1 Samuel 17:31 (ASV)

Passage

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

1 Samuel 17:30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

1 Samuel 17:31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man`s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "words", "heard", "david", "spake", "rehearsed", "before", "saul", and "sent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "words" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "And he turned away from him toward..." into verse 32's "And David said to Saul Let no...", so "words" and "heard" belong inside that flow. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "words" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.