2:9 for not by might shall a man prevail. The subsequent narratives confirm that it is not physical prowess but God’s presence that brings success. In the ark narrative of chs. 4–6, the Lord makes His hand felt by the Philistines without the assistance of human agents (5:6). Other such examples are the Lord’s victory through Samuel in ch. 7; the contrasting successes of Saul and Jonathan in chs. 13 and 14; the choice of David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, in ch. 16; and David’s victory over Goliath in ch. 17.