1 Samuel 17:42

42 And when the Philistine had beheld David, and saw him, he despised David; forsooth David was a young waxing man, ruddy, and fair in sight.

1 Samuel 17:42 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:42

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he
disdained him
He looked about for his antagonist, to take a view of him, what sort of a man he was, expecting to see one much like himself; but observing a puny young man, he despised him in his heart, and perhaps looked upon it as an affront to him to send such a man to fight with him:

for he was [but] a youth;
his age was one reason why he despised him, being, as before observed, about twenty years of age, and not come to his full strength, a stripling, as he is called, ( 1 Samuel 17:56 ) , another reason follows,

and ruddy, and of a fair countenance;
looked effeminate, had not the appearance of a soldier, of a weather beaten veteran, exposed to heat and cold, and inured to hardships.

1 Samuel 17:42 In-Context

40 and he took his staff, that he had ever[more] in his hands. And he chose to him five full clear round stones, that is, hard, plain, and round, of the strand (And he chose out of the stream for himself five hard, round, plain stones); and he put those into his shepherd's script, that he had with him; and he took a sling in his hand, and he went forth against the Philistine.

41 Soothly the Philistine went, going and nighing against David; and his squire went before him. (And the Philistine came forth toward David; and his squire went before him.)

42 And when the Philistine had beheld David, and saw him, he despised David; forsooth David was a young waxing man, ruddy, and fair in sight.

43 And the Philistine said to David, Whether I am a dog, for thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David in his gods; (And the Philistine said to David, Am I but a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods;)

44 and he said to David, Come thou to me, and I shall give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, and to [the] beasts of the earth.