1 Samuel 17:15

1 Samuel 17:15

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

a. NLT: But David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic: But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: The Septuagint is missing 1 Samuel 17:12-31.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: David would travel back and forth from Saul’s presence to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “But David went and returned from Saul…”

a. [But] David [Strong: 1732 David daw-veed' rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.]

b. went [Strong: 1980 halak haw-lak' akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread, still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.]

c. and returned [Strong: 7725 shuwb shoob a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.]

d. from [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

e. Saul [Strong: 7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool' passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.]

1). This is referring to the time when David came to minister to Saul in anointed psalms and provide relief for Saul from evil spirits.

a). 1 Samuel 16:14-23   But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him.

16:15 Saul’s servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you.

16:16 Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.

16:17 Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.

16:18 One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.

16:19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.

16:20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul.

16:21 And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer.

16:22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me.

16:23 And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.

2). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: This short statement was, no doubt, introduced by the compiler of the First Book of Samuel to show that, in spite of this apparent introduction of David into the history for the first time in this chapter (see 1Samuel 17:12 and following verses), and the inquiry of King Saul from Abner respecting the young hero’s father (see 1Samuel 17:55-58), he, the compiler, was perfectly aware that David had already visited the court of Saul in the capacity of a musician (see 1Samuel 16:18-23). As has been already suggested, these historical books of the Old Testament are, no doubt, made up from contemporaneous documents, stored up most probably in one or other of the prophetic schools. It is, therefore, to be expected that certain facts will be found occasionally repeated. The circumstances connected with the healing influence of the music of David in the case of the soul malady of King Saul were of course preserved with great care and detail in these “schools,” where music and poetry were so highly cultivated and esteemed. We have here many of the very words of the original narrative preserved to us. Similarly the story of the first exploit of David is incorporated in the history probably unchanged. Each of these ancient and favourite “memories” of David, as being complete in themselves, would of course contain some of the same details.

3). Pulpit Commentary: This is a very important statement, as it shows that the writer, in spite of what is said in verses 55-58, knew that David had visited Saul at his court, and become personally known to him. Apparently it had been but a short visit, possibly because after the fit of melancholy had passed away there was no return of it for the present; and if David had been back at Bethlehem for two or three years, a young man changes so much in appearance at David's time of life that it is no wonder that neither Saul nor Abner recognised him in his shepherd's dress. For some reason, then, or other David had not remained with Saul at Gibeah, but had resumed his pastoral life at Bethlehem, and the statements made in 1 Samuel 16 :21-23 belong to the time immediately after the combat with Goliath, and not before.

2. “…to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.”

a. to feed [Strong: 7462 ra`ah raw-aw' a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.]

b. his father’s [Strong: 1 'ab awb a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal.]

c. sheep [Strong: 6629 tso'n tsone or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}; from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men):--(small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).]

d. [at] Bethlehem [Strong: 1035 Beyth Lechem bayth leh'-khem from 1004 and 3899; house of bread; Beth- Lechem, a place in Palestine:--Beth-lehem.]