Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:12
Verse 12. The 12th verse, to the 31st inclusive, are wanting in the Septuagint; as also the 41st verse; and from the 54th to the end; with the first five verses of 1 Samuel 18, and the 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of the same. All these parts are found in the Codex Alexandrinus; but it appears that the MS. from which the Codex Alexandrinus was copied, had them not. See observations at the end of this chapter. Dr. Kennicott has rendered it very probable that these portions are not a genuine part of the text.
Notwithstanding what Bishop Warburton and others have done to clear the chronology of the present printed Hebrew, it is impossible to make a clear consistent sense of the history, unless these verses are omitted. Let any one read the eleventh verse in connection with the thirty-second, leave out the forty-first, and connect the fifty-fourth with the sixth of 1 Samuel 18, and he will be perfectly convinced that there is nothing wanting to make the sense complete; to say nothing of the other omissions noted above. If the above be taken in as genuine, the ingenuity of man has hitherto failed to free the whole from apparent contradiction and absurdity. I must confess that where every one else has failed, I have no hope of succeeding: I must, therefore, leave all farther attempts to justify the chronology; and refer to those who have written for and against the genuineness of this part of the common Hebrew text. At the end of the chapter I shall introduce some extracts from Kennicott and Pilkington: and leave the whole with the unprejudiced and discerning reader.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah , whose name was Jesse, etc.] Before made mention of, ( 1 Chronicles 16:1) and he had eight sons ; seven only are mentioned, ( 1 Chronicles 2:13-15) one of them being, as is thought by some, a grandson, perhaps Jonadab the son of Shammah; or was a son by another woman, or died without children, as Jarchi, and therefore not mentioned: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul ; the phrase, “among men”, either signifies that he was ranked among old men, infirm and unfit for war, and so excused, and his sons went in his room, so Kimchi; or he was reckoned among men of the first rank, men of esteem, credit, and reputation, so Jarchi and R. Isaiah, with which agrees the Targum; or whenever he went abroad, he was attended by many men, had a large retinue, which sense Abarbinel mentions, and is that of Ben Gersom, and agrees with the Talmud f362 ; but the Syriac and Arabic versions read “stricken in years”, which seems most agreeable.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-30 - Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army at that critica juncture; but the wise God orders actions and affairs, so as to serv his designs. In times of general formality and lukewarmness, ever degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to ventur more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride an ambition, and by none more than by near relations, like Eliab, or negligent superiors. It was a trial of David's meekness, patience, an constancy. He had right and reason on his side, and did not rende railing for railing; with a soft answer he turned away his brother' wrath. This conquest of his own passion was more honourable than tha of Goliath. Those who undertake great and public services, must no think it strange if they are spoken ill of, and opposed by those from whom they expect support and assistance. They must humbly go on with their work, in the face not only of enemies' threats, but of friends slights and suspicions.
Original Hebrew
ודוד 1732 בן 1121 אישׁ 376 אפרתי 673 הזה 2088 מבית לחם 1035 יהודה 3063 ושׁמו 8034 ישׁי 3448 ולו שׁמנה 8083 בנים 1121 והאישׁ 376 בימי 3117 שׁאול 7586 זקן 2204 בא 935 באנשׁים׃ 376
