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Commentary on 1 Samuel 17 verses 1–11
It was not long ago that the Philistines were soundly beaten, and put to the worse, before Israel, and they would have been totally routed if Saul's rashness had not prevented; but here we have them making head again. Observe,
I. How they defied Israel with their armies, Sa1 17:1. They made a descent upon the Israelites' country, and possessed themselves, as it should seem, of some part of it, for they encamped in a place which belonged to Judah. Israel's ground would never have been footing for Philistine-armies if Israel had been faithful to their God. The Philistines (it is probable) had heard that Samuel had fallen out with Saul and forsaken him, and no longer assisted and advised him, and that Saul had grown melancholy and unfit for business, and this news encouraged them to make this attempt for the retrieving of the credit they had lately lost. The enemies of the church are watchful to take all advantages, and they never have greater advantages than when her protectors have provoked God's Spirit and prophets to leave them. Saul mustered his forces, and faced them, Sa1 17:2, Sa1 17:3. And here we must take notice, 1. That the evil spirit, for the present, had left Saul, Sa1 16:23. David's harp having given him some relief, perhaps the alarms and affairs of the war prevented the return of the distemper. Business is a good antidote against melancholy. Let the mind have something without to fasten on and employ itself about, and it will be the less in danger of preying upon itself. God, in mercy to Israel, suspended the judgment for a while; for how distracted must the affairs of the public have been if at this juncture the prince had been distracted! 2. That David for the present had returned to Bethlehem, and had left the court, Sa1 17:15. When Saul had no further occasion to use him for the relief of his distemper, though, being anointed, he had a very good private reason, and, having a grant of the place of Saul's armour-bearer, he had a very plausible pretence to have continued his attendance, as a retainer to the court, yet he went home to Bethlehem, and returned to keep his father's sheep; this was a rare instance, in a young man that stood so fair for preferment, of humility and affection to his parents. He knew better than most do how to come down again after he had begun to rise, and strangely preferred the retirements of the pastoral life before all the pleasures and gaieties of the court. None more fit for honour than he, nor that deserved it better, and yet none more dead to it.
II. How they defied Israel with their champion Goliath, whom they were almost as proud of as he was of himself, hoping by him to recover their reputation and dominion. Perhaps the army of the Israelites was superior in number and strength to that of the Philistines, which made the Philistines decline a battle, and stand at bay with them, desiring rather to put the issue upon a single combat, in which, having such a champion, they hoped to gain the victory. Now concerning this champion observe,
1.His prodigious size. He was of the sons of Anak, who at Gath kept their ground in Joshua's time (Jos 11:22), and kept up a race of giants there, of which Goliath was one, and, it is probable, one of the largest. He was in height six cubits and a span, v. 4. They learned bishop Cumberland has made it out that the scripture-cubit was above twenty-one inches (above three inches more than our half-yard) and a span was half a cubit, by which computation Goliath wanted but eight inches of four yard in height, eleven feet and four inches, a monstrous stature, and which made him very formidable, especially if he had strength and spirit proportionable.
2.His armour. Art, as well as nature, made him terrible. He was well furnished with defensive armour (Sa1 17:5, Sa1 17:6): A helmet of brass on his head, a coat of mail, made of brass plates laid over one another, like the scales of a fish; and, because his legs would lie most within the reach of an ordinary man, he wore brass boots, and had a large corselet of brass about his neck. The coat is said to weigh 5000 shekels, and a shekel was half an ounce avoirdupois, a vast weight for a man to carry, all the other parts of his armour being proportionable. But some think it should be translated, not the weight of the coat, but the value of it, was 5000 shekels; so much it cost. His offensive weapons were extraordinary, of which his spear only is here described, Sa1 17:7. It was like a weaver's beam. His arm could manage that which an ordinary man could scarcely heave. His shield only, which was the lightest of all his accoutrements, was carried before him by his esquire, probably for state; for he that was clad in brass little needed a shield.
