Artwork by Douglas Kallerson
1 Samuel 17:28-40
(David and Goliath, Part III)
(Typed 18 November 2025) The men of the ranks of Israel, both last week and in this passage, are seen to have focused on the rewards they could get from Saul for defeating the giant. However, none of them felt it was sufficient to chance an encounter with him. David challenged their thinking on this, showing that if the attitude isn’t right, then the rewards are of no lasting value.
Reading this reminded me of a line out of the movie Field of Dreams. Shoeless Joe remembered what it was like to play baseball. It meant more to him than fame or fortune. Instead, he said, “Oh man, I did love this game. You know, I’d have played for food money. It was the game, the sounds, the smells.”
Some things cannot be bought with money, as we see in modern baseball. Money is thrown at the players, but they disgrace the game and the heritage every chance they get. Therefore, it isn’t about the game at all. It is only about what they can get out of it – be it a lot of money or the furtherance of an agenda.
David didn’t care about the offer from Saul. What interested him was the honor of the Lord and the victory of His people over the enemy. Because his heart was right, he was willing to do what nobody else would. We see that in today’s passage, and it gives us a lesson to consider in our own lives.
Text Verse: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15
In this passage, David put his confidence in the Lord. Even if he died in battle, he could say that it was the Lord who took his life. Goliath would only be reckoned as the instrument of the Lord’s action. But, as we will see, David was confident enough in other aspects of what is going on to understand that he would, in fact, prevail.
One cannot help but see Christ in this. He knew that the outcome of His earthly life would be death, and He plainly told the disciples before it came about. And yet, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed that if there was another way, He would be willing to take it, but only if it was the will of His Father. As Job said, so Jesus could say, “Though He slay Me, yet I will trust Him.”
We know that it was the Jews who handed Him over to the Romans, and we know that it was the Romans who nailed Him to the cross. We also know that it was the divine will of God that it would happen this way. David sensed that it was the will of the Lord for him to step forward and challenge the enemy, and he did not resist that will.
For us today, we have the will of the Lord for our lives right before us. And yet, we act as if we don’t know what the will of the Lord for our lives is. “I don’t know what to do.” “I don’t know what the Lord is telling me in this.” And so on.
We have life to live, and then we have the will of the Lord to live our lives. He is not here to cross our every t and dot our every i. He is not here to decide for us where to move, what job to take, what person to marry, or what we should have for dinner.
His will for our lives is that we live according to His word. As long as we are doing that, and as long as what we intend to do is not contrary to that, then we are to pray about it and go forward with what we wish to do. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t the will of the Lord. It means the will of the Lord was realized in whatever didn’t work out.
David is stepping forward, doing nothing contrary to the will of God. He is doing it with the honor of the Lord first and foremost on his mind. If we follow his example for each decision we make, then we will be doing just that, following the will of the Lord.
Do your part, and the Lord will do His part. This is a certain truth which is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. Your Servant, He Will (verses 28-32)
As we saw in the last sermon, David was encouraging the soldiers to fight. It is apparent he wasn’t looking to go into the battle himself, as if he were a great warrior. He wasn’t being some type of braggadocio either. Rather, he was encouraging those standing by him to think the matter through. He said –
“What it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike the Philistine, the this, and he caused to veer reproach from upon Israel? Who the Philistine, the foreskinned, the this? For he exposed arrangements God living!” 1 Samuel 17:26 (CG).
David wasn’t trying to find out how he might benefit if he fought when he asked his questions. Instead, he was scoffing at an earthly reward, because it was the armies of the living God that the Philistine was defying. As this was so, Goliath was defying the God of those armies.
In essence, David was saying, “Get your priorities right! You are not serving for gain. You are serving for your people, Israel, and for your God. Trust in Him and He will win the battle for you!” With this thought in mind, we now enter into these verses…
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men;
vayishma eliav akhiv ha’gadol bedabero el ha’anashim – “And he heard, Eliab his brother, the great, in his speaking unto the mortals.” Eliab heard David speak to the men, setting up the conflict that next presents itself. Eliab means God is Father, or My God is Father. His attitude towards David is contemptuous…
28 (con’t) and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David,
vayikhar aph eliav bedavid – “And it burned, nostril Eliab, in David.” This is an idiom meaning that Eliab’s anger was aroused against David. The idea is that flames shoot out of his nostrils in anger at David’s words. It is apparent that he feels the sting of his own cowardice.
