1 Samuel 17:35

1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

Ver. 35. And delivered it out of his mouth.] So did Christ his darling, the Church, out of the mouth of the lion of hell. If the devil be leo ωρυομενος, {1Pe 5:8} Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, is ο ρυομενος, he that delivereth his from the wrath to come. {1Th 1:10}

I caught him by his beard.] I killed him cominus, fighting with him hand to hand as it were. This was an act of admirable courage in David: what could any Samson or Lysimachus have done more? Leo animalibus omnibus robore, animo et crudelitate antecellit: nec feras tantum, sed homines etiam devorat. Nonnulli quidem multis in locis, vel ducentos equites invidere audeant, {a} i.e., The lion exceedeth all other living creatures in strength, courage, and cruelty: he devoureth not only beasts but men. Some lions in some places have not feared to set upon two hundred horsemen at once, and have slain five or six of them.

{a} Gesner. de Animal.

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.

Verse 35. The slaying of the lion and the bear mentioned here, must have taken place at two different times; perhaps the verse should be read thus: I went out after him, (the lion.) and smote him, &c. And when he (the bear) rose up against me, I caught him by the beard and slew him.

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

35. by his bard] Cp. the Homeric epithet of the lion, “well-bearded;” (λὶς ἠϋγένειος: Il. XV. 275); and the Latin proverb “to pluck the beard of a dead lion” (barbam vellere mortuo leoni).

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.

And I went out after him,.... Whether a lion or a bear; but mention after being made of his beard, a lion rather is meant:

and smote him; with his fist, or rather with his shepherd's staff:

and delivered it out of his mouth; snatched it out from thence, or obliged him to drop it, by beating him:

and when he arose against me; after he had let go the lamb, threatening to tear him in pieces for attempting to disturb him in his prey, and take it away from him:

I caught him by his beard; such as lions have; hence a lion is often called in Homer (g) , the well-bearded lion. Kimchi thinks the beard with the nether jaw is meant, which David caught hold on:

and smote him, and slew him; tore him to pieces, as Samson did, Jdg 14:5, or slew him with some weapon in his hand.

(g) Iliad. 17. ver. 109. & Iliad. 18. ver. 318.

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

His beard - Put here for his throat, or under jaw; neither lion nor bear has a beard properly speaking.

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

Them. He refers to two events, shewing his fortitude (Calmet) and generous disposition, which rendered him fit for command, as he was not afraid to expose his life to protect his charge. (Haydock) --- The pastoral care is an apprenticeship for the throne to him who is designed to be at the head of the mild flock of men, as hunting with dogs conducts to martial exploits. (Philo in Vita Mosis.) --- He who has overcome the spirit of pride and of carnal pleasures, signified by the lion and the bear, is able also to gain a victory over the devil. (Worthington)

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).

Smote him, to wit, the lion, as appears by his beard; which having particularly mentioned, it was easily understood and believed, that he did the same to the bear; which therefore it was needless to express.

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