Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 16th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

撒母耳记上 17:15

大衛有時離開掃羅,回到伯利恆牧放他父親的羊群。

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Championship;   Jesse;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Children;   Shepherds;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Goliath;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Philistia, philistines;   Sheep;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Giant;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Wilderness (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem ;   Goliath ;   Jesse ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Goliath;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bethlehem;   Goliath;   Jesse;   Shepherd;  

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
大 卫 有 时 离 开 扫 罗 , 回 伯 利 恒 放 他 父 亲 的 羊 。

Contextual Overview

12 Now David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul's time Jesse was an old man. 13 His three oldest sons followed Saul to the war. The first son was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. Jesse's three oldest sons followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to Bethlehem, where he took care of his father's sheep. 16 For forty days the Philistine came out every morning and evening and stood before the Israelite army. 17 Jesse said to his son David, "Take this half bushel of cooked grain and ten loaves of bread to your brothers in the camp. 18 Also take ten pieces of cheese to the commander and to your brothers. See how your brothers are and bring back some proof to show me that they are all right. 19 Your brothers are with Saul and the army in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." 20 Early in the morning David left the sheep with another shepherd. He took the food and left as Jesse had told him. When David arrived at the camp, the army was going out to their battle positions, shouting their war cry. 21 The Israelites and Philistines were lining up their men to face each other in battle.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

returned: 1 Samuel 16:11, 1 Samuel 16:19-23

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:5 - now his Genesis 46:32 - shepherds 1 Samuel 18:2 - took him 1 Chronicles 17:7 - I took thee Psalms 78:70 - and took Psalms 131:1 - my heart

Cross-References

Genesis 17:5
I am changing your name from Abram to Abraham because I am making you a father of many nations.
Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won."
2 Samuel 12:25
The Lord sent word through Nathan the prophet to name the baby Jedidiah, because the Lord loved the child.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But David went, and returned from Saul,.... Or "from above Saul"; Josephus u says, the physicians of Saul advised to get a man to stand υπερ κεφαλνς, "over his head", and sing psalms and hymns to him; and Saul being recovered from his frenzy and melancholy, by means of David's music, he was dismissed from him, or had leave to go home, or he returned upon Saul's taking the field; though one would think, if he was now his armourbearer, he would have gone with him, see 1 Samuel 16:21. It seems that when he was called to the court of Saul, that he did not continue there, but was going and coming, was there at certain times when Saul wanted him; and so when in the camp he might go and return as there was occasion for it:

to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem; for though he was anointed king, and was called to court, yet such was his humility, that he condescended to attend this employment of keeping sheep; and though Jesse knew all this, yet he kept him at home to this business, when it might be more reasonably thought he would have lain in the way of preferment, had he followed Saul to the camp, and appeared in the army; but he chose to leave things to the providence of God to work the way for him, and by which he was directed to take the following step, though perhaps without any design to his son's future promotion.

u Antiqu. l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David went ... - “Was gone,” referring to 1 Samuel 16:19-20. Had he been Saul’s armour-bearer at this time it is highly improbable that he would have left him to feed sheep.


 
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