1 Samuel 17:16

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

1 Samuel 17:16 in Other Translations

KJV
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
ESV
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
NLT
16 For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.
MSG
16 Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech.
CSB
16 Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

1 Samuel 17:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:16

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening
Twice a day he came near the camp, within the hearing of it. The Jews F23 say, he took those seasons on purpose to disturb them in reading their "Shema", or "hear, O Israel" and saying their prayers morning and evening:

and presented himself forty days;
Successively, before the armies of Israel, daring them to send down a man to fight with him, and reproaching them for their cowardice in not doing it.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 42. 2.

1 Samuel 17:16 In-Context

14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul,
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.
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