1 Samuel 17:12 - Meaning and Application

For forty days, the two armies camped opposite each other. They had a strong position, but neither side moved to attack. They may have been talking about peace, or waiting for more soldiers, and there may also have been small clashes between detached groups. During all that time, the Philistine champion came out morning and evening, repeated his insults, and challenged Israel again and again. The longer he went unanswered, the prouder he became, and the more fearful Israel grew. God allowed this to prepare him for destruction and to make Israel’s rescue even more impressive.

While this was happening, David was still tending his father’s sheep. Then, at the end of those forty days, God’s providence brought him to the field, where he would win the honor no other Israelite dared seek. Here we see the state of David’s family. His father Jesse was old, and people noticed that he had reached great age for that time. He was no longer fit for public duties, so he did not go to war himself, but sent his sons. His gray hair was a crown of honor.

David’s three older brothers may have envied his place at court, and they likely got their father to send for him so they could go to the camp themselves. There they hoped to make a name for themselves and outshine him. David, however, was not proud of what he had done for the king, and he was not eager for higher rank. He left the court and returned to the plain work of his father’s house, to care, hard labor, and, as it turned out, danger in the sheepfolds. His humility is especially clear because it came after the honor of being at court. And its reward came before he received the honor of victory. Before honor comes humility.

This quieter life also gave him time for prayer, reflection, and devotion. Those habits prepared him for what he would become far more than the military drills of that proud camp could have done.

We also see the orders Jesse gave him to visit his brothers in the camp. David did not ask to go because he wanted to see the army, gain experience, or make observations. His father sent him on a lowly errand, one that any servant could have done. He was to carry bread and cheese to his brothers, ten loaves and some roasted grain for them, and ten cheeses for their commander. David was still the family helper, though he was destined to be its greatest honor. He did not even have a donkey to carry the load, so he took it on his back and hurried to the camp.

Jesse seems to have known that David had been anointed, yet he kept him in humble and hidden work. That likely helped protect him from suspicion and envy, since he had been chosen for the throne in the future. Jesse also wanted David to see how his brothers were doing, whether they were short of food after such a long stay, so David could send more supplies if needed. He was also to bring back their pledge, meaning anything they had pawned. Some think he was also to observe their company and the kind of life they were living. If so, this is like Joseph, who once reported his brothers’ bad conduct to their father. It shows how careful godly parents are when their children are away from home, especially in places of temptation. They worry about how their children behave, and especially about the company they keep. Children should remember this and act accordingly, knowing they are still under God’s eye when they are out of their parents’ sight.

David obeyed at once. He was diligent enough to rise early, and careful enough not to leave the sheep without a keeper. He was faithful in small things, so he was fit to be trusted with greater things. He had learned how to obey before he ever tried to command. God’s providence brought him to the camp at just the right moment, when both armies were drawn up for battle and seemed closer to fighting than at any time during the forty days. Jesse did not realize he was sending his son at that exact hour, but God wisely orders times and events to serve his plan for Israel and for the man after his own heart.

David’s arrival showed his energy and eagerness. He delivered the goods honestly to those in charge of the supplies, then ran into the army to see what was happening and to greet his brothers. A person who is diligent in his work is on the road to honor, and he will stand before kings.

Then the Philistine showed his boldness again. Now that the armies were lined up for battle, he came forward first to repeat his challenge. He thought he was pursuing his own glory and victory, but he was really moving toward his own ruin. At the same time, the men of Israel showed how fearful they were. They had listened to his proud words for forty days, and after seeing no harm done on either side, they might have learned to despise his threats. Yet when he came near, they ran away and were very afraid. One Philistine could not have chased a thousand Israelites and put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock, God, had been justly forsaken by them and given them over (Deuteronomy 32:30).

Saul, the king, offered a rich reward to any champion who would face him. Saul was the tallest man in Israel, and if he had stayed close to God, he might himself have taken up the challenge. But the Spirit of the Lord had left him, so he did not dare do it, and he did not urge Jonathan to do it either. He promised great honor to whoever would fight: the king’s daughter in marriage and a large reward. He also promised that the winner’s father’s house would be made free in Israel, likely from taxes and public burdens, and perhaps even raised in rank.

