As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
Goliath stalked forward with all his brass and iron grandeur; David ran lightly toward him with one aim only, to strike true. See how swiftly the mighty fall: while the giant prepared his stroke, David's stone found the one gap in his armor, sank into his forehead, and in a twinkling brought him down, a small thing, but God's providence made it sufficient, and life went out as easily as it had come in.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Samuel 17:48-58
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine,.... Set out to meet him, and engage with him, as he might from the side of the mountain, where he was encamped: he said unto Abner, the captain of the host; his own cousin, whom he had raised to this high post in the army, Sa1 14:50, Abner, whose son is this youth?
Saul . . . said unto Abner . . . whose son is this youth?--A young man is more spoken of in many Eastern countries by his father's name than his own. The growth of the beard, and other changes on a now full-grown youth, prevented the king from recognizing his former favorite minstrel [Sa1 16:23]. Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 18