David’s words are taken as a rebuke. David is the younger brother. He has not been commissioned for battle, and here he is counseling everyone that they should just trust in the Lord and the battle will be won. Eliab’s thoughts are essentially, “It’s easy for you to say! You aren’t the one facing this giant. You are just a shepherd boy…”
His continued words reflect a bitter and spiteful attitude…
28 (con’t) and he said, “Why did you come down here?
vayomer lamah zeh yaradta – “And he said, ‘To why this you descended?’” Eliab knows exactly why David came down: to deliver the things he needed for the battle – food, supplies, and so on. He is upset that David is sticking his nose into the affairs of the battle, as if he had gone out to face this giant day after day. Rather, his attitude is, “Why don’t you just make your delivery and go back home?” To reinforce that, he says…
28 (con’t) And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?
veal mi natashta meat ha’tson ha’henah bamidbar – “and upon whom you cast little, the flock, the those, in the wilderness?” Every word is one of derision.
First, he speaks as if David has cast off his appointed duties, leaving them for someone else to pick up because of his negligence – “upon whom you cast.” In essence, “You are AWOL from your own duties. And, by that, you are burdening someone else!”
Second, “little the flock” further derides David. “Not only did you abandon your duties, but they also weren’t very great duties to begin with. Here we are in the heat of a coming battle, and you are out in the fields with a few sheep.”
And third, “in the wilderness,” is another way of saying that David’s tasks are unimportant. He just ambles around with a bunch of sheep that eat thorn bushes in the middle of nowhere.
And more, that they are in the middle of nowhere means that in abandoning them, they are now either completely neglected, or are being watched by someone who probably has no vested interest in their care.
Eliab’s cowardice is causing him to lash out at David in an attempt to exalt his station and humiliate that of his younger brother. As this is so, his next words are intended to further reduce David in esteem and show the contrast between the two of them…
28 (con’t) I know your pride
ani yadati eth zedonekha – “I, I knew your seething.” The word zadon signifies pride, arrogance, self-importance, etc. It comes from zud, which signifies boiling. It is an onomatopoetic expression, reflecting the sound of boiling: zud, zud, zud.
28 (con’t) and the insolence of your heart,
veeth roa levavekha – “and badness to your heart.” The word roa comes from ra’ah, bad or evil. It is variously translated. One must consider the mind of the speaker and the intent behind his words. It was first used in Genesis 41:19 to describe the thin cows of Pharaoh’s dream. Hence, a good paraphrase would be “ugliness.” This sets the stage for his next words…
28 (con’t) for you have come down to see the battle.”
ki lemaan reoth ha’milkhamah yaradeta – “For to end purpose: ‘see the battle,’ you descended.” The word maan speaks of purpose or intent. Eliab dismisses the fact that David came down to aid his brothers, and instead imputes to him the wrongdoing of simply desiring to watch the battle.
It makes his accusation about leaving the “few” sheep in the wilderness all the more striking. In essence, Eliab is saying, “You know nothing of what we’re going through, and you can’t even attend to your own duties. Your only purpose in being here is to watch us suffer through this battle.” The verbally attacked David is flabbergasted and responds accordingly…
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
vayomer David meh asithi atah halo davar hu – “And he said, David, ‘What I did now? Not word, it!’” David responds without aggression, but with curiosity as to why his brother spoke so insultingly to him.
The words “Not word it?” are like saying, “It was just a mere word.” The force of it is, “What wrong have I done? Can’t I just ask a simple question?” And so…
30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.
