The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:28 Explained

1 Samuel 17:28

KJV: And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

YLT: And Eliab, his eldest brother, heareth when he speaketh unto the men, and the anger of Eliab burneth against David, and he saith, 'Why is this -- thou hast come down! and to whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I have known thy pride, and the evil of thy heart -- for, to see the battle thou hast come down.'

Darby: And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard while he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

ASV: And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Eliab  his eldest  brother  heard  when he spake  unto the men;  and Eliab's  anger  was kindled  against David,  and he said,  Why camest thou down  hither? and with whom hast thou left  those  few  sheep  in the wilderness?  I know  thy pride,  and the naughtiness  of thine heart;  for thou art come down  that thou mightest see  the battle. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:28 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 17:17-30 - David Unawed By The Giant
At this juncture David arrived in the camp, sent by Jesse to inquire after the welfare of his three elder sons, who had followed Saul to the war. He also brought them provisions, and a present for the captain of their troop. On arriving at the trenches, he found the army in battle-array but not daring to advance. When the whole story was detailed to the young shepherd, he looked at the incident and challenge from the spiritual side. This event, therefore, marked a turning-point not only in his own history, but in that of his people. One, at least, was found in their ranks who looked at things from God's standpoint, counted on the God of the ancient Covenant, and was prepared to venture all on faith, 1 Samuel 17:26; 1 Samuel 17:36-37.
His brother imputed to him a restless ambition, an unworthy curiosity. Much in the same way the kinsfolk of our Savior misunderstood His motives and sought to interrupt His work. But David was undaunted and, answering his brother kindly and gently, he pressed on with his inquiries and protests, until the tidings of the young champion reached the king. The victory over himself when Eliab reproached him was part of his preparation for the coming conflict. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 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 17:28 mean?

And heard Eliab brother his oldest when he spoke to the men and was aroused anger of Eliab against David and he said why [is] this [that] you came down and with whom have you left few sheep those in the wilderness I know - your pride and the insolence of your heart for - to see the battle you have come down
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֱלִיאָב֙ אָחִ֣יו הַגָּד֔וֹל בְּדַבְּר֖וֹ אֶל־ הָאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיִּֽחַר־ אַף֩ אֱלִיאָ֨ב בְּדָוִ֜ד וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לָמָּה־ זֶּ֣ה יָרַ֗דְתָּ וְעַל־ מִ֨י נָטַ֜שְׁתָּ מְעַ֨ט הַצֹּ֤אן הָהֵ֙נָּה֙ ؟ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲנִ֧י יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶת־ זְדֹנְךָ֗ וְאֵת֙ רֹ֣עַ לְבָבֶ֔ךָ כִּ֗י לְמַ֛עַן רְא֥וֹת הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה יָרָֽדְתָּ

וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע  And  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֱלִיאָב֙  Eliab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִיאָב  
Sense: son of Helon, leader of Zebulun in the wilderness.
אָחִ֣יו  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הַגָּד֔וֹל  his  oldest 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בְּדַבְּר֖וֹ  when  he  spoke 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֑ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַיִּֽחַר־  and  was  aroused 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
אַף֩  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
אֱלִיאָ֨ב  of  Eliab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִיאָב  
Sense: son of Helon, leader of Zebulun in the wilderness.
בְּדָוִ֜ד  against  David 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָמָּה־  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
זֶּ֣ה  [is]  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יָרַ֗דְתָּ  [that]  you  came  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
וְעַל־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִ֨י  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
נָטַ֜שְׁתָּ  have  you  left 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָטַשׁ  
Sense: to leave, permit, forsake, cast off or away, reject, suffer, join, spread out or abroad, be loosed, cease, abandon, quit, hang loose, cast down, make a raid, lie fallow, let fall, forgo, draw.
מְעַ֨ט  few 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
הַצֹּ֤אן  sheep 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
הָהֵ֙נָּה֙  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine plural
Root: הֵנָּה  
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
؟ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
יָדַ֣עְתִּי  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זְדֹנְךָ֗  your  pride 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זָדֹון  
Sense: pride, insolence, presumptuousness, arrogance.
רֹ֣עַ  the  insolence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹעַ  
Sense: badness, evil.
לְבָבֶ֔ךָ  of  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
לְמַ֛עַן  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
רְא֥וֹת  to  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה  the  battle 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
יָרָֽדְתָּ  you  have  come  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.