1 Samuel 16:18

1Sa 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD [is] with him.

Ver. 18. Then answered one of the servants.] Junius thinketh this might be Jonathan; Lyra, that it might be Doeg. But it is not likely that it was either, but another who had heard of David’s great acts and worth, since the Spirit of God came upon him. {1Sa 16:13}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 16:18. Then answered one of the servants, &c. — It is likely this was some friend or acquaintance of David, who here gives him a very high character, which he did not disgrace, but fully verified, insomuch that Saul for a time highly esteemed him, finding him amiable in his spirit, and prudent in matters, and therefore useful to him in many other ways, as well as by his skill in music. We need not wonder that David was so suddenly advanced from a poor shepherd to so great a reputation; for this was the effect of those graces and gifts of the Divine Spirit which he had received when he was anointed. The Lord is with him — Said the servant; that is, directs and prospers all his undertakings.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16:18 harp: The instrument was probably a lyre (as in 10:5). • the Lord is with him: People recognized that God’s Spirit was upon David (16:13).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Though David was now anointed King by the Prophet, yet God would exercise him in sundry sorts before he had the use of his kingdom.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 18. I have seen a son of Jesse] Dr. Warburton supposes the story is anticipated from 1Sa 16:14-23, and that the true chronology of this part of David's life is the following: -

1. David is anointed by Samuel;

2. Carries provisions to his brethren in the army;

3. Fights with and kills Goliath;

4. Is received into the king's court,

5. Contracts a friendship with Jonathan;

6. Incurs Saul's jealousy;

7. Retires to his father's house;

8. Is after some time sent for by Saul to sooth his melancholy with his harp;

9. Again excites Saul's jealousy, who endeavours to smite him with his javelin. This anticipation between the 14th and 23d verse comes in, in the order of time, between verses 9 and 10, 1Sa 18:9; 1Sa 18:10, where the breach is apparent.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) Then answered one of the servants.—The Dean of Canterbury calls attention to the fact that the word in the original here rendered “servants” is not the same as was translated by “servants” in 1Sa_16:15-17. In each of these passages the Hebrew word rendered “servant,” no doubt signifies officers connected with the royal court. Here the different word hann’-ârim lays stress on the royal attendant in question being a young man. Probably, the one spoken of in this place was a contemporary of David, very likely a youth trained with David in Samuel’s prophetic school at Naioth in Ramah, and consequently able to speak thus in detail about the young shepherd pupil of the great seer.

Cunning in playing.—As a boy, it is certain that David possessed rare gifts of poetry, and, no doubt, of music. It is probable that some of his early Psalms were originally composed while watching his father’s sheep among those hills and vales round the village of Bethlehem, where “in later centuries shepherds were still watching over their flocks by night, when the angel host appeared to them to tell them of the birth of a child in Bethlehem.”

These gifts of poetry and music were further cultivated and developed in the prophets’ school of Samuel, and there the young pupil of the seer no doubt quickly acquired among his companions that reputation and skill which induced the “young man” of the court of Saul to tell his afflicted master of the shepherd son of Jesse, famous for his “cunning in playing.”

And a mighty valiant man, and a man of war.—The description of the Bethlehemite David at a mighty valiant man can well be explained from what is related in 1Sa_17:34-35, about the young shepherd’s prowess in the conflicts with the lions and the bears. A question has, however, been raised respecting the expression “a man of war,” as it would seem from the narrative of 1 Samuel 17 that the combat with the giant Philistine was David’s first great military exploit. It has, however, been suggested that, in addition to the combat with those wild beasts, which we know in those days frequented the thickets of the Jordan, and were a terror to the Israelitish shepherds, David had most likely been engaged in repelling one or more of the Philistine marauding expeditions so common in those wild days. Bethlehem, we know, was a strong place or garrison of these hereditary foes of Israel. (See 2Sa_23:14; 1Ch_11:16.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. one of the servants] The word here used for “servants” literally means “young men” (Vulg. pueri), as it is rendered in 1Sa_14:1, and probably refers to military attendants: that used in 1Sa_16:15-17 literally means “slaves” (Vulg. servi), and includes the servants in general.

