1 Samuel 17:55

“And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, etc.] Set out to meet him, and engage with him, as he might from the side of the mountain, where he was encamped: he said unto Abner, the captain of the host; his own cousin, whom he had raised to this high post in the army, (<091450>1 Samuel 14:50); Abner, whose son [is] this youth? it is thought strange by many that Saul should not know who he was, when he had been often at his court, and served him as a musician, and had been very useful to him, and he loved him, and made him his armourbearer, and even had just now conversed with him about encountering with the Philistine, and had clothed him with his own armour: to get rid of the…”

“Saul . . . said unto Abner . . . whose son is this youth?--A young man is more spoken of in many Eastern countries by his father's name than his own. The growth of the beard, and other changes on a now full-grown youth, prevented the king from recognizing his former favorite minstrel [Sa1 16:23]. Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 18”

“Whose son ... - See the marginal reference note. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on 1 Samuel 17". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/1-samuel-17.html. 1870. StudyLight.org &copy;&#160;2001-2026 Powered by Lightspeed Technology”

“Whose son - David had been some considerable time dismissed from Saul's court, and was returned home. And therefore it is not strange, if Saul for the present had forgot David. Besides the distemper of Saul's mind might make him forgetful; and that David might be now much changed, both in his countenance and in his habit. I cannot tell - Abner's employment was generally in the camp, when David was at the court; and when Abner was there, he took little notice of a person so much inferior to him as David was. Next: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) Chapter 18”

“17:55-58 In light of 16:14-23, it is surprising that neither Saul nor Abner knew who David was. It is possible that the events of ch 17 happened either before or long after David’s tenure of intermittent service mentioned in ch 16 (Saul probably served as king for forty-two years, 13:1).”

“whose son: Sa1 17:58, Sa1 16:21, Sa1 16:22 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 17:57”

“Jonathan's friendship. - Sa1 17:55-58. The account of the relation into which David was brought to Saul through the defeat of Goliath is introduced by a supplementary remark, in Sa1 17:55, Sa1 17:56, as to a conversation which took place between Saul and his commander-in-chief Abner concerning David, whilst he was fighting with the giant. So far, therefore, as the actual meaning is concerned, the verbs in Sa1 17:55 and Sa1 17:56 should be rendered as pluperfects. When Saul saw the youth walk boldly up to meet the Philistine, he asked Abner whose son he was; whereupon Abner assured him with an oath that he did not know. In our remarks concerning the integrity of this section we have already…”