1 Samuel 17:57

 1 Samuel 17:57

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

a. NLT: As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. [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: And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And when David turneth back from smiting the Philistine, then Abner taketh him and bringeth him in before Saul, and the head of the Philistine in his hand; [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. Classic Amplified: When David returned from killing Goliath the Philistine, Abner brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: So when David returned from smitting the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, while the head of the Philistine was still in his hand. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine…”

a. [And as] David [1732 * David; or Daviyd] [Strong: from the same as 1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.]

b. 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.]

c. [from the] slaughter [Strong: 5221 nakah naw-kaw' a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.]

d. [of the] Philistine [6430 * Plishtiy] [Strong: patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth:--Philistine.]

2. “...Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.”

a. Abner [Strong: 74 'Abner ab-nare' or (fully) nAbiyner {ab-ee-nare'}; from 1 and 5216; father of light (i.e. enlightening); Abner, an Israelite:--Abner.]

b. took [him] [Strong: 3947 laqach law-kakh' a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

c. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

d. [and] brought [him] [Strong: 935 bow' bo a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.]

e. before [Strong: 6440 paniym paw-neem' plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

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

g. [with the] head [Strong: 7218 ro'sh roshe from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.]

h. [of the] Philistine [6430 * Plishtiy] [Strong: patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth:--Philistine.]

i. [in his] hand [Strong: 3027 yad yawd a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.]

1). In the comparative verse 2 Samuel 21:19, the translators inserted the words “the brother of” into the verse because it is not in the Hebrew text. They did so on the authority of 1 Chronicles 20:5 where the words “the brother of” are in the Hebrew text. In the late 1920’s this caused a stir which is reported in the following:

a). 2 Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

2). The following excerpt was taken from David Otis Fuller’s book “Which Bible?” Dr. Fuller was quoting from Benjamin G. Wilkinson’s piece, “Fundamentally, Only Two Different Bibles. “In one of our prominent publications, there appeared in the winter of 1928, an article entitled, “Who Killed Goliath?” and in the Spring of 1929 an article named, “The Dispute About Goliath.” Attention was called to the fact that in the American Revised Version, 2 Samuel 21:19, we read that Elhanan killed Goliath. A special cablegram from the “most learned and devout scholars” of the Church of England said, in substance, that the Revised Version was correct, that Elhanan and not David killed Goliath; that there were many other things in the Bible which were the product of exaggeration, such as the story of Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the whale, of the Garden of Eden, and of the longevity of Methuselah. The first article says that these modern views have been held and taught in practically all American theological seminaries of standing, and that young ministers being graduated from them have rejected the old beliefs about these events whether the public knew it or not. This publication aroused a national interest and its office was “inundated,” as the editor says, with letters as to whether this Revised Version was correct, or whether, as we have always believed, according to the Authorized Version, David killed Goliath.” The Literary Digest, 12/29/1928 and March 9, 1929.  

3). The whole of 1 Samuel 17 verifies that David slew Goliath. There are numerous examples in the Bible where the context required the translators to insert words that would make the verse clearer and more faithful in revealing the truth. Even the Rabbinic scholars recognized this not only here but in other examples as well. In the Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings the following note in found under 1 Samuel 21:19. “The reference is to Goliath’s brother, Lahmi, as stated in 1 Chronicles 20:5.” (Kara, Radak).