1 Samuel 17:12

12 Now David was the son of that Efratite of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, whose name was Yishai; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Sha'ul, stricken [in years] among men.

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Samuel 17:12 In-Context

10 The Pelishti said, I defy the armies of Yisra'el this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11 When Sha'ul and all Yisra'el heard those words of the Pelishti, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of that Efratite of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, whose name was Yishai; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Sha'ul, stricken [in years] among men.

13 The three eldest sons of Yishai had gone after Sha'ul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eli'av the firstborn, and next to him Avinadav, and the third Shammah.

14 David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Sha'ul.