1 Samuel 17:16

16 And the Philistine draweth nigh, morning and evening, and stationeth himself forty days.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Samuel 17:16 In-Context

14 And David is the youngest, and the three eldest have gone after Saul,

15 and David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem.

16 And the Philistine draweth nigh, morning and evening, and stationeth himself forty days.

17 And Jesse saith to David his son, `Take, I pray thee, to thy brethren, an ephah of this roasted [corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

18 and these ten cuttings of the cheese thou dost take in to the head of the thousand, and thy brethren thou dost inspect for welfare, and their pledge dost receive.'