The word davar, word, used in the previous verse is used three more times in this verse: vayisov meetslo el mul akher vayomer kadavar ha’zeh vayshivuhu ha’am davar kadavar ha’rishon – “And he revolved from his side unto before another, and he said according to the word, the this. And they caused to return him, the people, word according to the word, the first.”
In other words, nobody has taken offense at David’s words except his brother Eliab. The rest of them are perfectly content with his inquiries, and they understand he is neither being boastful nor arrogant.
Therefore, they respond just as the first time. Along with their response to them, something else occurs…
31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard,
vayeshameu ha’devarim asher diber David – “And they were heard, the words which he spoke, David.” So far, there is nothing recorded about David asking to fight the giant. In asking, “What it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike the Philistine?”, there is no note of him wanting to do so.
In fact, it is the obvious question every person in the camp would have asked when a reward was first suggested. Therefore, this isn’t referring to the words of David, as if he wanted to go to battle, so it must refer to the words of David concerning the uncircumcised Philistine defying the living God.
Nobody else had spoken this way, and it probably caught the attention of some commander or another within the ranks. Thus, the zeal for the honor of the Lord, something Saul had lacked for some time, is what is highlighted. Therefore…
31 (con’t) they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.
vayagidu liphne shaul vayiqakhehu – “And they caused to declare to faces Saul. And he took him.” It doesn’t say “to Saul,” but “to faces Saul,” meaning “before Saul.” What it probably means is that the person who heard David speaking came and said, “There’s a kid in the camp who is speaking about Goliath defying the armies of the living God.”
Nobody at this point is expecting a young boy to challenge the Philistine. Saul is intrigued by the zeal he has heard of, and so he sends to have the source of that zeal brought before him.
32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him;
vayomer David el shaul al yipol lev adam alav – “And he said, David unto Saul, ‘Not it will fall, heart human, upon him.’” This takes us back to verse 11 –
“And he heard, Saul and all Israel, words the Philistine, the these. And they were prostrated, and they feared vehemently.” 1 Samuel 17:11
All of Israel was dismayed and greatly afraid. That fear had not diminished over the entire forty days of the Philistine’s challenge. David sensing that, speaks words of encouragement, saying, al yippol lev adam alav – “Not it will fall, heart human, upon him.”
The words could be taken in one of two ways. 1) It is speaking of Goliath – “No man’s heart should fall because of Goliath,” or 2) it is speaking of each person – “No man’s heart should fall within him.” The context points to the latter.
Verse 11 shows they were all afraid. The next words will speak of the Philistine, setting a contrast between him and each person in Israel. Thus, the paraphrase of the CEV seems likely, even if tending towards humorous – “…this Philistine shouldn’t turn us into cowards.”
An interesting point is that words indicating man or men are used about twenty times in this chapter. Most of the uses are ish, meaning an individual male person. However, in this verse only, the word adam is used. It signifies a human being. One can almost sense the purpose for the change in wording.
The Lord promised to redeem adam, man. Israel needs to essentially be redeemed from the threat of this giant, terrifying foe. It is as if David states that the humanity of Israel should take courage in each heart. The foe can be vanquished, and it will be right now, because…
32 (con’t) your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
avdekha yelekh venilkham im ha’pelishti ha’zeh – “Your servant, he will walk, and he was fought with the Philistine, the this.” David, without any chance for further questioning, immediately puts forth his offer.
In other words, he was never asked, “What do you suggest?” or “How would you handle the matter?” Rather, he accepts the challenge without any conditions, expectations, or demands for assistance.
What he has done is to set himself apart from not only every other man in Israel whose hearts had failed them, but above the Philistine as well. If David has elevated himself above the Philistine, and none other in Israel was willing to challenge him, then – by default – David is not only set apart from all of Israel, but he is also above all of Israel.
