 When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.

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.

FOOTNOTES:

F17 (Mylk avn wl yhyw) "et fuit ei ferens vasa", Montanus; "ferens instrumenta", Piscator.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

1 Samuel 16:21 In-Context

19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Cross References 1

  • 1. S Genesis 41:46; Proverbs 22:29
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.