John Gill's Exposition on 1 Samuel 17:12

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse, etc.] Before made mention of, (<131601>1 Chronicles 16:1) and he had eight sons; seven only are mentioned, (<130213>1 Chronicles 2:1315) one of them being, as is thought by some, a grandson, perhaps Jonadab the son of Shammah; or was a son by another woman, or died without children, as Jarchi, and therefore not mentioned: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul; the phrase, “among men”, either signifies that he was ranked among old men, infirm and unfit for war, and so excused, and his sons went in his room, so Kimchi; or he was reckoned among men of the first rank, men of esteem, credit, and reputation, so Jarchi and R. Isaiah, with which agrees the Targum; or whenever he went abroad, he was attended by many men, had a large retinue, which sense Abarbinel mentions, and is that of Ben Gersom, and agrees with the Talmud f362; but the Syriac and Arabic versions read “stricken in years”, which seems most agreeable.

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