1 Samuel 17:24

24 omnes autem Israhelitae cum vidissent virum fugerunt a facie eius timentes eum valde

1 Samuel 17:24 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:24

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man
Even as it should seem before they heard him; knowing who he was, and what he was about to say, having seen and heard him forty days running:

fled from him, and were sore afraid;
it is pretty much a whole army should be afraid of one man, and flee from him; they must be greatly forsaken of God, and given up by him, see ( Deuteronomy 32:30 ) ; but perhaps they were not so much afraid of personal danger from him, as that they could not bear to hear his blasphemy.

1 Samuel 17:24 In-Context

22 derelinquens ergo David vasa quae adtulerat sub manu custodis ad sarcinas cucurrit ad locum certaminis et interrogabat si omnia recte agerentur erga fratres suos

23 cumque adhuc ille loqueretur eis apparuit vir ille spurius ascendens Goliath nomine Philistheus de Geth ex castris Philisthinorum et loquente eo haec eadem verba audivit David

24 omnes autem Israhelitae cum vidissent virum fugerunt a facie eius timentes eum valde

25 et dixit unus quispiam de Israhel num vidisti virum hunc qui ascendit ad exprobrandum enim Israheli ascendit virum ergo qui percusserit eum ditabit rex divitiis magnis et filiam suam dabit ei et domum patris eius faciet absque tributo in Israhel

26 et ait David ad viros qui stabant secum dicens quid dabitur viro qui percusserit Philistheum hunc et tulerit obprobrium de Israhel quis est enim hic Philistheus incircumcisus qui exprobravit acies Dei viventis