1 Samuel 17:12
in 1 Samuel 17Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons in the days of Saul. And Jesse was old and well along in years.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men.
KJV
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth–lehem–judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseDavid, however, was the son of an Ephrathite man. David indeed, as always, is the Lord Christ, who is the son of an Ephrathite man, that is, a fruitful one; because from that ancient people of the Hebrews, who by believing bore many fruits of …
This site's exposition
Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite
on 1 Samuel 17:12-15
The narrative starts over from Bethlehem, as if to say that the answer to Gath was already growing in Ruth's town. David is the eighth son, keeper of the sheep, and verse 15 has him going back and forth between Saul's court and his father's flock, which is how the anointed of chapter 16 can arrive at this battle as an errand boy. Bethlehem carries the thread that began at Ruth 4:17 and runs to Micah 5:2.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): He went among men for an old man, was taken notice of for his great age, above what was usual at that time, and therefore was excused from pubic services, and went not in person to the wars, but sent his sons; he had the honours paid him that were due his age, his hoary head was a crown of glory to him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The 12th verse, to the 31st inclusive, are wanting in the Septuagint; as also the 41st verse; and from the 54th to the end; with the first five verses of 1 Samuel 18, and the 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of the same. All these parts are found in the Codex Alexandrinus; but it appears that the MS. from which the Codex Alexandrinus was copied, had them not. See observations at the end of this chapter, 1Sa 17:58 (note). Dr. Kennicott has rendered it very probable that these portions are not a genuine part of the text.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This and the following verses down to the end of 1Sa 17:31 are omitted in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint, as are 1Sa 17:55-58. The object of the omission was doubtless to avoid the apparent inconsistency with regard to Saul’s acquaintance with David (see 1Sa 16:21 note).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Ephrathite. Beis Lechem is located in the land of Ephros. 5 See Bereishis:19.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְדָוִד֩ | vedavid | and David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [was] a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶפְרָתִ֜י | ʾefrati | an Ephrathite | H673 → | |
| הַזֶּ֗ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| מִבֵּ֥ית | mibeit | from Beth- | H1035 → | 82 times |
| לֶ֙חֶם֙ | lechem | -lehem | H1035 → | 82 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וּשְׁמ֣וֹ | ushemo | and name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יִשַׁ֔י | yishai | [was] Jesse | H3448 → | 42 times |
| וְל֖וֹ | velo | and [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| שְׁמֹנָ֣ה | shemonah | eight | H8083 → | |
| בָנִ֑ים | vanim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְהָאִישׁ֙ | vehaish | and the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בִּימֵ֣י | bimei | in [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| זָקֵ֖ן | zaken | he was old | H2204 → | 27 times |
| בָּ֥א | ba' | he had gone | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בַאֲנָשִֽׁים׃ | vaanashim | among men | H582 → | 566 times |
וְדָוִד֩and David
vedavidH1732 →999 times
בֶּן־[was] a son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אִ֨ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶפְרָתִ֜יan Ephrathite
ʾefratiH673 →
הַזֶּ֗ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
מִבֵּ֥יתfrom Beth-
mibeitH1035 →82 times
לֶ֙חֶם֙-lehem
lechemH1035 →82 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וּשְׁמ֣וֹand name his
ushemoH8034 →864 times
יִשַׁ֔י[was] Jesse
yishaiH3448 →42 times
וְל֖וֹand [belonged] to <the> him
velo
שְׁמֹנָ֣הeight
shemonahH8083 →
בָנִ֑יםsons
vanimH1121 →4930 times
וְהָאִישׁ֙and the man
vehaishH376 →1663 times
בִּימֵ֣יin [the] days of
bimeiH3117 →2304 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
זָקֵ֖ןhe was old
zakenH2204 →27 times
בָּ֥אhe had gone
ba'H935 →2568 times
בַאֲנָשִֽׁים׃among men
vaanashimH582 →566 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 16:18One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
- Genesis 39:23
The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
- 1 Samuel 17:32–36
And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
- Genesis 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
- 1 Samuel 10:7
When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.
- 1 Samuel 3:19
Through
Genesis 35:19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
it leads to
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Genesis 48:7
Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the…
- Ruth 1:2
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of…
- Micah 5:2
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PlaceBethlehemBethlehemDavid’s town, six miles south of Jerusalem, where Ruth gleaned, where Samuel anointed a shepherd boy, and where Jesus was born as…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).