1 Samuel 16:21

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly (and Saul greatly loved him), and he was made his squire.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (Mylk avn wl yhyw) "et fuit ei ferens vasa", Montanus; "ferens instrumenta", Piscator.

1 Samuel 16:21 In-Context

19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send thou to me David thy son, that is keeping thy beasts. (And so Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send thou to me thy son David, who is keeping watch over thy sheep.)

20 And so Jesse took an ass charged with loaves, and a gallon of wine, and a goat kid; and he sent those by the hand of David his son to Saul. (And so Jesse took a donkey loaded with loaves, and a gallon of wine, and a goat kid; and he sent them to Saul with his son David.)

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly (and Saul greatly loved him), and he was made his squire.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, and said, (Let) David stand in my sight, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.

23 Then whenever the evil spirit of the Lord travailed Saul (And whenever the evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul), David took his harp, and harped with his hand, and Saul was comforted, and he had it more lightly; for (then) the evil spirit went away from him.