The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:12 Explained

1 Samuel 17:12

KJV: Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

YLT: And David is son of this Ephrathite of Beth-Lehem-Judah, whose name is Jesse, and he hath eight sons, and the man in the days of Saul hath become aged among men;

Darby: Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.

ASV: Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now David  [was] the son  of that Ephrathite  of Bethlehemjudah,  whose name  [was] Jesse;  and he had eight  sons:  and the man  went  among men  [for] an old man  in the days  of Saul. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1Samuel 17:1-16 - Israel Defied By The Philistine Champion
When their king lost the special consciousness of God's presence and power, the whole kingdom became demoralized, and the Hebrews had the humiliation of hearing in silence a defiant challenge to "the armies of the living God." It looked as if the answer would have to go by default-that Jehovah was a God that could not save. The impotence of the Israelites made Goliath still more defiant. At first he came down from the ranks of his own camp on the southern side of the valley and walked vaingloriously through the level plain between the two hosts; but after forty days had passed, he became bolder and came up the slopes where Israel stood. At his approach they fled in terror. Measuring nine feet, nine inches, covered with mail, and carrying a spear, the head of which weighed eighteen pounds, the giant must have seemed very formidable to the men of Israel. And are there not giants equally determined and terrible that threaten us, in national and individual experience, and find us unable to cope with them? We need David's God and David's faith! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1Samuel 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 17:12 mean?

Now David [was] the son of Ephrathite this of Bethlehem Judah and whose name [was] Jesse and who had eight sons And the man in the days of Saul Was old advanced [in years] went men
וְדָוִד֩ בֶּן־ אִ֨ישׁ אֶפְרָתִ֜י הַזֶּ֗ה מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה וּשְׁמ֣וֹ יִשַׁ֔י וְל֖וֹ שְׁמֹנָ֣ה בָנִ֑ים וְהָאִישׁ֙ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁא֔וּל זָקֵ֖ן בָּ֥א בַאֲנָשִֽׁים

וְדָוִד֩  Now  David  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֶפְרָתִ֜י  Ephrathite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרָתִי  
Sense: an inhabitant or descendant of Ephraim.
הַזֶּ֗ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
לֶ֙חֶם֙  Bethlehem 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית לֶחֶם  
Sense: a city in Judah, birthplace of David.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּשְׁמ֣וֹ  and  whose  name  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יִשַׁ֔י  Jesse 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישַׁי 
Sense: son of Boaz and the father of king David.
וְל֖וֹ  and  who  had 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
שְׁמֹנָ֣ה  eight 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמֹנֶה  
Sense: eight, eighth.
בָנִ֑ים  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְהָאִישׁ֙  And  the  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בִּימֵ֣י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
זָקֵ֖ן  Was  old  advanced  [in  years] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: to be old, become old.
בָּ֥א  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בַאֲנָשִֽׁים  men 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.