1 Samuel 17 · Verse 20

1 Samuel 17:20

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
1 Samuel 17:20, King James Version

1 Samuel 17:20 in other translations

BSBSo David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.
WEBDavid rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle.
ASVAnd David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
YLTAnd David riseth early in the morning, and leaveth the flock to a keeper, and lifteth up, and goeth, as Jesse commanded him, and he cometh in to the path, and to the force which is going out unto the rank, and they have shouted for battle;
DARBYAnd David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took his charge and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the wagon-defence; and the host which was going forth to the battle-array shouted for the fight.
BBEAnd David got up early in the morning, and, giving the sheep into the care of a keeper, took the things and went as Jesse had said; and he came to the lines where the carts were, when the army was going out to the fight giving their war-cry.
WebsterAnd David rose early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

What does 1 Samuel 17:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. David left the sheep with a keeper--This is the only instance in which the hired shepherd is distinguished from the master or one of his family. trench--some feeble attempt at a rampart. It appears (see Margin) to have been formed by a line of carts or chariots, which, from the earliest times, was the practice of nomad people.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

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 17:20 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.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨םvai.yash.Kemand he rose earlyH7925
דָּוִ֜דda.VidDavidH1732
בַּבֹּ֗קֶרba.Bo.kerin the morningH1242
וַיִּטֹּ֤שׁvai.yi.Toshand he leftH5203
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַצֹּאן֙ha.tzoNthe flockH6629
עַל\־'al-withH5921
שֹׁמֵ֔רsho.Mera watchmanH8104
וַיִּשָּׂ֣אvai.yi.Sa'and he lifted upH5375
וַיֵּ֔לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
צִוָּ֖הוּtzi.Va.huhe had commanded himH6680
יִשָׁ֑יyi.ShaiJesseH3448
וַיָּבֹא֙vai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
הַמַּעְגָּ֔לָהha.ma'.Ga.lahthe camp towardsH4570
וְהַחַ֗יִלve.ha.Cha.yiland the armyH2428
הַיֹּצֵא֙hai.yo.Tze'which was going outH3318
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔הha.Ma.'a.ra.Khahthe battle lineH4634
וְהֵרֵ֖עוּve.he.Re.'uand they shouted a war cryH7321
בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה\׃ba.mil.cha.Mahin the battleH4421

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 17:20

  • Luke 19:43

    For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

  • 1 Samuel 26:5

    And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

  • 1 Samuel 17:28

    And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

  • 1 Samuel 26:7

    So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

  • Ephesians 6:1-2

    Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
left the sheep.
28; Eph 6:1,2
trench. or, place of the carriage.
26:5; Lu 19:43
fight. or, battle array, or place of fight.

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 17:19

    Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

  • 1 Samuel 17:20

    And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

  • 1 Samuel 17:21

    For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

Read all of 1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Levantóse pues David de mañana, y dejando las ovejas al cuidado de un guarda, fuése con su carga, como Isaí le había mandado; y llegó al atrincheramiento del ejército, el cual había salido en ordenanza, y tocaba alarma para la pelea.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David se leva de bonne heure le matin et laissa le menu bétail à un gardien, et prit sa charge et s’en alla, comme Isaï le lui avait commandé; et il vint à l’enceinte formée par les chars. Or l’armée sortait pour se ranger en bataille, et on poussait le cri de guerre;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da machte sich David des Morgens früh auf und überließ das Kleinvieh einem Hüter; und er nahm und ging hin, wie Isai ihm geboten hatte; und er kam an die Wagenburg, als das Heer, das in die Schlachtreihe ausrückte, das Kampfgeschrei erhob.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Surrexit itaque David mane, et commendavit gregem custodi: et onustus abiit, sicut præceperat ei Isai. Et venit ad locum Magala, et ad exercitum, qui egressus ad pugnam vociferatus erat in certamine.