Inquiry:
When did Saul meet David? Was it before David slew the giant (1 Samuel 16:21-23) or was it after David slew the giant (1 Samuel 17:55-58)? Is there a contradiction?
Response:
The questioner has assumed that all the details given in the history of Israel are given chronologically. If this were true, then we’d have a discrepancy here, but that is not the case.
For the most part, the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles are written chronologically, but it must be acknowledged that some sections are topical. We especially see this in the time of the divided kingdom. At times, the writer follows the history of one nation, and then gives the info for the other nation after. Starting in 1 Samuel 13 we see the beginning of the end of Saul’s reign. He made poor decision after poor decision, the eventual end being the loss of the kingdom. In telling of his fall, the writer goes on to tell us how Saul soothed himself when his spirit was troubled – hearing David play his harp. It is a topical inclusion, not chronological.
As the texts show, at the end of 1 Samuel 17 Saul did not know who David was. At the end of 1 Samuel, he does. He didn’t forget, it’s not a mistake – it’s a matter of how it’s recorded.
There is no contradiction.
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