It is the unexpected twist one finds in Scripture. The things that seem lowly and despised are those things which are placed at the head of the procession. To Saul, it is such a shocking proposal that it meets immediate resistance…
Let no man’s heart fail because of him
Don’t worry about that gigantic Philistine
The situation looks dire, yes, it looks grim
And that guy certainly looks really mean
But he is nothing before the living God
The speck you see, which is this Philistine
He will be gone with less effort than a nod
When I am through, no more will he be seen
Trust that the Lord will bring us victory
By His great power, we shall see the end of this Philistine
A glorious moment in Israel’s history
A marvelous part of the unfolding redemptive scene
II. Walk, and Yehovah, He Will Be with You (verses 33-40)
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him;
vayomer shaul el David lo tukhal lalekhet el ha’pelishti ha’zeh lehilakhem imo – “And he said, Saul unto David, ‘Not you will be able to walk unto the Philistine, the this, to be fought with him.” This clearly shows that David’s previous words in the camp were never expected to be taken as a sign of personal boasting or challenge. He was simply saying that the battle is the Lord’s, and with the Lord in the mix, it could not end in defeat.
When David was brought from the camp, Saul may have anticipated him providing some type of suggested military strategy that could win the battle, but not this.
Saul, demonstrating a lack of faith in the proposal, has failed to lift his eyes to the Lord and acknowledge the possibility of success. All he sees is the impossibility of the situation. As he says…
33 (con’t) for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
ki naar atah vehu ish milkhamah mineurav – “For lad, you, and he man battle from his youths.’” Saul calls Goliath, ish milkhama, “man battle,” the same expression used of David in the previous chapter –
“Behold! I saw son to Jesse – House the ‘My Bread,’ knowing thrum and powerful valor, and man battle, and being discerned – word, and man – form, and Yehovah with him.” 1 Samuel 16:18
The difference between the two is age and experience. Saul calls David a naar, lad. However, Goliath has been a man of war from his naur, youths, implying that he is aged and seasoned in battle, neither of which could be applied to David, or so Saul thought…
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep,
The words “used to” are not appropriate: vayomer David el shaul roeh hayah avdekha leaviv batson – “And he said, David unto Saul, ‘Pasturer he was, your servant, to his father in the flock.’” David was a shepherd, and he remained a shepherd to this day.
David places himself among the helpless, as anyone who has ever been around sheep can testify. Although not evident only by what he says here, but by taking the rest of the passage with these words, it is an implicit note that Israel is being equated with sheep.
David will say this again of Israel much later in his life, after he sins against the Lord. So much was his care for his people, that he put his own family forward in exchange for them –
“Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.’” 2 Samuel 24:17
As for his words to Saul, David plainly states his profession. It is one that would ordinarily seem dull and carefree to a warrior, tending to helpless sheep, but it was actually not always so…
34 (con’t) and when a lion or a bear came
u-va ha’ari veeth ha’dov – “And it came, the lion and the bear.” The definite articles are expressive. David is replaying the past action in his mind and relaying it to Saul. He is also elevating the danger. The sense of the Hebrew is, “Along would come the lion, and even the bear.”
He is equating these to the Philistine. They are large and ferocious enemies faced by shepherds. David speaks of the ari, lion. That comes from arah, meaning to gather or pluck. The idea is that the lion will come and forcefully take what it wishes.
He then heightens the danger to himself by mentioning the dov, bear. That comes from davav, which signifies to glide over or move gently. This is how bears appear to move, gliding along with resolve and intent.
Both animals hunting is purposeful. They smell their prey, and take what they desire. What would normally be expected is a reduction in the size of the flock and a fattening of the belly of the lion or bear. But David claims his pasturing was an exception to that rule…
34 (con’t) and took a lamb out of the flock,
venasa seh meha’eder – “And he lifted lamb from the muster.” Not only were the lion and the bear threatening the flock, but they actively stole an animal out of it. Under such circumstances, one would expect a report to the owner that one of the sheep had been carried away. That would be the end of it.
However, David reveals his care for the flock included placing himself in harm’s way at times…
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth;
vayatsathi akharav vehikitiv vehitsalti mipiv – “And I went out after him, and I caused to strike him. And I caused to snatch from his mouth.” The words are all in the singular, making the statement complicated. He spoke of both the lion and (not or) the bear. Several views have been proposed.
