Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.
Parallel translations
- WEB Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.
- KJV And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
- NKJV So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.
- NASB Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor.
- NLT Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.
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
Saul tries to equip David with his own armor, helmet, and coat of mail. The king's well-meant help relies on human means rather than faith.
Overview
Saul outfits David in royal armor, perhaps the best Israel could offer, yet it represents reliance on conventional weaponry. The gesture shows Saul still thinking in terms of human strength. David's coming refusal of this armor will underscore that victory comes from the Lord, not from human equipment, a theme central to this whole account.
Cross-references & the web
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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 17:38 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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