3.His challenge. The Philistines having chosen him for their champion, to save themselves from the hazard of battle, he here throws down the gauntlet, and bids defiance to the armies of Israel, Sa1 17:8-10. He came into the valley that lay between the camps, and, his voice probably being as much stronger than other people's as his arm was, he cried so as to make them all hear him, Give me a man, that we may fight together. He looked upon himself with admiration, because he was so much taller and stronger than all about him; his heart (says bishop Hall) nothing but a lump of proud flesh. He looked upon Israel with disdain, because they had none among them of such a monstrous bulk, and defies them to find a man among them bold enough to enter the list with him. (1.) He upbraids them with their folly in drawing an army together: "Why have you come to set the battle in array? How dare you oppose the mighty Philistines?" Or, "Why should the two armies engage, when the controversy may be sooner decided, with only the expense of one life and the hazard of another?" (2.) He offers to put the war entirely upon the issue of the duel he proposes: "If your champion kill me, we will be your servants; if I kill him, you shall be ours." This, says bishop Patrick, was only a bravado, for no nation would be willing thus to venture its all upon the success of one man, nor is it justifiable; notwithstanding Goliath's stipulation here, when he was killed the Philistines did not stand to his word, nor submit themselves as servants to Israel. When he boasts, I am a Philistine, and you are servants to Saul, he would have it thought a great piece of condescension in him, who was a chief ruler, to enter the lists with an Israelite; for he looked on them as no better than slaves. The Chaldee paraphrase brings him in boasting that he was the man that had killed Hophni and Phinehas and taken the ark prisoner, but that the Philistines had never given him so much as the command of a regiment in recompence of his services, whereas Saul had been made king for his services: "Let him therefore take up the challenge."
4.The terror this struck upon Israel: Saul and his army were greatly afraid, Sa1 17:11. The people would not have been dismayed but that they observed Saul's courage failed him; and it is not to be expected that, if the leader be a coward, the followers should be bold. We found before, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul (Sa1 11:6), none could be more daring nor forward to answer the challenge of Nahash the Ammonite, but now that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him even the big looks and big words of a single Philistine make him change colour. But where was Jonathan all this while? Why did not he accept the challenge, who, in the last war, had so bravely engaged a whole army of Philistines? Doubtless he did not feel himself stirred up of God to it, as he did in the former case. As the best, so the bravest men, are no more than what God makes them. Jonathan must now sit still, because the honour of engaging Goliath is reserved for David. In great and good actions, the wind of the Spirit blows when and where he listeth. Now the pious Israelites lament their king's breach with Samuel.
In my discourse I showed that Goliath was protected by the power of his weapons and the strength of a full set of armor, whereas David had none of that panoply. But he was fortified by his faith.Goliath had the external protection of his glittering breastplate and shield; David shone from within with the grace of the Spirit. This is why a boy prevailed over a man, this is why the one wearing no armor conquered the one fully armed, this is why the shepherd’s hand crushed and destroyed the bronze weapons of war.
Yet there stands Goliath, monstrous in his pride, swollen with his earthly power, confident that he can do everything by himself, with his head, hands and entire body clad in much bronze, having his own armor bearer behind him who, though he does not himself fight, nevertheless furnishes this Goliath with all kinds of aid in bronze and iron. And it is not surprising if Scripture, foreseeing our present situation, comments appropriately when it says, “The Philistines were standing on top of the mountain on this side,” since the individual who is attacking the [Pelagian] heresy is now being banished from the church, while the heretic is found to be nourished at its very breast! Because of this, it is so stated by the Holy Spirit that on the other side Israel was standing, while on this side, the enemy. And such is often the way. For even King David, who was always the righteous father toward his unrighteous son, having laid aside his royal robes, was forced to flee from Jerusalem, whereupon the tyrant Absalom immediately entered. There now stands Goliath—oh, what sorrow!—on this side, that is, within the church; and he not only stands but even offers challenges. And at the same time, over the course of many days, he reproaches holy Israel for its well-known fear of God.
