Bible Strands
1 Samuel 17:28
Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Eliab, David’s oldest brother, speaks to David after hearing David ask the men about the reward for killing Goliath.
The words — char (H2734), “it burned,” renders Eliab’s anger as heat. Eliab (H446), “Eliab,” identifies the speaker as David’s oldest brother.
The thread — Matthew 10:36 says a man’s enemies will be members of his own household. Genesis 37:4 and Genesis 37:8 show Joseph’s brothers hating him over perceived favor and rule.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to notice that David’s question is answered by Eliab as pride and wickedness. It asks the reader to see how a brother can treat a question as a threat.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
Cross-references
- Matthew 10:36 A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
- Genesis 37:4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
- Genesis 37:8 “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
- Genesis 37:11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
- Proverbs 18:19 An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
- Mark 3:21 When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
- 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
- 1 Samuel 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
- Psalms 35:11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
- Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?