Above all, David was deeply concerned for the honor of God and of Israel against the insults of this proud enemy.

David asked what reward would be given to the man who killed this Philistine (1 Samuel 17:26), though he already knew. He did not ask because he wanted the honor, but because he wanted his concern to be noticed and reported to Saul. He wanted Saul to understand how deeply he felt the insult done to Israel and to Israel's God. He could have relied on his standing at court and gone to Saul himself, but his modesty kept him back. Long before his son later said it as a proverb, David lived by this rule: do not put yourself forward in the king's presence, and do not stand in the place of important men (Proverbs 25:6). Still, his zeal led him into the path that he hoped would bring him into this great task.

Two things seem to have stirred David's righteous anger. First, the challenger was uncircumcised, a stranger to God and outside his covenant. Second, the men being challenged were the armies of the living God, set apart for him and serving his cause. So the insult against them was really an insult against God himself, and David could not bear it. When some people told him about the reward for killing the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:27), he asked others the same thing again (1 Samuel 17:30). He did this with the same strong feeling, hoping word would finally reach Saul.

Then came the discouragement from Eliab, David's oldest brother, who took offense at David's boldness and spoke very harshly to him (1 Samuel 17:28). This grew out of jealousy. Eliab was the oldest, David the youngest, and he may have been used to putting David down and scolding him. But those who lift themselves above their younger family members may one day see God's providence bring them low, while the ones they mistreat are lifted up. Time may come when the older serves the younger.

Eliab was also upset because David was saying the bold things against the Philistine that Eliab himself dared not say. He knew David had already gained favor at court, and if David now gained honor in the camp, the glory of the older brothers would be dimmed. Jealousy often works that way. Eliab would rather see Goliath win against Israel than see David be the one to defeat him. Anger is cruel and fierce, but envy is even harder to face, especially the envy of a brother, as Jacob, Joseph, and David themselves knew (Proverbs 18:19). Eliab's words were not only unfair and unkind, they were deeply ungrateful too, since David had come from his father on a kind visit to his brothers, much like Joseph once came to his brothers.

Eliab meant to hurt David, crush his courage, and make him look like a lazy, proud boy unworthy of notice. He mocked David's work as a shepherd and wrongly suggested that he had been careless with his flock, even though David had left the sheep in safe hands (1 Samuel 17:20). Though David had come in obedience to his father and kindness to his brothers, Eliab twisted that into a charge of selfish curiosity and pride. He acted as if he could read David's heart. But David could appeal to God for his humility and sincerity (Psalm 17:3; Psalm 131:1), and he was showing both at that very moment, yet he still received this bitter treatment from his own brother. See how foolish, ugly, and wicked pride and envy are. Their suspicions are baseless, their judgments unfair, their words bitter, and their tone shameful. May God keep us from such a spirit by his grace.

At the same time, this was a test of David's meekness, patience, and firmness. It was a short test, and he did well in it. He answered with great self-control (1 Samuel 17:29): "What have I done now? What wrong have I committed that I should be scolded like this?" He had good reason for coming to the camp, since his father had sent him. He also had good reason for being stirred by Goliath's insult against Israel's honor. He had right and reason on his side, but he did not answer harsh words with harsh words. Instead, he used a soft answer to turn away his brother's anger.

In some ways, this victory over his own temper was more honorable than his later victory over Goliath. The person who rules his own spirit is better than the mighty. It was no time for David to fight with his brother while the Philistines stood against them. The greater the threat to God's people, the more patient believers should be with one another. David also showed great determination. He would not let his brother's bad attitude drive him away from what he had in mind to do. Those who take on great public work should not be surprised if they are opposed, not only by enemies, but also by friends who doubt them or treat them coldly. They must keep going humbly, even when they face threats from enemies and slights from friends.