1 Samuel 17:14

14 David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army,

1 Samuel 17:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:14

And David was the youngest
For the sake of whom this account is given of Jesse and his family, and who after this makes a considerable figure in the camp and court of Saul:

and the three eldest followed Saul;
as before related, and which is repeated, that it might be observed that they only of Jesse's sons followed Saul; not David particularly, but who was providentially sent to the army at the time the Philistine was defying it.

1 Samuel 17:14 In-Context

12 Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.

13 Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea —had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.

14 David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army,

15 but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.

16 For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.