The Philistines and Israelites faced each other in battle, with the giant Goliath of Gath defying Israel daily for forty days. Young David, visiting the camp, heard Goliath's challenge and, trusting in the LORD, volunteered to fight. Armed only with a sling and stones, David struck Goliath down, leading to the Philistine army's rout and Israel's victory.
He stood and yelled at the armies of Isra'el, "Why come out and draw up a battle line? I'm a P'lishti, and you are servants of Sha'ul, so choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
Now David was the son of that Efrati from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah named Yishai. He had eight sons; and in the time of Sha'ul he was old - the years had taken their toll.
Yishai's three oldest sons had followed Sha'ul to battle; the names of his three sons who went to battle were Eli'av the firstborn, next to him Avinadav, and the third Shammah.
Yishai said to David his son, "Please take your brothers five bushels of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; hurry, and carry them to your brothers at the camp.
David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a helper, took his load and set out, as Yishai had ordered him. He arrived at the barricade of the camp just as the troops were going out to their battle stations and shouting the war cry.
As he was talking with them, there came the champion, the P'lishti from Gat named Golyat, from the ranks of the P'lishtim, saying the same words as before; and David heard them.
The soldiers from Isra'el said [to each other], "You saw that man who just came up? He has come to challenge Isra'el. To whoever kills him, the king will give a rich reward; he'll also give him his daughter and exempt his father's family from all service and taxes in Isra'el."
David said to the men standing with him, "What reward will be given to the man who kills this P'lishti and removes this disgrace from Isra'el? Who is this uncircumcised P'lishti anyway, that he challenges the armies of the living God?"
Eli'av his oldest brother heard when David spoke to the men, and it made Eli'av angry at him. He asked, "Why did you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is! You just came down to watch the fighting."
Your servant has defeated both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised P'lishti will be like one of them, because he has challenged the armies of the living God."
Then David said, "ADONAI, who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will rescue me from the paw of this P'lishti!" Sha'ul said to David, "Go; may ADONAI be with you."
David buckled his sword on his armor and tried to walk, but he wasn't used to such equipment. David said to Sha'ul, "I can't move wearing these things, because I'm not used to them." So David took them off.
Then he took his stick in his hand and picked five smooth stones from the riverbed, putting them in his shepherd's bag, in his pouch. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the P'lishti.
David answered the P'lishti, "You're coming at me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I'm coming at you in the name of ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of the armies of Isra'el, whom you have challenged.
Today ADONAI will hand you over to me. I will attack you, lop your head off, and give the carcasses of the army of the P'lishtim to the birds in the air and the animals in the land. Then all the land will know that there is a God in Isra'el,
David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, and hurled it with his sling. It struck the P'lishti in his forehead and buried itself in his forehead, so that he fell face down on the ground.
Then David ran and stood over the P'lishti, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and finished killing him, cutting off his head with it. When the P'lishtim saw that their hero was dead, they fled.
The men of Isra'el and Y'hudah got up, shouting, and pursued the P'lishtim all the way to Gat and the gates of 'Ekron. The wounded P'lishtim fell down all along the road from Sha'arayim to Gat and 'Ekron.
When Sha'ul saw David go out to fight the P'lishti, he said to Avner, the army's commander, "Avner, whose son is this boy?""By your life, O king," Avner replied, "I don't know."
Sha'ul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Yishai the Beit-Lachmi."
Study Notes for 1 Samuel 17
Verse 1
The Philistines gathered at Shochoh in the Valley of Elah, setting the stage for a critical battle that would determine regional dominance. The armies are poised on opposing hillsides.
Verse 4
Goliath’s height is given as six cubits and a span, approximately 9 feet 9 inches. His immense size makes him the ultimate champion, designed to terrify the Israelite forces into submission.
Verse 5
The weight of Goliath’s bronze armor (5,000 shekels, roughly 125 pounds or 57 kg) emphasizes his status as a professional, heavily protected warrior, contrasting sharply with David’s later appearance.
Verse 8
Goliath proposes a trial by combat, a common ancient practice where the outcome of the war is decided by two champions, saving both armies from mass slaughter.
Verse 10
Goliath’s challenge is both military and theological; he ‘defies’ the armies of Israel, implying a direct challenge to their God, Yahweh, the Lord of Hosts.
Verse 11
The fear of Saul and the entire Israelite army underscores the severity of the crisis and Israel’s reliance on human strength rather than divine intervention, a major theme in 1 Samuel.
Verse 12
This verse reintroduces David, emphasizing his status as the youngest son running errands. This highlights his improbable role in the conflict, contrasting the king (Saul) with the shepherd boy (David).
Verse 16
The duration of 'forty days' suggests a complete and relentless challenge, intensifying Israel’s shame and fear and symbolizing a full measure of time for testing.
Verse 22
The 'carriage' refers to the provisions or supplies David brought. He quickly delegates his civilian duties to engage with the military situation, showing his immediate concern for the crisis.
Verse 26
David’s motivation is fundamentally theological. He identifies Goliath as an 'uncircumcised Philistine' (outside the covenant) who dares to defy 'the armies of the living God,' focusing on God’s honor.
Verse 28
Eliab’s anger likely stems from jealousy and wounded pride, recalling that Samuel had initially thought he was the chosen king (16:6). He misinterprets David’s zeal as arrogance and selfish pride.
Verse 29
David’s response, 'Is there not a cause?' (or 'Was it not just a word?'), defends his righteous curiosity and implies that the magnitude of the crisis demands a response, regardless of his elder brother's disapproval.
Verse 34
David uses his experience as a shepherd—protecting the flock from a lion and a bear—as proof that God has already equipped him for battle. These private victories prepared him for the public one.
Verse 37
This is David’s declaration of faith: past deliverance guarantees future deliverance. He attributes his victories solely to the Lord, transforming the battle into a confrontation between God and the Philistine gods.
Verse 39
David rejects Saul’s conventional armor because it is untested by him and relies on human might. This decision underscores that the battle will be won by faith and divine power, not military technology.
Verse 40
David’s choice of simple shepherd tools (sling and stones) emphasizes his reliance on skill and faith, contrasting sharply with Goliath's massive, sophisticated weaponry.
Verse 45
This is the theological climax. David contrasts Goliath’s confidence in physical weapons with his own confidence in the 'name of the LORD of hosts,' identifying Yahweh as the true leader of Israel’s armies.
Verse 46
David defines the purpose of the victory: not just Israel’s freedom, but that 'all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.' The battle is meant to be a demonstration of divine sovereignty to the nations.
Verse 47
David articulates the core theological lesson: God does not need conventional means ('sword and spear') to save His people, proving definitively that 'the battle is the LORD’S.'
Verse 50
The narrator emphasizes the unconventional victory: David prevailed using only a sling and a stone. The outcome demonstrates that God works through the weak and foolish to confound the mighty.
Verse 51
David uses Goliath’s own sword to complete his execution. When the Philistines see their champion dead, their covenant agreement (v. 9) is broken, and they flee in panic.
Verse 54
The mention of bringing Goliath's head to Jerusalem is likely an editorial note, as Jerusalem was still a Jebusite city at this time, foreshadowing David’s future conquest and establishment of the capital.
Verse 55
This inquiry poses a chronological difficulty, as David had previously served Saul (16:19-23). This may reflect two separate traditions of David's rise, or Saul’s instability and distraction caused him to forget the identity of his young servant.
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The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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