1 Samuel 17:42 (DRB)

Passage

And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a young man, ruddy, and of a comely countenance.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd's scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:41 And the Philistine came on, and drew nigh against David, and his armourbearer went before him.

1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a young man, ruddy, and of a comely countenance.

1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine said to David: Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:44 And he said to David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "philistine", "looked", "beheld", "david", "despised", "young", "ruddy", and "comely". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "philistine" and "looked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And the Philistine came on and drew..." into verse 43's "And the Philistine said to David Am...", so "philistine" and "looked" 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 "philistine" and "looked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.