1 Samuel 17:16

16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.

1 Samuel 17:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:16

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening
Twice a day he came near the camp, within the hearing of it. The Jews F23 say, he took those seasons on purpose to disturb them in reading their "Shema", or "hear, O Israel" and saying their prayers morning and evening:

and presented himself forty days;
Successively, before the armies of Israel, daring them to send down a man to fight with him, and reproaching them for their cowardice in not doing it.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 42. 2.

1 Samuel 17:16 In-Context

14 David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul,
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock at Bethlehem.
16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.
17 Then Jesse said to David his son, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers.
18 "Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them.

Footnotes 1

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