a mighty valiant man, &c.] David had proved his courage while still tending his sheep. See 1Sa_17:32-36. “A man of war” describes his capacity and promise rather than actual warlike experience.

prudent in matters] Rather, “skilled in word,” eloquent. Possibly he had already composed psalms, but of those which have come down to us only Psalms 8 can be referred to this period, and even that is probably somewhat later. Psalms 19, 23, , 29, describing the phenomena of nature, doubtless contain recollections of his shepherd life.

the Lord is with him] See note on 1Sa_3:19.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then answered one of the servants,.... Which the Jews say (m) was Doeg the Edomite, who out of envy and ill will to David spake of him, that Saul might have an opportunity of slaying him; but this is not at all likely; rather it was one of David's friends and acquaintance, that was desirous of promoting him at court, and no doubt was directed to that motion by the overruling providence of God:

and said, behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite; he does not mention the name of his son, but so describes him, that he might be easily known by those who knew anything of the family of Jesse; besides it was sufficient that he was one of Jesse's sons, to find him out:

that is cunning in playing; that is, on the harp; has good skill in music, and is expert in it:

and a mighty valiant man; as appeared by his encountering with and slaying the lion and the bear; an event now past, as very probable:

and a man of war some think this character of him was given after the affair of his fighting with Goliath and killing him, but here put by a prolepsis or anticipation; and indeed if David had been taken into Saul's court before that affair, it is difficult to account for Saul's ignorance of him, since he must be so near him, and so often with him, as his musician and armourbearer; though that difficulty may be removed, as may be observed in its proper place:

and prudent in matters; in his talk and conversation, and conduct and behaviour; knew how to carry himself, even in a prince's court: and a comely person; which always recommended to the courts of the eastern nations; See Gill on Dan 1:4.

and the Lord is with him; prospering and succeeding him in whatsoever he is engaged; and seeing the Lord was with him, it might be expected the evil spirit would depart from Saul, when this person, with whom the Lord was, was in his presence. The Targum is,"the Word of the Lord is for his help;''all that is said of him showed that he was fit to be in the palace of a king, and a proper person to be with Saul in his present circumstances.

(m) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 2. So in Hieron. Trad. Heb in lib. Reg. fol. 76. C.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A mighty valiant man ... - David’s reputation for courage, skill, discretion, and manly beauty, was already great. Since “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” his natural qualities and powers had been greatly enhanced. His feat of killing the lion and the bear (see the marginal references) had been performed, like Samson’s feats of strength Jdg 14:6, Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14, under the same supernatural influence, and was probably more or less known.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Him. Some think that this took place before David’s victory over Goliath; others believe, that David was only made armour-bearer to Saul, after that event. We must not disturb the order of the sacred historian without some cogent reason: and the courtiers might already have heard of David’s prowess and virtue, of which he gave such evident proofs, after he was confirmed by the Holy Spirit, ver. 13. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Wonder not that David was so suddenly advanced, from a poor contemptible shepherd, to so great reputation; for these were the effects of that Spirit of the Lord, which he received when he was anointed; though some would hence infer, that the things related in this chapter happened after the history of 1Sa 17, though it be placed before, such transpositions being not unusual in historical relations.

The Lord is with him, i.e. directs and prospers all his undertakings.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. A mighty valiant man, and a man of war — From what we learn in 1Sa_17:34-35, of David’s early conflicts with wild beasts, we may readily infer that long before his warlike abilities became patent to the public eye there were individuals who knew of these his early conflicts, and discerned in the youthful hero the beginnings of a mighty warrior.

Prudent in matters — Hebrew, knowing of speech; skilled in the use of language. The words and psalms of David show him to have been eloquent.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Prudent - Wonder not, that David was so suddenly advanced, from a poor shepherd, to so great a reputation; for these were the effects of that Spirit of the Lord which he received when he was anointed. The Lord, &c. - That is, directs and prospers all his undertakings.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

One of the youths. The special one, [i.e.,] Do'eg, the Edomite.

Knows how to play. His entire intention was to induce Shaul's evil eye into Dovid, that he envy him.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.