1 Samuel 17:14

14 Now David was the youngest. The three oldest {followed} Saul,

1 Samuel 17:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:14

And David was the youngest
For the sake of whom this account is given of Jesse and his family, and who after this makes a considerable figure in the camp and court of Saul:

and the three eldest followed Saul;
as before related, and which is repeated, that it might be observed that they only of Jesse's sons followed Saul; not David particularly, but who was providentially sent to the army at the time the Philistine was defying it.

1 Samuel 17:14 In-Context

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This [man was] from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. {He had} eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, [yet] he [still] walked among the men.

13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone and {followed} Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, his second [oldest] was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.

14 Now David was the youngest. The three oldest {followed} Saul,

15 but David went {back and forth} from Saul to feed the sheep of his father in Bethlehem.

16 Now the Philistine came forward early and late, and he took his stand [for] forty days.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "went after"