The Meaning of 1 Samuel 16:18 Explained

1 Samuel 16:18

KJV: Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

YLT: And one of the servants answereth and saith, 'Lo, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skilful in playing, and a mighty virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and Jehovah is with him.'

Darby: And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.

ASV: Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then answered  one  of the servants,  and said,  Behold, I have seen  a son  of Jesse  the Bethlehemite,  [that is] cunning  in playing,  and a mighty  valiant man,  and a man  of war,  and prudent  in matters,  and a comely  person,  and the LORD  [is] with him. 

What does 1 Samuel 16:18 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 16:14-23 - The Young Harper Before The Dejected King
In one sentence we are told of the Spirit of the Lord coming upon David, 1 Samuel 16:13, and in the next of the departure of the Spirit from Saul. This does not necessarily imply that all religious sensibility had become extinct, but that the special enduement which had fitted him for his kingly office had been withdrawn. An evil spirit "from the Lord" troubled him; that is, God permitted this spirit to enter. The garrison of peace and love had, been willfully dismissed by Saul, and by the inevitable operation of the divine law, as He had banished the light, he was necessarily left in darkness. God gave him up to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28.
The king's depression demanded an antidote, which was provided by music. Philip V of Spain was helped in the same fashion. The minstrel was none other than the young shepherd so recently anointed. A directing Providence superintends every incident in life. That a servant of Saul's had seen David in some country contest was only a link in the chain, 1 Samuel 16:18. God has a plan for each life. "All things work together for good to them that love God," Romans 8:28. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 16

1  Samuel sent by God, under pretense of a sacrifice, comes to Bethlehem
6  His human judgment is reproved
11  He anoints David
15  Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 16:18 mean?

And answered one of the servants and said Look I have seen a son of Jesse in the Bethlehemite [who is] skillful in playing and mighty a man of valor and a man of war and prudent in speech and a person handsome and Yahweh [is] with him
וַיַּעַן֩ אֶחָ֨ד מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה רָאִ֜יתִי בֵּ֣ן לְיִשַׁי֮ בֵּ֣ית הַלַּחְמִי֒ יֹדֵ֣עַ נַ֠גֵּן וְגִבּ֨וֹר חַ֜יִל וְאִ֧ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֛ה וּנְב֥וֹן דָּבָ֖ר וְאִ֣ישׁ תֹּ֑אַר וַיהוָ֖ה עִמּֽוֹ

וַיַּעַן֩  And  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
אֶחָ֨ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים  of  the  servants 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּ֨ה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
רָאִ֜יתִי  I  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בֵּ֣ן  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לְיִשַׁי֮  of  Jesse 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישַׁי 
Sense: son of Boaz and the father of king David.
הַלַּחְמִי֒  the  Bethlehemite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּית־הַלַּחְמִי 
Sense: an inhabitant of Bethlehem.
יֹדֵ֣עַ  [who  is]  skillful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
נַ֠גֵּן  in  playing 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: נָגַן  
Sense: to play or strike strings, play a stringed instrument.
וְגִבּ֨וֹר  and  mighty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
חַ֜יִל  a  man  of  valor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
וְאִ֧ישׁ  and  a  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִלְחָמָ֛ה  of  war 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וּנְב֥וֹן  and  prudent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
דָּבָ֖ר  in  speech 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְאִ֣ישׁ  and  a  person 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
תֹּ֑אַר  handsome 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֹּאַר  
Sense: shape, form, outline, figure, appearance.
וַיהוָ֖ה  and  Yahweh  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עִמּֽוֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.