Treasury of Scripture
sent for him [heb] took him
Proverbs 22:29 See you a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
The preceding twenty verses, from the
12th to the
31st inclusive, the
41st, and from the
54th to the end of this chapter, with the five first verses and the
9th,
10th,
11th,
17th,
18th, and
19th, of ch.
1 Samuel 17:18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and look how your brothers fare, and take their pledge.
, are all wanting in the Vatican copy of the LXX.; and they are supposed by Dr. Kennicott, and others, to be an interpolation. But, as Bp. Horsley observes, it appears, from many circumstances of the story, that David's combat with Goliath was many years prior to Saul's madness, and David's introduction to him as a musician. In the first place, David was quite a youth when engaged with Goliath, (ver.
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for you are but a youth...
,
42:) when introduced to Saul he was of full age, (ch
1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing...
) Again, this combat was his first appearance in public life, and first military exploit, (ver.
36,
38,39) when introduced as a musician, he was man of established character, and a man of war (ch.
1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing...
). Now the just conclusion is, that the last ten verses of chapter
1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord now command your servants, which are before you, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp...
have been misplaced; their true place being between the ninth and tenth verses of ch.
1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing...
. Let them be removed there, and the whole apparent disorder will be removed.