sent for him: Heb. took him, Proverbs 22:29; The preceding twenty verses, from the 1 Samuel 17:12 to the 1 Samuel 17:31 inclusive, the 1 Samuel 17:41, and from the 1 Samuel 17:54 to the end of this chapter, with the first 1 Samuel 18:1 and the 1 Samuel 18:9, 10th, 11th, 1 Samuel 18:17, 18th, and 19th, of 1 Samuel 18:1-30, are all wanting in the Vatican copy of the LXX; and they are supposed by Dr.
Kennicott, and others, to be an interpolation. But, as Bp. Horsley observes, it appears, from many circumstances of the story, that David's combat with Goliath was many years prior to Saul's madness, and David's introduction to him as a musician.
In the first place, David was quite a youth when he engaged with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:33 and 1 Samuel 17:42). When introduced to Saul he was of full age (1 Samuel 16:18). Again, this combat was his first appearance in public life, and his first military exploit (1 Samuel 17:36, 1 Samuel 17:38-39).
When introduced as a musician, he was a man of established character, and a man of war (1 Samuel 16:18). Now the just conclusion is, that the last ten verses of 1 Samuel 16:14 have been misplaced; their true place being between the ninth and tenth verses of Joshua 18:9.
Let them be removed there, and the whole apparent disorder will be removed.