1 Samuel 17:39

39 Puis David ceignit l'épée de Saül sur ses vêtements, et se mit à marcher; car jamais il ne s'y était essayé. Et David dit à Saül: Je ne saurais marcher avec ces armes; car je n'y suis pas accoutumé. Et David les ôta de dessus lui.

1 Samuel 17:39 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:39

And David girded his, sword upon his armour
Which Saul also perhaps furnished him with:

and he assayed to go;
made an attempt, and had a mind to go thus accoutred; he at first showed an inclination to go in such an habit, but afterwards would not:

for he had not proved [it];
as warriors were wont to do; so Achilles did F9; he never made trial of such armour before, he had not been used to it, and knew not how to behave in it, or walk with it on him; it was an encumbrance to him: Abarbinel renders it, "but he had not proved [it]"; he would have gone with it but for that reason; the Targum is,

``because there was no miracle in them;''

because if he had made use of this, there would have been no appearance of a miracle in getting the victory over the Philistine, as was by using only a sling and stones:

and David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved
[them];
he thought fit to acquaint Saul with it that he could not go thus accoutred, and his reason for it, lest he should be offended with him:

and David put them off him;
took off the helmet from his head, ungirt the sword upon his armour, and stripped himself of his coat of mail, and went forth entirely unarmed.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Homer. Iliad. 19. ver. 384, 385. so Theocrit. Idyll. 10. ver. 61.

1 Samuel 17:39 In-Context

37 David dit encore: L'Éternel, qui m'a délivré de la griffe du lion et de la patte de l'ours, me délivrera de la main de ce Philistin. Alors Saül dit à David: Va, et que l'Éternel soit avec toi!
38 Et Saül fit revêtir David de ses vêtements, lui mit un casque d'airain sur la tête, et le revêtit d'une cuirasse;
39 Puis David ceignit l'épée de Saül sur ses vêtements, et se mit à marcher; car jamais il ne s'y était essayé. Et David dit à Saül: Je ne saurais marcher avec ces armes; car je n'y suis pas accoutumé. Et David les ôta de dessus lui.
40 Mais il prit en sa main son bâton, et choisit dans le torrent cinq cailloux bien polis, et les mit dans la panetière de berger qu'il avait sur lui, et dans sa poche; et, sa fronde à la main, il s'approcha du Philistin.
41 Le Philistin vint aussi, et s'approcha de David; et l'homme qui portait son bouclier marchait devant lui.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.