“And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 17:55 Mean?
"Whose son is this youth?" Saul watches David walk toward Goliath and asks: who IS this kid? The king who anointed David (16:13 — Samuel anointed David in Jesse's house, but Saul may not have been present) doesn't recognize him. The boy who played harp for Saul's mental illness (16:23) is apparently not the same person in Saul's perception as the boy heading toward the giant.
The question "whose son" reveals what matters in a clan-based society: identity is determined by parentage. David isn't asked for his resume or his battle record. He's asked: whose son? The answer — "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite" (verse 58) — connects David to his father, his town, and his social status. The identity is relational and geographic.
The discrepancy — Saul apparently not recognizing David despite their previous relationship — has produced centuries of scholarly discussion. The simplest explanation may be that David's transformation from court musician to battlefield volunteer changed his appearance or context enough that Saul didn't make the connection.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Whose son/daughter are you — and does the full significance of that identity remain to be seen?
- 2.What does Saul's non-recognition teach about how future rivals start invisible?
- 3.How does your parentage (spiritual or physical) shape your identity before your achievements do?
- 4.What question about your identity will history answer more comprehensively than anyone can now?
Devotional
Whose son is this? The king watches the boy walk toward the giant and doesn't recognize him. The kid who played harp in Saul's bedroom is heading toward a nine-foot warrior, and Saul asks: who is he?
The 'whose son' question reveals the culture's identity framework: you are your father's son. Your identity comes from your family, not your achievements. David's answer — son of Jesse, from Bethlehem — places him in a specific family from a specific town. Before his achievements define him, his parentage does.
The non-recognition is the story's quiet irony: the king who should know David doesn't. The man who will eventually hunt David with obsessive focus hasn't yet noticed who David is. The future rival is invisible to the current king. The obscurity that precedes the fame is so complete that even someone who's met David before doesn't see him.
The 'whose son' question will be answered by history more comprehensively than Saul could have imagined: Jesse's son. The shepherd's boy. The eighth son from Bethlehem. The one nobody thought to bring in from the sheep. THAT son. The one who will take your throne, write the psalms, establish Jerusalem, and produce a lineage that leads to the Messiah.
Whose son are you — and does anyone asking the question have any idea what the answer will mean?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine,.... Set out to meet him, and engage with him, as he might from…
Here is 1. The engagement between the two champions, Sa1 17:48. To this engagement the Philistine advanced with a great…
Saul's inquiry concerning David's parentage
55. he said unto Abner This section is not found in the Septuagint (B). On…