1 Samuel 17 · Verse 15

1 Samuel 17:15

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth–lehem.
1 Samuel 17:15, King James Version

1 Samuel 17:15 in other translations

BSBbut David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
WEBNow David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
ASVNow David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem.
YLTand David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem.
DARBYBut David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
BBENow David went to and from Saul, looking after his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.
WebsterBut David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

What does 1 Samuel 17:15 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:12-30

Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army at that critical juncture; but the wise God orders actions and affairs, so as to serve his designs. In times of general formality and lukewarmness, every degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to venture more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride and ambition, and by none more than by near relations, like Eliab, or negligent…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 17:12-30 →

1 Samuel 17:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְדָוִ֛דve.da.Vidand DavidH1732
הֹלֵ֥ךְho.Lekh[was] goingH1980
וָשָׁ֖בva.Shavand [was] returningH7725
מֵעַ֣לme.'Alfrom withH5921
שָׁא֑וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
לִרְע֛וֹתlir.'otto shepherdH7462
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
צֹ֥אןtzon[the] flock ofH6629
אָבִ֖יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
בֵּֽית\־beit-Beth-H1035
לָֽחֶם\׃La.chem-lehemH1035

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 17:15

  • 1 Samuel 16:11

    And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

  • 1 Samuel 16:19-23

    Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
returned.
16:11,19-23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 17:14

    And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

  • 1 Samuel 17:15

    But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth–lehem.

  • 1 Samuel 17:16

    And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Read all of 1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero David había ido y vuelto de con Saúl, para apacentar las ovejas de su padre en Beth-lehem.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David allait et revenait d’auprès de Saül pour paître le menu bétail de son père à Bethléhem.
German
Elberfelder 1871		David aber ging hin und kam wieder zurück von Saul, um das Kleinvieh seines Vaters zu weiden zu Bethlehem. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		abiit David, et reversus est a Saul ut pasceret gregem patris sui in Bethlehem.