1 Samuel 17 · Verse 55

1 Samuel 17:55

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
1 Samuel 17:55, King James Version

1 Samuel 17:55 in other translations

BSBAs Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”
WEBWhen Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell.”
ASVAnd when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
YLTAnd when Saul seeth David going out to meet the Philistine, he hath said unto Abner, head of the host, ‘Whose son is this--the youth, Abner?' and Abner saith, ‘Thy soul liveth, O king, I have not known.'
DARBYAnd when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
BBEAnd when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, On your life, O king, I have no idea.
WebsterAnd when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

What does 1 Samuel 17:55 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 17:55-58
55-58. 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 [1Sa 16:23].

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:48-58

See how frail and uncertain life is, even when a man thinks himself best fortified; how quickly, how easily, and by how small a matter, the passage may be opened for life to go out, and death to enter! Let not the strong man glory in his strength, nor the armed man in his armour. God resists the proud, and pours contempt on those who defy him and his people. No one ever hardened his heart against God and prospered…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 17:48-58 →

1 Samuel 17:55 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.

וְכִרְא֨וֹתve.khir.'otand just as sawH7200
שָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּוִ֗דda.VidDavidH1732
יֹצֵא֙yo.Tze'going outH3318
לִקְרַ֣אתlik.Ratto meetH7122
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יha.pe.lish.Tithe PhilistineH6430
אָמַ֗ר'a.Marhe saidH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אַבְנֵר֙'av.NerAbnerH74
שַׂ֣רsar[the] commander ofH8269
הַצָּבָ֔אha.tza.Va'the armyH6635
בֶּן\־ben-son ofH1121
מִי\־mi-whom?H4310
זֶ֥הzehthisH2088
הַנַּ֖עַרha.Na.'ar[is] the youthH5288
אַבְנֵ֑ר'av.NerO AbnerH74
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אַבְנֵ֔ר'av.NerAbnerH74
חֵֽי\־chei-[by] [the] life ofH2416
נַפְשְׁךָ֥naf.she.Khaself yourH5315
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhO kingH4428
אִם\־'im-ifH518
יָדָֽעְתִּי\׃ya.Da.'e.tiI knewH3045

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 17:55

  • 1 Samuel 16:21-22

    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.

  • 1 Samuel 17:58

    And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth–lehemite.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
whose son.
58; 16:21,22

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 17:54

    And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

  • 1 Samuel 17:55

    And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

  • 1 Samuel 17:56

    And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

Read all of 1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17:55 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y cuando Saúl vió á David que salía á encontrarse con el Filisteo, dijo á Abner general del ejército: Abner, ¿de quién es hijo aquel mancebo? Y Abner respondió:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et quand Saül avait vu David sortant à la rencontre du Philistin, il avait dit à Abner, chef de l’armée: Abner, de qui ce jeune homme est-il fils? Et Abner avait dit: Ton âme est vivante, ô roi! je n’en sais rien.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und als Saul David ausziehen sah, dem Philister entgegen, sprach er zu Abner, dem Heerobersten: Wessen Sohn ist doch der Jüngling, Abner? Und Abner sprach: So wahr deine Seele lebt, o König, ich weiß es nicht!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Eo autem tempore quo viderat Saul David egredientem contra Philisthæum, ait ad Abner principem militiæ: De qua stirpe descendit hic adolescens, Abner? Dixitque Abner: Vivit anima tua, rex, si novi.