Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB As David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
- KJV And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
- BSB So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.
- NASB So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand.
- NLT As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.
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
Abner brings David before Saul, still holding Goliath's head. The victor is presented to the king with the trophy of his triumph.
Overview
After the slaughter, Abner leads David to Saul with the giant's head in his hand. The scene formally presents the young deliverer to the king, the visible evidence of God's victory in his grasp. David's introduction to the court in triumph begins his rise, even as it sets the stage for Saul's growing jealousy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- 1 Sam 17:54David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
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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 17:57 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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