1 Samuel 17 58

1 Samuel 17:58 kjv

And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

1 Samuel 17:58 nkjv

And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" So David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

1 Samuel 17:58 niv

"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

1 Samuel 17:58 esv

And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

1 Samuel 17:58 nlt

"Tell me about your father, young man," Saul said. And David replied, "His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem."

1 Samuel 17 verses

1 Samuel 17 58 Meaning

In 1 Samuel 17:58, following his triumphant defeat of Goliath, David is questioned by King Saul regarding his lineage. David succinctly identifies himself as "the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite." This verse serves as a crucial point of revelation, establishing David's immediate family connection and geographical origin, laying the groundwork for his future narrative in Israel's history. It underscores David's humble beginnings even as he stands before the king after a miraculous victory, highlighting divine favor.

1 Samuel 17 58 Context

1 Samuel Chapter 17 details the epic confrontation between David and Goliath, representing the Philistine defiance against Israel and the Lord. Saul's army, along with Saul himself, is paralyzed by fear for forty days in the valley of Elah. David, a young shepherd sent to bring food to his brothers, witnesses this defiance and is moved by zeal for God's name. After convincing Saul he can fight Goliath, relying not on armor but on God, David miraculously defeats the giant. This specific verse, 1 Samuel 17:58, marks the immediate aftermath of this victory. Saul, having promised riches and the hand of his daughter to the man who killed Goliath (1 Sam 17:25), now seeks to understand the identity of this young champion who has just delivered Israel. The inquiry about David's father (lineage) was common in that era to ascertain status, tribal affiliation, and to gauge future obligations or potentials. Saul's question, despite David's previous service to him (1 Sam 16:21), highlights Saul's self-centered focus and possible lack of interest in his subjects' personal details until prompted by extreme circumstances. It foreshadows David's rise to prominence.

1 Samuel 17 58 Word analysis

• And Saul said to him: The direct address from the king emphasizes his authority and interest in the victorious youth. It marks the king's direct encounter with his future successor, though he is unaware of it.
• Whose son are you, young man? (Hebrew: Ben-miy atah, ha-na'ar?).
  • Ben-miy (son of who): Not merely a casual inquiry about a name, but a question of lineage, family identity, social standing, and tribal affiliation. In ancient Israelite society, one's father and family defined their status, obligations, and rights. This inquiry serves to assess the youth's background.
  • ha-na'ar (the young man / the boy / the servant): This term reinforces David's perceived youth and lack of prominent standing, despite his heroic deed. It is a humble address, confirming Saul's view of him as an insignificant individual despite his strength of faith.
• And David answered: This simple phrase signifies David's respectful, direct, and immediate response to the king's query, showing humility and proper conduct before royalty.
• I am the son of your servant Jesse (Hebrew: Ben-avdekha Yishai anochi).
  • Ben-avdekha (son of your servant): David's deferential response is notable. He doesn't just name his father but identifies Jesse as "your servant." This expresses humility and recognition of Saul's kingship and authority. David has already served Saul (1 Sam 16:21), and Jesse would have been seen as a loyal subject.
  • Jesse (Hebrew: Yishai): David identifies his father, providing the specific link to his family. Jesse was a man of good standing in Bethlehem, an Ephrathite (1 Sam 17:12).
• the Bethlehemite. (Hebrew: Beit-HaLaChmi). This specifies his place of origin, Bethlehem in Judah. This geographical detail is immensely significant. Bethlehem was a humble town, yet prophesied as the birthplace of the Messiah (Mic 5:2) and would become known as the "city of David" (Luke 2:4). David identifies with his town, anchoring him firmly in the Judahite heartland.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Whose son are you, young man?": This highlights Saul's focus on external status and human origin. Despite David's evident anointing and reliance on God, Saul's first instinct is to ask about human lineage, showing a preoccupation with earthly recognition rather than divine election. It also indicates Saul's apparent failure to recognize David, or his limited memory of his earlier interactions with him as a harpist. This subtly critiques Saul's disconnect.
• "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.": David's answer is profound in its simplicity and truthfulness. He doesn't exaggerate or boast about his feat. Instead, he grounds his identity in his humble, well-known, and God-appointed family roots in Bethlehem. It speaks volumes about David's character and his humility before the king, embodying the "servant heart" that God values (Acts 13:22). This response connects David's identity directly to his ancestry and birthplace, which are pivotal in the prophetic lineage of the Messiah.

1 Samuel 17 58 Bonus section

• The detail of Bethlehem as David's home foreshadows its prophetic significance as the birthplace of Jesus the Messiah (Micah 5:2). Both David, the king of Israel, and Jesus, the King of kings, trace their earthly roots to this specific, seemingly unremarkable, town.
• Saul's lack of immediate recognition of David underscores the spiritual blindness of Saul. David had already been presented to Saul as a harpist and armor-bearer (1 Sam 16:18-23). This shows Saul's self-focus and reliance on human qualifications rather than observing God's hand on individuals, a critical flaw in his kingship.
• David's humility in answering the king ("your servant Jesse") showcases his character and respectful disposition, qualities God desires in His leaders (Prov 22:4). It is a stark contrast to Saul's increasingly arrogant demeanor.

1 Samuel 17 58 Commentary

1 Samuel 17:58 serves as a concise yet powerful narrative turning point. Saul's interrogation of David, immediately following his heroic victory over Goliath, is driven by the desire to fulfill his previous promises concerning the family of the giant's slayer (1 Sam 17:25). More profoundly, it reveals the stark contrast between Saul's human perspective and God's divine perspective. Saul, despite David having previously served in his court, genuinely asks "Whose son are you?"—a testament to either his short memory, the relative insignificance of David in his mind prior to this feat, or even divine intervention in Saul's memory to ensure David's new public introduction. David's response, identifying his father Jesse and his home as Bethlehem, humbly grounds his extraordinary achievement in ordinary lineage, a pattern often seen in God's chosen vessels. This seemingly mundane identification points directly to the spiritual significance of Bethlehem as the origin of Israel's greatest king and, later, the ultimate "Son of David," Jesus the Messiah, whose lineage and humble Bethlehemite origins resonate deeply with David's. This verse is the pivot upon which David's public career is launched, transitioning him from obscurity to the national stage under the eye of the very king he would eventually succeed, demonstrating God's sovereign plan to raise the humble and to choose vessels for His purposes irrespective of their perceived worldly status.