1 Samuel 17:29 (DRB)

Passage

And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak?

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:27 And the people answered him the same words, saying: These things shall be given to the man that shall slay him.

1 Samuel 17:28 Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said: Why camest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride, and the wickedness of thy heart: that thou art come down to see the battle.

1 Samuel 17:29 And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak?

1 Samuel 17:30 And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him as before.

1 Samuel 17:31 And the words which David spoke were heard, and were rehearsed before Saul.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "david", "said", "done", "cause", and "speak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "david" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard..." into verse 30's "And he turned a little aside from...", so "david" and "said" 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 "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.