1 Samuel 17:28
in 1 Samuel 17Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
KJV
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Why camest thou down? - From the heights of Bethlehem to the valley of Elah. Thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart - See the similar expression, Jer. 49. Compare the envy of Jacob’s sons toward Joseph, and of the slanders heaped upon the Son of David in the days of His flesh.
This site's exposition
his anger burned against David
on 1 Samuel 17:28-30
Eliab is the brother Samuel looked on at 16:6, when the LORD said He sees the heart. Now the rejected eldest accuses the chosen youngest of "pride and wickedness of heart," the very heart God had examined. David answers with a question of his own and turns to another rather than quarrel, the chapter’s quiet middle, since he will fight Goliath and not Eliab.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
If you don't mind, however, let us refer to a theme in our preaching earlier, so that by bringing the whole story to mind we may learn that nothing is stronger than the person protected by help from on high, and nothing is more vulnerable than the person deprived of this help, surrounded though he may be with countless armies. So this man David, quite young though he was and living in his father's house on account of his immaturity, heard the call of destiny for his virtue to become conspicuous; he was urged by his father to observe his brothers; he obeyed and was sent off to them. So, after coming on the scene to observe them, he saw the battle line drawn against the foreigner Goliath and the whole people of Saul's company withdrawing in fright and the king himself placed in particular danger. For a while he was happy to be an onlooker and went to see the strange and unusual sight of one person pitted against so many thousands. But his brothers could not tolerate the manliness of his bearing; they were moved to hatred and said to him, "Have you come for no other reason than to see the war." You haven't really come to observe us.Notice, however, his good sense and great restraint. Instead of saying anything rash to them, anything harsh, he extinguished the flame of their hatred; he mollified their hatred by saying, "Isn't it only a word?" I mean, surely you haven't observed me taking position in the ranks? I simply wanted to watch and find out the source of this man's extraordinary frenzy. "After all, who is this foreigner who reproaches the ranks of the living God?" Then, on hearing the man's awful arrogance and the unspeakable cowardice of those who had gone with Saul, he said, "What will be given to the man who cuts off his head?" He showed great boldness of spirit through these words and caused amazement in every one. […]
Now when David came, one of his brothers rebuked him, saying, "Why did you leave those few sheep and come to the battle?" This elder brother, maliciously chiding David who typified our Lord, signified the Jewish people who jealously slandered Christ the Lord even though …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Why, he says, have you come? etc. Let the Jews be angry with Christ, and let them reproach Him with blasphemies about the compassion of His coming and incarnation; let us return due thanks to Him, who, seeking us on earth, deigned to leave those …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Naughtiness - Thy false-confidence, and vain gloried curiosity. See the folly and wickedness of envy! How groundless its jealousies are, how unjust its censures, how unfair it representations?
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He was the eldest brother, and David the youngest, and perhaps it had been customary with him (as it is with too many elder brothers) to trample upon him and take every occasion to chide him. But those who thus exalt themselves over their juniors may perhaps live to see themselves, by a righteous providence, abased, and those to whom they are abusive exalted.
The words behind it
34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע | vaiyishma' | and he heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֱלִיאָב֙ | ʾeliav | Eliab | H446 → | 21 times |
| אָחִ֣יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַגָּד֔וֹל | hagadol | <the> old | H1419 → | 526 times |
| בְּדַבְּר֖וֹ | bedabero | when spoke he | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֑ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וַיִּֽחַר־ | vaiyichar- | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| אַף֩ | ʾaf | [the] anger of | H639 → | 276 times |
| אֱלִיאָ֨ב | ʾeliav | Eliab | H446 → | 21 times |
| בְּדָוִ֜ד | bedavid | on David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָמָּה־ | lamah- | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| זֶּ֣ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| יָרַ֗דְתָּ | yaradta | have you come down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִ֨י | mi | whom? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| נָטַ֜שְׁתָּ | natashta | have you left | H5203 → | 40 times |
| מְעַ֨ט | meat | [the] fewness of | H4592 → | 101 times |
| הַצֹּ֤אן | hatzon | the sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
| הָהֵ֙נָּה֙ | hahenah | <the> those | H2007 → | |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| אֲנִ֧י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יָדַ֣עְתִּי | yada'ti | I know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְדֹנְךָ֗ | zedonekha | arrogance your | H2087 → | |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֹ֣עַ | roa' | [the] wickedness of | H7455 → | |
| לְבָבֶ֔ךָ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| כִּ֗י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְמַ֛עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | |
| רְא֥וֹת | reot | to see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | hamilchamah | the battle | H4421 → | |
| יָרָֽדְתָּ׃ | yaradeta | you have come down | H3381 → | 381 times |
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤עand he heard
vaiyishma'H8085 →1159 times
אֱלִיאָב֙Eliab
ʾeliavH446 →21 times
אָחִ֣יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
הַגָּד֔וֹל<the> old
hagadolH1419 →526 times
בְּדַבְּר֖וֹwhen spoke he
bedaberoH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֑יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וַיִּֽחַר־and it burned
vaiyichar-H2734 →91 times
אַף֩[the] anger of
ʾafH639 →276 times
אֱלִיאָ֨בEliab
ʾeliavH446 →21 times
בְּדָוִ֜דon David
bedavidH1732 →999 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָמָּה־<to> why?
lamah-H4100 →752 times
זֶּ֣הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
יָרַ֗דְתָּhave you come down
yaradtaH3381 →381 times
וְעַל־and with
veal-H5921 →5755 times
מִ֨יwhom?
miH4310 →423 times
נָטַ֜שְׁתָּhave you left
natashtaH5203 →40 times
מְעַ֨ט[the] fewness of
meatH4592 →101 times
הַצֹּ֤אןthe sheep
hatzonH6629 →274 times
הָהֵ֙נָּה֙<the> those
hahenahH2007 →
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
אֲנִ֧יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יָדַ֣עְתִּיI know
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זְדֹנְךָ֗arrogance your
zedonekhaH2087 →
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
רֹ֣עַ[the] wickedness of
roa'H7455 →
לְבָבֶ֔ךָheart your
levavekhaH3824 →252 times
כִּ֗יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
לְמַ֛עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →
רְא֥וֹתto see
reotH7200 →1300 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֖הthe battle
hamilchamahH4421 →
יָרָֽדְתָּ׃you have come down
yaradetaH3381 →381 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
Matthew 10:36A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
it leads to
- Micah 7:6
For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.
- Jeremiah 12:6
Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
- Psalms 41:9
Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
- Genesis 4:8–10
Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
- Job 19:13–19
He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.
- Micah 7:6
Through
Proverbs 18:19An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:32
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
- Proverbs 16:32
Through
Genesis 37:11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
it leads to
- Acts 7:9
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- Acts 7:9
Through
Genesis 37:4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
it leads to
- Genesis 27:41
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will…
- Genesis 27:41
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 121.3; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 46.9-10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).