1 Samuel 17:20

20 And so David rose (up) early, and he betook the flock to a keeper, and he went charged, as Jesse commanded to him; and he came to the place of Magal, and to the host, the which host went out to the fight, and it cried [out] in the fighting (and he came to the place of the circle of the camp, and to the army, who were going out to the battle, and were shouting out the war-cry).

1 Samuel 17:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:20

And David rose up early in the morning
Being very ready and eager to obey his father's orders, and visit his brethren:

and left the sheep with a keeper;
which showed his care and faithfulness in the discharge of his office; he was not unmindful of his father's sheep, any more than of his commands:

and took;
the ephah of parched corn, the ten loaves, and the ten cheeses:

and went, as Jesse had commanded him;
went and carried them to the camp, according to his orders:

and he came to the trench;
foss or ditch, which was cast up all around the army, partly to prevent the enemy falling on them before, and partly to prevent deserters from them behind; or the word signifying a wagon or carriage, which is here used, this might be a fence around the camp made of wagons fastened to each other; though it may only signify, the camp itself, which lay in a circular form, with proper guards about it to watch the enemy. Now David came up to it just

as the host was going forth to the fight;
preparing and getting every thing ready to the battle, and in motion, and upon the march to meet the enemy:

and shouted for the battle;
which was usually done when about to make the onset, to animate the soldiers, and strike the greater terror into the enemy; and this noise was sometimes made with the voice in a hideous and howling way, and was called "barritus" ^F1 by the Romans; with the Trojans it was like the noise of cranes in the air ^F2; it was also attended with the clashing of shields and spears ^F3; with the Persians, it was a rough, boisterous, and confused noise ^F4.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Vid. Valtrimum de re militar. Roman. l. 5. c. 3. p. 314, 315. & A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 1. c. 11.
F2 Homer. Iliad. 3. ver. 1, 2, 3.
F3 Vid. Lydium de re militari, l. 4. c. 3. p. 158, 159.
F4 Curt. Hist. l. 3. c. 10. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 7.

1 Samuel 17:20 In-Context

18 and thou shalt bare to the tribune these ten small cheeses; and thou shalt visit thy brethren, whether they do rightly (and see if all is well), and learn thou, with which men they be ordained.

19 Forsooth Saul, and they, and all the sons of Israel in the valley of Terebinth fought against the Philistines. (Now Saul, and David's brothers, and all the Israelites were in the Elah Valley fighting against the Philistines.)

20 And so David rose (up) early, and he betook the flock to a keeper, and he went charged, as Jesse commanded to him; and he came to the place of Magal, and to the host, the which host went out to the fight, and it cried [out] in the fighting (and he came to the place of the circle of the camp, and to the army, who were going out to the battle, and were shouting out the war-cry).

21 For Israel had ordained (the) battle array; and even against them, the Philistines were ready also (and opposite them, the Philistines were also ready).

22 Then David left the vessels, that he had brought, under the hand of a keeper at the fardels, and he ran to the place of [the] battle, and he asked, if all things were done rightly with his brethren (and he asked his brothers if all was well).