What the Bible says about David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:1 - 1 Samuel 17:18
Goliath Challenges the Israelis
17 The Philistines assembled their army for battle. They were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
2 Saul and the Israelis assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they set up their forces to meet the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were standing on the hill on one side while the Israelis were standing on the hill on the other side, with the valley between them.
4 A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. He was four cubits and a span tall,
5 wore a bronze helmet on his head, and wore bronze scale armor that weighed about 5,000 shekels.
6 He had bronze armor on his legs and carried a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.
7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels. A man carrying his shield walked in front of him.
8 He stood still and called out to the ranks of Israel, “Why should you move into position for battle? Am I not a Philistine and you Saul’s servants? Choose a man for yourselves to come down against me.
9 If he’s able to fight me and strike me down, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you will become our servants and serve us.”
10 The Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me one man and let’s fight together.”
11 When Saul and all the Israelis heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very frightened.
David Comes to the Camp
12 David was the son of that Ephrathite man named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons; at the time when Saul was king he was old, having lived to an advanced age.
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse followed Saul into battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were his firstborn Eliab, Abinadab, his second son, and Shammah, the third.
14 David was the youngest, while the three oldest had followed Saul.
15 And David would go back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
16 For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position.
17 Jesse told his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp.
18 Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit, check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them.
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1 Samuel 17
Combat by Champions
Hittite Apology of Hattushili, c. 1267 – 1237 BC. The story of Hattushili personally defeating his enemy is a strong parallel to the story of David and Goliath.
Kim Walton. The Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Turkey.
The contest joined between the “champion” Goliath and David is perhaps the best known example from antiquity of a military conflict decided by “single combat,” namely, a fight between representatives of the warring factions intended to get an initial indication of how the general battle would go. The logic behind such contests was grounded in the belief that battles were ultimately decided by God or the gods, and that the champion representing the more powerful deity would triumph. The premise that the people of the loser would serve the people of the winner did not suggest that the general battle would not be fought; it just gave an assessment of the expected outcome. A superior champion would serve as a ready instrument for the god, but the gods were not constrained to the relative skills and strength of the combatants. In a match as lopsided as this, a victory by David would serve as incontrovertible evidence of the superiority of Yahweh.
Other examples of similar situations from ancient sources are well-known, such as those in Homer’s Iliad (Paris versus Menelaus, Hector versus Ajax) and the Egyptian Story of Sinuhe, in which Sinuhe defeats a Syrian challenger. Sinuhe uses an arrow in place of David’s sling, but, like David, he then uses his opponent’s own sword to complete the victory. While certain similarities with the story of David’s triumph over Goliath are striking, it is important to distinguish between duels settling personal grievances and representative combat. A good example of the latter is found in an account by Hattushili III, who defeated the champion of the enemy with the result that the rest of the army fled. We can therefore see that David’s confrontation with Goliath illustrates a practice that was familiar in the ancient world. By any account, it should have been Saul, who had been chosen to lead the armies, who represented the Israelites in battle. ◆
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49 David reached his hand into the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
Struck the Philistine on the forehead (17:49). Questions have been raised concerning whether a stone from David’s sling could have struck Goliath’s forehead, given the kinds of helmets that Philistines are depicted as wearing (see illustration). But the biblical text does not suggest that Goliath’s armor was typical Philistine hardware but exceptional (see sidebar on “Goliath’s Armor” at 17:5 – 7). That said, it is interesting to note that the Hebrew word rendered “greave” in verse 6 (miṣḥâ), which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, is very close, if not identical, to the Hebrew word for “forehead” (mēṣah). Noting this curiosity, A. Deem has suggested that David’s stone finds its mark not in Goliath’s forehead but at the “greave” in the gap required for walking. It is difficult to decide between these two interpretations; in either case Goliath is toppled and quickly dispatched by David, using Goliath’s own sword (v. 51).
Read more from Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the Old Testament
A Davidic Psalm.
The Lord Shepherds His People
23 The Lord is the one who is shepherding me;
I lack nothing.
2 He causes me to lie down in pastures of green grass;
he guides me beside quiet waters.
3 He revives my life;
he leads me in pathways that are righteous
for the sake of his name.
4 Even when I walk through a valley of deep darkness,
I will not be afraid
because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me,
even in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Truly, goodness and gracious love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will remain in the Lord’s Temple forever.
Psalm 23. The Good Shepherd
A psalm of trust which celebrates the gracious care of Yahweh; and in which the needs and troubles of the psalmist are touched on only incidentally. Most commentators find two pictures of Yahweh here: the Shepherd looking after His sheep (vv. 1–4), and the Host providing for His guest (vv. 5, 6). Certainly vv. 5, 6 do not maintain the sheep metaphor, but there is no need to assume the conscious introduction of another metaphor; the psalm is a unified expression of what God does for the psalmist. Verses 5, 6 suggest that it was written for, and most suitably used at, a sacrificial meal in the temple, probably a thanksgiving banquet (see on 22:25; cf. 36:8; 65:4; 116:17 f.) after an experience of deliverance.
It is not surprising, especially in the light of Jn 10 (cf. Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25), that Christians have applied this psalm to Jesus Christ; nor that it has been paraphrased a number of times to be sung as a hymn: e.g. ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want’ (Whittingham, etc.); ‘The God of love my shepherd is’ (Herbert); and ‘The king of love my shepherd is’ (Baker).
TITLE: see Introduction III. 1, 2. 1. shepherd: used metaphorically in Israel and in other ancient Near Eastern nations as a title for a king or leader (cf. 2 Sam. 5:2; 1 Kg. 22:17; Jer. 23:1 ff.; Ezek. 34:1 ff.), it contains the ideas of authority and care. In the OT Yahweh is usually thought of as the shepherd of Israel, rather than of the individual (80:1; cf. 28:9; 100:3; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 23:3; Ezek. 34:11 ff.). 3. my soul: see on 3:2; 19:7. right paths: conveys the ideas of ‘straightness’, ‘conformity to law’, and ‘deliverance’ (see on 33:5; 5:8). for his name’s sake: because it is His nature to do so (see on 5:11; 20:1). 4. the darkest valley: It could apply to any terrifying experience (see on 9:13). rod: a club (often iron-tipped) used for protection from wild animals. staff: used for support and guidance. comfort: there is no promise of immunity from trouble or suffering.
5. enemies: presumably fellow Israelites, also in the temple. anoint: lit. ‘make fat’ (cf. NEB ‘hast richly bathed’); not the word used for anointing a king but of entertaining a guest (cf. Lk. 7:46). 6. love: Heb. ḥesed (see on 5:7). follow: ‘or ‘pursue’ (cf. the enemies of v. 5). I will dwell: NIV follows the ancient versions; MT reads ‘I shall return (to)’. In either case it expresses the worshipper’s ideal of continual communion with God (see on 15:1): ‘your house will be my home as long as I live’ (GNB). house: see on 5:7. forever: lit. ‘to length of days; cf. NEB ‘my whole life long’.
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