1 Samuel 17:15 (DRB)

Passage

David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father's flock at Bethlehem.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:13 And his three eldest sons followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle, were Eliab, the firstborn, and the second, Abinadab, and the third Samma:

1 Samuel 17:14 But David was the youngest. So the three eldest having followed Saul,

1 Samuel 17:15 David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father's flock at Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 17:16 Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

1 Samuel 17:17 And Isai said to David, his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of frumenty, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "david", "went", "returned", "saul", "feed", "father's", "flock", and "bethlehem". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "david" and "went", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "But David was the youngest So the..." into verse 16's "Now the Philistine came out morning and...", so "david" and "went" 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 "david" and "went" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.