1 Samuel 17:39

And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

1 Samuel 17:39. David girded his sword upon his armour — Literally, above, upon his vestments. He assayed to go — יאל ללכת, joel lalecheth. The learned translate these words different ways, but nearly to the same sense, Voluit ire, tentavit ire, conatus est incedere; he willed, wished, tried, or endeavoured to go; that is, to walk or march. As he had never worn such things before, not being used to go armed, he wished to try how he could walk in them; and finding that they were likely rather to encumber him than facilitate his enterprise, he begged leave to lay them aside. “David marched with difficulty, as not accustomed to these; therefore he said to Saul, I cannot go with these arms, for I am not accustomed to them; and David put them off.” — Houb.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:31-39 A shepherd lad, come the same morning from keeping sheep, had more courage than all the mighty men of Israel. Thus God often sends good words to his Israel, and does great things for them, by the weak and foolish things of the world. As he had answered his brother's passion with meekness, so David answered Saul's fear with faith. When David kept sheep, he proved himself very careful and tender of his flock. This reminds us of Christ, the good Shepherd, who not only ventured, but laid down his life for the sheep. Our experience ought to encourage us to trust in God, and be bold in the way of duty. He that has delivered, does and will continue to do so. David gained leave to fight the Philistine. Not being used to such armour as Saul put upon him, he was not satisfied to go in that manner; this was from the Lord, that it might more plainly appear he fought and conquered in faith, and that the victory was from Him who works by the feeblest and most despised means and instruments. It is not to be inquired how excellent any thing is, but how proper. Let Saul's coat be ever so rich, and his armour ever so strong, what is David the better if they fit him not? But faith, prayer, truth, and righteousness; the whole armour of God, and the mind that was in Christ; are equally needful for all the servants of the Lord, whatever may be their work.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His beard - Put here for his throat, or under jaw; neither lion nor bear has a beard properly speaking.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

38, 39. Saul armed David with his armour—The ancient Hebrews were particularly attentive to the personal safety of their warriors, and hence Saul equipped the youthful champion with his own defensive accoutrements, which would be of the best style. It is probable that Saul's coat of mail, or corslet, was a loose shirt, otherwise it could not have fitted both a stripling and a man of the colossal stature of the king.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I have not proved them; I have no skill nor experience in the management of this kind of arms.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And David girded his, sword upon his armour,.... Which Saul also perhaps furnished him with:

and he assayed to go; made an attempt, and had a mind to go thus accoutred; he at first showed an inclination to go in such an habit, but afterwards would not:

for he had not proved it; as warriors were wont to do; so Achilles did (i); he never made trial of such armour before, he had not been used to it, and knew not how to behave in it, or walk with it on him; it was an encumbrance to him: Abarbinel renders it, "but he had not proved it"; he would have gone with it but for that reason; the Targum is,"because there was no miracle in them;''because if he had made use of this, there would have been no appearance of a miracle in getting the victory over the Philistine, as was by using only a sling and stones:

and David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them; he thought fit to acquaint Saul with it that he could not go thus accoutred, and his reason for it, lest he should be offended with him:

and David put them off him; took off the helmet from his head, ungirt the sword upon his armour, and stripped himself of his coat of mail, and went forth entirely unarmed.

(i) Homer. Iliad. 19. ver. 384, 385. so Theocrit. Idyll. 10. ver. 61.

Geneva Study Bible

And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

39. assayed] i.e. endeavoured. The word is derived from Old Fr. asaier, “to try, put to the proof,” and this from Lat. exigere, “to weigh.”

for he had not proved it] He made the effort in ignorance, because he had never tried a suit of armour, and did not know what an encumbrance it would be to one unaccustomed to the use of it.

David put them off him] “Expeditissimus ille ad prœlium procedere cupiebat; fortis non in se sed in Domino; armatus non tam ferro quam fide.” “He desired to go forth to the battle in the lightest possible armour: strong in the Lord not in himself: armed not with steel but with faith.” Augustine, Serm. XXXII. God would show, as in the case of Gideon (Jdg 7:2), that the victory was His alone. Compare Maurice, Prophets and Kings, p. 46.

1 Samuel 17:39

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When he was thus equipped with brazen helmet, coat of mail, and sword, David began to walk, but soon found that he could do nothing with these. He therefore said to Saul, "I cannot go in these things, for I have not tried them;" and having taken them off, he took his shepherd's staff in his hand, sought out five smooth stones from the brook-valley, and put them in the shepherd's thing that he had, namely his shepherd's bag. He then took the sling in his hand, and went up to the Philistine. In the exercise of his shepherd's calling he may have become so skilled in the use of the sling, that, like the Benjaminites mentioned in Judges 20:16, he could sling at a hair's-breadth, and not miss.