And he had bronze greaves on his legs, etc. Helmet, mail, shield, and greaves, are different types of arguments or reasoning methods, by which the devil rebelling against the Lord, or defending the foolishness of his own head, namely, all the wicked, or his miserable body, attempts to defend. For he covers the head of sin, when, even condemned, he does not fear to say and be believed to be God. He also covers the body when the heart of the wicked inclines to the evil word, to excuse excuses in sins. He covers, when he hedges all sides of the human mind against the darts of the truth. All these types of defenses are declared to be made of bronze, a metal more resonant than others; because whether by wicked deeds, or perverse doctrine, he is accustomed to defending not by the recognized reason of invincible truth, but by the fabulous sweetness of secular eloquence. And it is well said that the weight of his mail is five thousand shekels of bronze; because through the sweetness of deceptive speech, he does not protect all the senses of his soldiers from the enemy's incursion as he promises; but on the contrary, he closes all their senses, the five most notable, from receiving the word of truth, by which they would be saved. But he arms his right hand with a spear, when he even attempts to disturb or attack the faith of the Church through some men of sharper intellect. For with helmet, mail, or shield, and other such things, we protect ourselves from wounds: but with a spear or sword we are accustomed to strike the adversary. Hence, it is not inappropriate that those weapons which are defenses for the fighters, when carried by the Philistine, signify those persons or speeches by which the wicked cover their crimes; but those by which the adversary is accustomed to be wounded, signify those speeches or men, by which even the virtue of the good is wounded and disturbed. Concerning which it is rightly added:
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SUMMARY
1 Samuel 17:6 offers a precise and vivid portrayal of Goliath, the Philistine champion, specifically detailing his formidable defensive and offensive armaments. This verse meticulously describes his bronze greaves, which protected his legs, and a bronze javelin (often mistranslated as "target") slung between his shoulders. These specific details, alongside the broader description of his immense stature and other weaponry in the surrounding passage, meticulously craft an image of an overwhelming and seemingly invincible warrior, underscoring the profound challenge he posed to the Israelite army and setting the stage for the dramatic, divinely-orchestrated confrontation with David.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is an integral component of the comprehensive and intimidating portrait of Goliath presented in 1 Samuel 17:4-7. The narrative begins by establishing Goliath's extraordinary height in 1 Samuel 17:4, immediately followed by a description of his heavy coat of mail in 1 Samuel 17:5. Verse 6 continues this meticulous inventory, focusing on his leg protection and a secondary weapon, building an increasingly detailed and powerful image of an unassailable warrior. This elaborate description is not merely for factual reporting but serves a crucial narrative purpose: to instill fear, emphasize the human impossibility of defeating such a champion, and thereby magnify the miraculous and divine nature of David's eventual victory. The subsequent verses will complete the picture with his primary spear and shield-bearer, solidifying his image as the ultimate human adversary.
Historical & Cultural Context: The scene unfolds in the Valley of Elah, a strategically vital border region between Philistine and Israelite territories, where both armies are arrayed for battle. The challenge of champion combat, as proposed by Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:8-9, was a recognized, albeit uncommon, practice in ancient Near Eastern warfare, designed to resolve conflicts with minimal casualties. Goliath's armor, consistently described as "brass" (bronze), reflects the advanced military technology of the Philistines. While the Philistines were known for their mastery of ironworking, bronze was still widely employed for heavy, protective armor due to its durability and malleability. Greaves, or shin guards, were essential for protecting the vulnerable lower legs of heavily armored infantry, while a javelin provided both a ranged attack option and a crucial secondary weapon for close-quarters combat. This detailed description paints a vivid picture of a warrior equipped according to the highest military standards of the era, representing the pinnacle of Philistine military might and technological superiority.
Key Themes: The meticulous detailing of Goliath's armor in this verse significantly contributes to the overarching themes of the chapter and the broader narrative of 1 Samuel. Firstly, it powerfully establishes the theme of Imposing Strength and Intimidation. Goliath is portrayed as an almost superhuman figure whose physical prowess and comprehensive protection are designed to psychologically paralyze the Israelite army, fulfilling the Philistine strategy of demoralization. Every piece of his gear, including the greaves and javelin, speaks to his invulnerability and professional readiness, creating a sense of overwhelming odds. Secondly, this overwhelming display of human might sets up a profound Contrast Between Human Reliance and Divine Power. Goliath's absolute dependence on his physical stature and sophisticated weaponry stands in stark opposition to David's later, seemingly inadequate, approach with only a sling and stones, as described in 1 Samuel 17:40. This narrative juxtaposition highlights the biblical principle that God often chooses the weak and unconventional to overcome the strong, demonstrating that true victory comes not from human strength or military might, but from divine intervention and faith, a theme consistently echoed throughout the Old Testament, such as in Gideon's victory in Judges 7.