The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:25 Explained

1 Samuel 17:25

KJV: And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

YLT: And the men of Israel say, 'Have ye seen this man who is coming up? for, to reproach Israel he is coming up, and it hath been -- the man who smiteth him, the king doth enrich him with great riches, and his daughter he doth give to him, and his father's house doth make free in Israel.'

Darby: And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who smites him, him will the king enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

ASV: And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the men  of Israel  said,  Have ye seen  this man  that is come up?  surely to defy  Israel  is he come up:  and it shall be, [that] the man  who killeth  him, the king  will enrich  him with great  riches,  and will give  him his daughter,  and make  his father's  house  free  in Israel. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 17:17-30 - David Unawed By The Giant
At this juncture David arrived in the camp, sent by Jesse to inquire after the welfare of his three elder sons, who had followed Saul to the war. He also brought them provisions, and a present for the captain of their troop. On arriving at the trenches, he found the army in battle-array but not daring to advance. When the whole story was detailed to the young shepherd, he looked at the incident and challenge from the spiritual side. This event, therefore, marked a turning-point not only in his own history, but in that of his people. One, at least, was found in their ranks who looked at things from God's standpoint, counted on the God of the ancient Covenant, and was prepared to venture all on faith, 1 Samuel 17:26; 1 Samuel 17:36-37.
His brother imputed to him a restless ambition, an unworthy curiosity. Much in the same way the kinsfolk of our Savior misunderstood His motives and sought to interrupt His work. But David was undaunted and, answering his brother kindly and gently, he pressed on with his inquiries and protests, until the tidings of the young champion reached the king. The victory over himself when Eliab reproached him was part of his preparation for the coming conflict. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 17

1  The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4  Goliath challenges a combat
12  David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28  Eliab chides him
30  He is brought to Saul
32  shows the reason of his confidence
38  and slays the giant
55  Saul takes notice of David

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 17:25 mean?

So said the men of Israel have you seen man who has come up this surely to defy - Israel he has come up and it shall be [that] the man who kills him will enrich the king with riches great and his daughter will give him and house of his father give exemption [from taxes] in Israel
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַרְּאִיתֶם֙ הָאִ֤ישׁ ؟ הָֽעֹלֶה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֛י לְחָרֵ֥ף אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֹלֶ֑ה וְֽ֠הָיָה הָאִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ יַכֶּ֜נּוּ יַעְשְׁרֶ֥נּוּ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ׀ עֹ֣שֶׁר גָּד֗וֹל וְאֶת־ בִּתּוֹ֙ יִתֶּן־ ל֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יו יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה חָפְשִׁ֖י בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אִ֣ישׁ  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַרְּאִיתֶם֙  have  you  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הָאִ֤ישׁ  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
؟ הָֽעֹלֶה֙  who  has  come  up 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כִּ֛י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לְחָרֵ֥ף  to  defy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: חָרַף 
Sense: to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
עֹלֶ֑ה  he  has  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
וְֽ֠הָיָה  and  it  shall  be  [that] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הָאִ֨ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יַכֶּ֜נּוּ  kills  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יַעְשְׁרֶ֥נּוּ  will  enrich 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשַׁר  
Sense: to be or become rich or wealthy, enrich, pretend to be rich.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ׀  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עֹ֣שֶׁר  with  riches 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁר  
Sense: wealth, riches.
גָּד֗וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בִּתּוֹ֙  his  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
יִתֶּן־  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בֵּ֣ית  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבִ֔יו  of  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
חָפְשִׁ֖י  exemption  [from  taxes] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָפְשִׁי  
Sense: free.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.