Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
- KJV And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
- BSB And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.
- NKJV And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.
- NASB And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesse sends David to Saul with gifts of bread, wine, and a young goat. David comes with customary tokens of honor and respect.
Overview
Jesse's gifts express respect and goodwill as David enters royal service, a fitting courtesy toward the king. The detail grounds the account in everyday custom even as God's purposes unfold. David's entrance into Saul's court positions him for the public stage he will soon occupy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Sam 10:27But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
- Prov 18:16A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
- 1 Sam 17:18and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”
- 2 Sam 16:1–2When David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
- 1 Sam 25:18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.
- Gen 43:11Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 16:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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