1 Samuel 17:35

35 I pursued, and killed them, and I ravished it from their mouth; and they rose against me, and I took their nether jowl, and I strangled, and killed them. (I pursued him, and killed him, and I delivered the ram out of his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I took his lower jaw, and I strangled him, and killed him dead.)

1 Samuel 17:35 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:35

And I went out after him
Whether a lion or a bear; but mention after being made of his beard, a lion rather is meant:

and smote him;
with his fist, or rather with his shepherd's staff:

and delivered [it] out of his mouth;
snatched it out from thence, or obliged him to drop it, by beating him:

and when he arose against me;
after he had let go the lamb, threatening to tear him in pieces for attempting to disturb him in his prey, and take it away from him;

I caught [him] by his beard;
such as lions have; hence a lion is often called in Homer ^F7 (liv heugeneiov) , the well-bearded lion. Kimchi thinks the beard with the nether jaw is meant, which David caught hold on:

and smote him, and slew him;
tore him to pieces, as Samson did, ( Judges 14:5 Judges 14:6 ) , or slew him with some weapon in his hand.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Iliad. 17. ver. 109. & Iliad. 18. ver. 318.

1 Samuel 17:35 In-Context

33 And Saul said to David, Thou mayest not against-stand this Philistine, neither fight against him, for thou art a child (for thou art but a boy, that is, a young man); forsooth this man is a warrior from his young waxing age.

34 And David said to Saul, Thy servant kept his father's flock, and (when) a lion came, also a bear/either a bear, and took away a ram from the midst of the flock;

35 I pursued, and killed them, and I ravished it from their mouth; and they rose against me, and I took their nether jowl, and I strangled, and killed them. (I pursued him, and killed him, and I delivered the ram out of his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I took his lower jaw, and I strangled him, and killed him dead.)

36 For I thy servant killed both the lion and the bear; therefore and this Philistine uncircumcised shall be as one of them. Now I shall go, and I shall do away the shame/the reproof of the people; for who is this Philistine uncircumcised, that was hardy to curse the host of God living? (For I thy servant, killed both the lion and the bear; and so this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them. And now I shall go, and I shall do away the people's shame, or their reproof; for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who was fool-hardy enough to curse the army of the living God?)

37 And again David said, The Lord that delivered me from the mouth of the lion, and from the hand, that is, (the) power, of the bear, he shall deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go thou, and the Lord be with thee.