As bears and lions don’t search for prey together, it is suggested that 1) David is referring to individual accounts that happened at two different times, 2) He is only speaking of one of the two accounts – the lion, or 3) This clause is speaking of the lion, and the next clause refers to the bear.
I suggest that he is speaking in general terms. We don’t know if he met only one lion or four in the previous years. The same is true with the bear. He is simply saying that anytime a lamb was plucked out of the flock, he would put his own life on the line and go after whatever did the plucking, strike it, and deliver the lamb.
One can see what a good shepherd he was. Indeed, he set the tone for what lay ahead in the coming of Christ –
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:11-15
David, whether he used a shepherd’s staff or a sling and stone, would strike the beast until it let go of the lamb, which he would then retrieve. However, at times, there would be more to the battle than that…
35 (con’t) and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
vayaqam alay vehekhezaqti bizqano vehikithiv vahamitiv – “And he arose upon me, and I caused to seize in his beard, and I caused to strike him, and I caused to kill him.’” Whatever animal would turn and charge him, he would then show no mercy. He would engage in close-quarters battle, grab it by its beard (meaning its neck or snout), and strike it until it was dead.
These words take us back to Eliab’s resentment of David. David casually mentions his encounters with these beasts, as if they were routine. He may have taken it as normal and expected behavior, but few others would.
His brothers probably looked at him as an anomaly. He fought even for the weak lambs. He pursued the greatest warriors of the wilderness. When the lamb was safe, he would let the warrior go home wounded and hungry, but when the beast attacked him, he would ensure it never came his way again.
David was only a keeper of the flock, and yet he kept the sheep as he would tend to his own family. Finally, Eliab and all the other brothers saw Samuel pass them by in order to anoint David king over Israel.
If one can’t see the parallels to Christ in this, they are not looking very closely. The otherwise seemingly unremarkable man is found to be the most remarkable of them all. As a sort of confirmation that he was speaking in general terms concerning any and all battles he faced while shepherding, he again says…
36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear;
The words bear emphasis, sadly missing in many translations: gam eth ha’ari gam ha’dov hikah avdekha – “Also the lion, also the bear he caused to strike, your servant.” He confirms that when there was a ferocious foe to face, he did not back down or fret, but rather fought with fury until he finally finished the fantastic fight. All of this is given to make the parallel to Goliath obvious…
36 (con’t) and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them,
The words stress the heathen state of Goliath: vehayah ha’pelishti he’arel ha’zeh keakhad mehem – “And he was, the Philistine, the foreskinned, the this, according to one from them.” David’s words stress that Goliath is neither of the people of Israel, nor is he of the covenant of circumcision.
He is doubly unclean. This explains why David brought up both the lion and the bear and spoke of the battle with them in the singular. Both are unclean animals, and together they represent the single man – the Philistine, the uncircumcised. He will be keakhad mehem – “according to one from them.”
David next explains the importance of this. Remembering that he was just referring to being a shepherd helps keep this in its proper perspective. David was willing to risk his life for the sheep of his father. The obvious reason is that they were his father’s sheep.
He did not wage war just for the sake of going out and killing beasts in the field. Rather, he was defending the property of his father. David saw the importance of this because he was entrusted with that responsibility. He had the ability to do this, so not to do it would demonstrate an unfaithful shepherd.
He has now been placed in a new position. By the guiding hand of the Lord, he has been sent to a battle where the lines are drawn up, and where a great foe is facing the sheep of his heavenly Father. Deuteronomy 32 established this fact for all of Israel to understand. Speaking of the Lord, it says –
“Is He not your Father, who bought you?
Has He not made you and established you?” Deuteronomy 32:6
If the armies of Israel could not face this foe, then they were sheep in need of protection and defense. David understood this, and he saw, clearly, that the responsibility which he bore in the wilderness had led him to this greater responsibility. In this state of mind, he then says…
36 (con’t) seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
ki khereph maarkoth elohim khayim – “For he exposed arrangements God living.” David sees the people of Israel as the people of the living, meaning the One, true God. All other “gods” are dead idols. Just as the sheep were his father’s, so the ranks of Israel are the Lord’s.
