1 Samuel 17:12

12 David autem erat filius viri ephrathei de quo supra dictum est de Bethleem Iuda cui erat nomen Isai qui habebat octo filios et erat vir in diebus Saul senex et grandevus inter viros

1 Samuel 17:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:12

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah,
whose name was Jesse Before made mention of, ( 1 Chronicles 16:1 )

and he had eight sons;
seven only are mentioned, ( 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 ) one of them being, as is thought by some, a grandson, perhaps Jonadab the son of Shammah; or was a son by another woman, or died without children, as Jarchi, and therefore not mentioned:

and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul;
the phrase, "among men", either signifies that he was ranked among old men, infirm and unfit for war, and so excused, and his sons went in his room, so Kimchi; or he was reckoned among men of the first rank, men of esteem, credit, and reputation, so Jarchi and R. Isaiah, with which agrees the Targum; or whenever he went abroad, he was attended by many men, had a large retinue, which sense Abarbinel mentions, and is that of Ben Gersom, and agrees with the Talmud ^F20; but the Syriac and Arabic versions read "stricken in years", which seems most agreeable.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 T. Bab. Beracot: fol. 58. 1.

1 Samuel 17:12 In-Context

10 et aiebat Philistheus ego exprobravi agminibus Israhelis hodie date mihi virum et ineat mecum singulare certamen

11 audiens autem Saul et omnes viri israhelitae sermones Philisthei huiuscemodi stupebant et metuebant nimis

12 David autem erat filius viri ephrathei de quo supra dictum est de Bethleem Iuda cui erat nomen Isai qui habebat octo filios et erat vir in diebus Saul senex et grandevus inter viros

13 abierunt autem tres filii eius maiores post Saul in proelium et nomina trium filiorum eius qui perrexerant ad bellum Heliab primogenitus et secundus Abinadab tertiusque Samma

14 David autem erat minimus tribus ergo maioribus secutis Saulem