1 Samuel 17:56

1 Samuel 17:56, in plain English

Saul orders Abner to find out exactly whose son this young man is—and Abner doesn't know.

Why it's here

Saul is emphasizing his command here. He really wants to know who this person is. The king is intrigued, maybe troubled, maybe impressed. But Abner, the military commander, has to admit he doesn't know. This stranger who just saved Israel's armies is unknown to the leadership. David's about to become very famous, very quickly.

Who's speaking

Saul speaking to Abner

Where it sits in the story

David is moving from obscurity into prominence. In a single moment, he's gone from being a shepherd boy to being the person everyone wants to know about. His identity is about to change completely.

The scholarly reading

Saul commands Abner to discover David's patronymic identity, elevating the inquiry from casual observation to royal directive.

Language and setting

The reiteration of Saul's order—'Find out whose son this young man is!' (שַׁאַל־נָא אֶת־בֶּן־מִי הַנַּעַר הַזֶּה, sha'al-na et-ben-mi ha-na'ar hazze)—emphasizes urgency and authority. The particle נָא (na, often untranslated, indicating urgent supplication) suggests more than mere curiosity; Saul's repeated questioning and now explicit command indicate heightened interest. Politically, identifying parentage mattered in determining social standing and potential dynastic threats. Abner's position as commander-in-chief (שַׂר־הַצָּבָא, sar-ha-tzava) obligated him to execute the king's inquiry. This verse illustrates the tension already emerging: Saul, the established monarch, must ask about the identity of an unknown youth who has accomplished what the entire army could not—a situation that contains within it seeds of future conflict.

Voice

Saul, issuing a royal command to his military commander

Significance

This command-compliance sequence establishes the narrative pattern that will characterize the Saul-David relationship: Saul acts from political concern and self-interest, while David operates from faith in God's purposes. The gap between their motivations will produce the tragic dynamic of 1 Samuel 18-31.

54David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

55As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”

56“Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.

57So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.

58“Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul.

Read all of 1 Samuel 17 — A shepherd boy walks onto a battlefield where trained soldiers won't go. This isn't really about courage — it's about where you place your confidence.