The livelihood of his father was bound up in David’s hand in his humble job of caring for the sheep. The honor of the Lord is now bound up in his hand as the defender of the people of the Lord. David could do no less than to defend what is of the highest value of all.
As such, that asks us – in fact, it begs us – to stop and consider this from our own place and position. What task, job, or profession has been set before you? Is it seemingly menial and inconsequential like David’s was? If so, do you treat it as such, or do you do your best at it, despite the fact that others may not even notice?
This isn’t just a sermon pat on the back for the lowly masses. I clean bathrooms, pick up trash, cut lawns, take out garbage, and shake off giant floor mats daily – six days a week. But this is my station, along with preaching, and so I do it to the best of my ability.
Who is it that we are working to please? Ultimately, it should be the Lord. David is about to move from being a lowly shepherd to a noted warrior, but he is still the same David with the same heart for the Lord. This is why Samuel anointed him, and this is why the Lord searched for a “man according to His heart.”
We will only be recognized as such a man if we include the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Whether pulling electric wires through an old, decrepit house in Oklahoma for $22/hr, or trading stocks in New York for $50m/year, let us include the Lord in what we do, and we will be pleasing to Him as we do it.
David continues his lesson to us. He not only lived by faith in his ability to perform for the Lord, but in the Lord’s ability to perform through him. That is clearly evidenced by the words…
37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
vayomer David Yehovah asher hitsilani miyad ha’ari u-miyad ha’dov – “And he said, David, ‘Yehovah who He caused to snatch me from hand the lion and from hand the bear.” Notice that David says “hand” rather than “paw.” The hand signifies power, position, and authority.
He also says that it was the Lord who delivered him. Though in the previous verse he says he struck and killed the lion and the bear, here he acknowledges that this was only possible because of the Lord.
There is no contradiction in this. The Lord chose the timing of David’s birth, the way he would be woven together, and every aspect of David’s life – his abilities, his strengths, all of it. None of it happened apart from the Lord, and therefore, everything that was accomplished by David is rightly credited to the Lord.
37 (con’t) He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
His words are emphatic: hu yatsileni miyad ha’pelishti ha’zeh – “He, He will cause to snatch me from hand the Philistine, the this.’” David repeats the term, miyad, or “from hand,” and again equates his encounters with the two animals, the lion and the bear, with the one man, the Philistine. And more, he again notes that the Lord’s hand of deliverance will be with him at this time.
The fact is that David couldn’t see two seconds into the future. He may have stepped forward and been sliced in two by Goliath in the first moment of the battle. But his confidence in the abilities that the Lord gave him was the surety that he would be victorious.
The thought never crossed his mind that he would be defeated because he knew who he was, he knew his capabilities, and he knew where they came from. Finally, he knew that this Philistine had defied Israel. Goliath would not survive because the Lord would not allow him to survive.
David rightly placed his earthly station alongside the knowledge that the Lord would protect His own honor. He understood that he would be the instrument the Lord would use to accomplish this. Saul understood this attitude of David, and he accepted the premise as valid…
37 (con’t) And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
vayomer shaul el David lekh veYehovah yihyeh imakh – “And he said, Saul unto David, ‘You must walk, and Yehovah, He will be with you.’” If the agreement was that the losing side would become the servants of the victor, and there is nothing to suggest it is otherwise, Saul was tying up the fortunes of the entire nation with his consent.
But for a period of forty days, the lines had drawn up, and nothing had changed the situation. The army could not stay there indefinitely, nor could it simply retreat home without losing land. Saul understood this as well, and he agreed, accompanied by a blessing – lekh veYehovah yihyeh imakh – “You must walk, and Yehovah, He will be with you.”
38 So Saul clothed David with his armor,
vayalbesh shaul eth David madav – “And he caused to wrap Saul, David – his garments.” The word madav, translated as “garment,” literally means “extent.” It signifies the height of a person. As this extent is Saul’s height, it means it is his garment.
