1 Samuel 16:21
◄  1 Samuel 16:21  ►
New International Version (©2011)
David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

New Living Translation (©2007)
So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.

International Standard Version (©2012)
David went to Saul and began to serve him. Saul loved him very much, and he became his armor bearer.

NET Bible (©2006)
David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, and he became his armor bearer.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
David came to Saul and served him. Saul loved him very much and made David his armorbearer.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armorbearer.

American King James Version
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.

American Standard Version
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armorbearer.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.

Darby Bible Translation
And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

English Revised Version
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer.

World English Bible
David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.

Young's Literal Translation
And David cometh in unto Saul, and standeth before him, and he loveth him greatly; and he is a bearer of his weapons.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:14-23 Saul is made a terror to himself. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humours of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman. It is a pity that music, which may be serviceable to the good temper of the mind, should ever be abused, to support vanity and luxury, and made an occasion of drawing the heart from God and serious things. That is driving away the good Spirit, not the evil spirit. Music, diversions, company, or business, have for a time often been employed to quiet the wounded conscience; but nothing can effect a real cure but the blood of Christ, applied in faith, and the sanctifying Spirit sealing the pardon, by his holy comforts. All other plans to dispel religious melancholy are sure to add to distress, either in this world or the next.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 21-23. - David came to Saul, and stood before him. The latter phrase means, "became one of his regular attendants." This, and his being appointed one of Saul's armour bearers, happened only after the lapse of some time. The armour bearer, like the esquire in the middle ages, had to carry his lord's lance, and sword, and shield, and was always a tried soldier, and one whom the king trusted. It was apparently after the combat with Goliath that Saul sent to Jesse, and asked that David might be always with him; and until his jealousy burst forth David was very dear to him, and his music exercised a soothing influence upon his melancholy. At first, probably, these fits of insanity came upon Saul only at distant intervals, but afterwards more frequently, and with such loss of self-control that he more than once tried to murder David, and even Jonathan, his own son. We have, then, here a summary of the relations of Saul to David until the unfortunate day when the king heard the women ascribe to the youthful soldier the higher honor (1 Samuel 18:7); and thenceforward these friendly feelings gave way to a growing dislike which deprived Saul of a faithful servant, and finally cost him his crown and life on Mount Gilboa.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And David came to Saul, and stood before him,.... As a servant, and ministered to him in the way, and for the purpose for which he was sent:

and he loved him greatly; being a comely person, and a well behaved youth, and especially as he was serviceable to him with his music, in driving away melancholy from him:

and he became his armourbearer; that is, he appointed him to this office, though we never read that he exercised it; nor did he go with Saul in this capacity to the battle related in the following chapter: it may be literally rendered: "and he was to him a bearer of vessels", or "instruments" (q); and Abarbinel thinks this is to be understood not of instruments of war, but of instruments of music to play with; which he brought in and bare before him when he went in to the king.

(q) "et fuit ei ferens vasa", Montanus; "ferens instrumenta", Piscator.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. David came to Saul—Providence thus prepared David for his destiny, by placing him in a way to become acquainted with the manners of the court, the business of government, and the general state of the kingdom.

became his armour-bearer—This choice, as being an expression of the king's partiality, shows how honorable the office was held to be.

1 Samuel 16:21 Parallel Commentaries

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David Serves Saul
…20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer. 22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.

Genesis 41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
Judges 9:54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.
1 Samuel 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."
1 Samuel 17:15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
1 Samuel 17:55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don't know."
1 Samuel 19:7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
Proverbs 22:29 Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.