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The description in 1 Samuel 17:6, along with the surrounding verses, employs several potent literary devices to achieve its narrative and theological aims. Detailed Description is paramount, as every piece of Goliath's armor and weaponry is meticulously cataloged, building a vivid and intimidating mental image of the giant. This extensive detailing functions as Hyperbole, exaggerating Goliath's formidable nature to emphasize the seemingly insurmountable odds facing Israel and to heighten the dramatic tension. The sheer scale and completeness of his equipment create a powerful Symbolism of human might, self-reliance, and the world's intimidating challenges when viewed apart from divine power. Crucially, this detailed portrayal serves as a dramatic Contrast to the unarmored, seemingly ill-equipped David, thereby Foreshadowing the central theological message that God's power is made perfect in weakness, and that true victory comes not by human strength or impressive armaments, but by divine intervention and unwavering faith.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The meticulous description of Goliath's armor, including his greaves and javelin, serves as a powerful theological statement about the nature of human strength versus divine power. Goliath represents the epitome of human reliance on physical might, military technology, and intimidating appearance. His extensive armor symbolizes the world's formidable obstacles, often appearing insurmountable when viewed through human eyes. However, the narrative implicitly critiques this reliance, showing that even the most advanced human preparations are ultimately insufficient against the sovereign will of God. This passage invites believers to consider where their true security lies—not in their own resources, defenses, or perceived strengths, but in the power and faithfulness of God, who delights in using the weak to confound the strong, ensuring that the glory belongs to Him alone.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The meticulous cataloging of Goliath's armor in 1 Samuel 17:6 invites us to reflect on the "giants" we face in our own lives—whether they are overwhelming challenges, persistent fears, or seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Just as Goliath's impressive array of defenses was designed to intimidate and paralyze the Israelite army, our contemporary "giants" often appear invincible, leading us to despair or to rely solely on our own limited resources. This verse reminds us that outward appearances can be deceptive, and that the true measure of a challenge is not its physical manifestation or the resources arrayed against us, but the limitless power of God available to those who trust in Him. It encourages us to shift our focus from the daunting nature of the problem to the infinite power and faithfulness of our God, fostering a faith that looks beyond the visible armor of our adversaries to the invisible hand of divine deliverance, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What are "greaves" and why were they important in ancient warfare?
Answer: "Greaves" (Hebrew: mitschâh) were protective shin guards, typically made of bronze, worn by warriors to shield their lower legs from blows in combat. They were an essential part of a heavily armored soldier's defensive equipment, as the legs were vulnerable targets for swords, spears, and arrows, especially in close-quarters combat. Their presence on Goliath signifies that he was a fully equipped, elite warrior, leaving no part of his body unprotected and demonstrating the thoroughness of his military preparation.
What does the KJV phrase "a target of brass between his shoulders" actually mean in modern translations?
Answer: The KJV's "target of brass" is an archaic translation of the Hebrew word kîydôwn, which more accurately means a "javelin" or "lance." Modern translations often render this as "a bronze javelin" or "a bronze spear." This indicates that Goliath carried a secondary, lighter throwing spear, likely slung on his back ("between his shoulders") for quick access and deployment. This detail emphasizes his versatility in combat, equipped for both ranged and close-quarters engagement, in addition to his primary spear mentioned in 1 Samuel 17:7.
Why is Goliath's armor described in such meticulous detail in 1 Samuel 17?
Answer: The detailed description of Goliath's armor, including his greaves and javelin, serves several critical narrative and theological purposes. Firstly, it vividly portrays his formidable and intimidating presence, underscoring the immense physical challenge he posed to the Israelite army and explaining their overwhelming fear. Secondly, it highlights the Philistines' advanced military technology and their reliance on human strength and impressive armaments. Most importantly, this elaborate portrayal sets up a stark contrast with David's seemingly inadequate, unarmored appearance and simple weapons, thereby magnifying the miraculous nature of God's intervention and demonstrating that victory comes not by human might or impressive equipment, but by the power of God working through humble faith, as ultimately proven in 1 Samuel 17:45-47.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The elaborate description of Goliath's armor in 1 Samuel 17:6, symbolizing human strength, self-reliance, and the world's intimidating power, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the ultimate champion, Jesus Christ. Goliath, with his impenetrable bronze greaves and ready javelin, represents the world's reliance on physical might and outward show, a stark contrast to the true victory achieved through apparent weakness. Christ, the greater David, faced the ultimate "giant"—sin, death, and the powers of darkness—not with a formidable array of armor or weaponry, but through self-emptying love and sacrificial obedience. His victory was won on a cross, a symbol of weakness and defeat in human eyes, yet it was there that He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, triumphing over them by His sacrifice (Colossians 2:15). Just as Goliath's impressive armor proved useless against God's power working through David, so too the powers of sin and death were utterly defeated by Christ's resurrection, demonstrating that God's "foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength" (1 Corinthians 1:25). Christ, by His death, destroyed "the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14), fulfilling the promise of a champion who would conquer not by might or armor, but by divine love and the resurrection power of God.