them regularly over the previous forty days. Eliab here uses the verb the narrator has used (nṭš) when reporting David’s leaving sheep first of all (v. 20) and then luggage (v. 22) in safe deposit. Leaving his sheep in the care of a watcher has been implied in Jesse’s commission to David to visit his brothers and attend to their needs. What his father would think about his not delivering his provisions directly to his brothers is not said. But another father (Saul’s) has already shown (10:2) how