Shmuel Alef 16:21

21 And Dovid came to Sha’ul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his no’se kelim (armor-bearer).

Shmuel Alef 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Shmuel Alef 16:21 In-Context

19 Wherefore Sha’ul sent malachim unto Yishai, and said, Send me Dovid binecha, which is with the tzon.

20 And Yishai took a chamor laden with lechem, and a skin of yayin, and a gedi (young goat), and sent them by Dovid bno unto Sha’ul.

21 And Dovid came to Sha’ul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his no’se kelim (armor-bearer).

22 And Sha’ul sent to Yishai, saying, Let Dovid, now, stand before me; for he hath found chen (favor) in my eyes.

23 And it came to pass, when the ruach Elohim was upon Sha’ul, that Dovid took the kinnor, and played with his yad; so Sha’ul was relieved, and was tov, and the ruach hara’ah departed from him.