What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 17:56? Find out • Saul issues an immediate command—he wants information, not speculation (1 Samuel 17:55–56). • The phrase shows urgency; the king must decide how to reward the champion who just saved Israel (17:25). • It also prepares the way for David’s introduction at court (18:2), fulfilling God’s earlier anointing (16:13). whose son • Lineage matters. Rewards promised by Saul include tax-free status “for his father’s house” (17:25), so the king needs the father’s name to honor that pledge. • Knowing David’s father will anchor David in Israel’s tribal structure (Ruth 4:22; Matthew 1:5–6). • Scripture often ties identity to parentage—think of Jonathan “son of Saul” (14:1) or Jesus called “Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). this young man is! • David is repeatedly called “young” (17:14, 33), highlighting God’s pattern of using what seems weak to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). • The exclamation point underscores Saul’s amazement: a shepherd-boy just felled Goliath (17:50). • God sees potential where humans see inexperience—mirrored later when Jeremiah protests, “I am only a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6–7). said the king • As monarch, Saul’s words carry legal authority; the court must obey (Esther 8:8). • The statement exposes Saul’s superficial knowledge of David even after David had served as his harpist (16:21). His spiritual dullness contrasts with Jonathan’s immediate affection for David (18:1). • The king’s inquiry foreshadows the tension that will grow between Saul’s throne and David’s destiny (18:8–9; 24:20). summary Saul’s question is not idle curiosity. He urgently seeks the hero’s lineage so he can honor royal promises, integrate David into national life, and assess potential threat to his throne. In spotlighting David’s youth, the verse magnifies God’s power to exalt the humble and sets the stage for the unfolding drama between Israel’s first king and the shepherd who will become “a man after God’s own heart” (13:14). |
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