Bible Commentary

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array? [am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 8. am not I a Philistine ] … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:8”

And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. 7. the staff of his spear, &c.] The shaft of Goliath’s spear, short, but extraordinarily stout and heavy, is compared to the “beam” to which the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:7”

And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 6. greaves ] Armour for the legs and feet: from Fr. grve, ‘the shin.’ “Greaves” from the Assyrian monuments are figured in Layard’s Nineveh II. 337. The following passage from Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s Nat. Hist. VII. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:6”

And [he had] a helmet of brass upon his head, and he [was] armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels of brass. 5. a coat of mail ] “ A corselet of scales,” made of overlapping plates of metal, and protecting the body almost down to … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:5”

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. 4 11. Goliath’s Challenge 4. a champion ] Lit. “ The (well-known) man of the interspaces,” or “interval between two camps” (Gr. : see Eur. Phoen. 1361, in the account … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:4”

And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and [there was] a valley between them. 3. on a mountain, &c.] Rather, upon the mountain upon the mountain and the ravine was between them. The E. V. obliterates the features of the scene. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:3”

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 2. by the valley of Elah ] Rather, “ in the valley of Elah.” Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges The valley of Elah – i. e., … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:2”

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which [belongeth] to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Ch. 1Sa 17:1-3. The Philistine invasion 1. at Shochoh ] The scene of David’s memorable combat is fixed with great exactness. The Philistine army marched up the wide … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:1”

And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. 23. And it came to pass, &c.] The verbs in this verse are frequentative, expressing what happened … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 16:23”

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight. 22. Let David stand before me ] Thus David entered upon the first stage of special education for his office. In Saul’s court he was placed in a position which gave opportunity for … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 16:22”