1 Samuel 17:42 (YLT)

Passage

and the Philistine looketh attentively, and seeth David, and despiseth him, for he was a youth, and ruddy, with a fair appearance.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:40 And he taketh his staff in his hand, and chooseth for him five smooth stones from the brook, and putteth them in the shepherds' habiliments that he hath, even in the scrip, and his sling <FI>is<Fi> in his hand, and he draweth nigh unto the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:41 And the Philistine goeth on, going and drawing near unto David, and the man bearing the buckler <FI>is<Fi> before him,

1 Samuel 17:42 and the Philistine looketh attentively, and seeth David, and despiseth him, for he was a youth, and ruddy, with a fair appearance.

1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine saith unto David, `Am I a dog that thou art coming unto me with staves?' and the Philistine revileth David by his gods,

1 Samuel 17:44 and the Philistine saith unto David, `Come unto me, and I give thy flesh to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "philistine", "looketh", "attentively", "seeth", "david", "despiseth", "youth", and "ruddy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "philistine" and "looketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And the Philistine goeth on going and..." into verse 43's "And the Philistine saith unto David Am...", so "philistine" and "looketh" 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 "looketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.