1 Samuel 17:24

24 All the men of Yisra'el, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

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 David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

23 As he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Pelishti of Gat, Golyat by name, out of the ranks of the Pelishtim, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.

24 All the men of Yisra'el, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

25 The men of Yisra'el said, Have you seen this man who is come up? surely to defy Yisra'el is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Yisra'el.

26 David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Pelishti, and takes away the reproach from Yisra'el? for who is this uncircumcised Pelishti, that he should defy the armies of the living God?