Matthew Henry

but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

“Now concerning this champion observe, 1. He was of the sons of Anak, who at Gath kept their ground in Joshua's time ( Josh. xi.”

Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

“He had not so much as an ass at command to carry his load, but must take it on his back, and yet run to the camp.”

Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

“What articles he brought he honestly took care of, and left them with those that had the charge of the bag and baggage; but, though he had come a long journey with a great load, he ran into the army, to see what was doing…”

When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.

“Though he was the tallest of all the men of Israel, and, if he had not been so, while he kept close to God might himself have safely taken up the gauntlet which this insolent Philistine threw down, yet, the Spirit of the Lord having…”

“What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”

“This conquest of his own passion was in some respects more honourable than his conquest of Goliath. He that hath rule over his own spirit is better than the mighty.”

David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

“It was the praise of this humility that it came after he had the honour of a courtier, and the reward of it that it came before the honour of a conqueror. Before honour is humility.”

David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

“Paul seems to allude to this of David ( 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18 ), I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and therefore, I trust, the Lord shall deliver me.”

Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.

“Those that aim at things above their education and usage, and covet the attire and armour of princes, forget that that is the best for us which we are fit for and accustomed to; if we had our desire, we should wish to be in…”

And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag.

“By this it appeared that his confidence was purely in the power of God, and not in any sufficiency of his own, and that now at length he who put it into his heart to fight the Philistine put it into his head with what…”

But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the…

“But what arms and ammunition is David furnished with? Truly none but what he brought with him as a shepherd; no breastplate, nor corselet, but his plain shepherd's coat; no spear, but his staff; no sword nor bow, but his sling; no quiver, but his…”

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the…

“David speaks with as much assurance as Goliath had done, but upon better ground; it is his faith that says, " This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand, and not only thy carcase, but the carcases of the host of the Philistines…”

As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

“This is intimated in the manner of expression: He arose, and came, and drew nigh, like a stalking mountain, overlaid with brass and iron, to meet David.”

David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

“He brought the head of the Philistine to Jerusalem, to be a terror to the Jebusites, who held the strong-hold of Sion: it is probable that he carried it in triumph to other cities.”

After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

“None had so much reason to dislike David as Jonathan had, because he was to put him by the crown, yet none regards him more.”

And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

“When Saul put these marks of honour on David he put them off again, because he would first earn them and then wear them; but, now that he had given proofs of the spirit of a prince and a soldier, he was not ashamed to…”

So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war.

“And it was certainly a great instance of the power of God's grace in David that he was able to bear all this respect and honour flowing in upon him on a sudden without being lifted up above measure.”

So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war.

“He had approved himself a dutiful son to Jesse his father, and now a dutiful servant to Saul his master; those that are good in one relation it is to be hoped will be so in another.”

And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me.

“It may be, he that composed the song only used a poetic liberty, and intended not any invidious comparison between Saul and David; or, if he did, it was below the great mind of a prince to take notice of such a reflection upon his…”

The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual.

“No life is thought too precious to be sacrificed to malice. If a grateful sense of the great service David had done to the public could not assuage Saul's fury, yet one would think he should have allowed himself to consider the kindness David was…”

So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

“Perhaps he pretended to be afraid that David would do himself mischief, to force his way to the crown. Those that design ill against others are commonly willing to have it thought that others design ill against them.”

and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.

“2 , where it is David's promise, I will behave myself wisely; and that promise he here performed; and it is his prayer, O, when wilt thou come unto me? And that prayer God here answered: The Lord was with him.”

So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

“This was as great an affront as he could possibly put upon him, and touched him both in his honour and in his love.”

But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king?

“Though his king was but an upstart, in his original as mean as himself, in his management no better than he should be, yet, being a crowned head, he speaks of him and the royal family with all due respect.”

David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law.

“David was then pleased with the thoughts of being the king's son-in-law when he found the honour set at this high price, being more solicitous how to merit it than how to obtain it; nor could he wear it with satisfaction till he had won…”

he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.

“Men think the way to be feared is to hector and threaten, which makes them feared by fools only, but despised by the wise and good; whereas the way to be both feared and loved, feared by those to whom we would wish to be…”