Even though they translate it as “armor,” it is something other than armor. It is a garment that would go under the coat of mail. It would more appropriately be called “military dress.” The fact that David could fit into Saul’s garment shows that he was well-grown, even if he was still a youth.
However, Saul is elsewhere described as being a head taller than the rest of the people, so the garment could, to some extent, be adjusted by tightening it. Thus, neither the age nor the stature of David can be properly determined from this verse. Along with this garment, it says…
38 and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.
venathan qova nekhosheth al rosho vayalbesh otho shiryon – “and he gave helmet – bronze – upon his head, and he caused to wrap him – breastplate.” Saul is a man of battle, and he understands what is needed for an ordinary battle. Without these things, a soldier would be wholly unprepared for going into a skirmish.
He doesn’t stop to consider, however, that David never had such things while tending the flocks, so he prepared David as he knew best. In this verse, the qova, helmet is introduced. It is a variant spelling of the kova, helmet, seen in verse 17:5. Next, it says…
39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them.
vayakhgor David eth kharvo meal lemadav vayoel lalekheth ki lo nisah – “And he girded, David, his sword from upon to his garments. And he caused to yield to walk. For not he tested.” The garments, coat of mail, helmet, and sword would be heavy. And more, they would take time to get used to, like a person who doesn’t normally wear shoes has to get used to doing so.
In David’s case, he had not been conditioned or trained in their use, and they only made movement more difficult for him. He found this out in his attempt to test them. It didn’t work. Therefore…
39 (con’t) And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
vayomer David el shaul lo ukhal lalekheth baeleh ki lo nisithi vaysirem David mealav – “And he said, David unto Saul, ‘Not I will be able to walk in these. For not I tested.’ And he caused to veer them, David, from upon him.” The fact that David was willing to try the protective clothing on shows that he was willing to wear them if they were amenable to him, but they were not. However, he was trained to wage battle with beasts with much less protection, and he was willing to do so again.
There appears to be a deeper meaning here, however. David uses the word nasah, to prove or test. It is the same word that was used when Israel “tested” the Lord at the waters of Massah in Exodus 17. The people almost immediately failed to trust that the Lord would provide after they had been brought out of Egypt.
They faced a little hardship, and they asked, “Is the LORD among us or not?” Later, in Deuteronomy 6, Moses warned the people, “You shall not tempt [nasah] the Lord your God as you tempted [nasah] Him in Massah.”
David’s words say, ki lo nisithi, “for not I tested.” He is referring to the implements of war, but he said earlier that it is the Lord who would deliver him. It appears that this word is being used to show that David will not test the Lord by wearing implements of warfare that he had not brought with him, and because he said that the Lord would deliver him.
Therefore, he laid aside the warriors’ garments and decided that he could do better without them. In this, we see a veiled picture of works vs. faith. Man’s efforts, seen in the making and wearing of the implements of battle, are set in opposition to David’s faith.
For this greatest of all battles, he rejects the garments of work, and simply walks out to the battle in faith in the Lord’s provision. In that walk of faith, he then provides for himself the simplest of all weapons. They are the things he would have used in his time alone in the wilderness with his own flock to tend to…
40 Then he took his staff in his hand;
vayiqakh maqlo beyado – “And he took his stick in his hand.” The first implement of battle: a maqel, stick. It comes from an unused root signifying “to germinate.” Thus, it is just a stick. It isn’t anything especially shaped.
In other words, the Lord provided it from the ground. David picked it up and probably used it just as it was. It felt right to him, and so he carried it when he went out to shepherd the flock. Next…
40 (con’t) and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook,
The next implements of battle: vayivkhar lo khamishah haluqe avanim min ha’nakhal – “and he selected to him five smooths – stones from the wadi.” Although David wasn’t thinking on these lines, the number five in the Bible signifies grace.
The adjective khaluq, smooth, is only found here in the Bible. It comes from a word signifying “to divide.” That comes from a root signifying “smooth.” The reason for this is that smooth stones were used as lots. Thus, things were divided into portions through the lot.
The word even, stone, comes from the root of banah, to build, as stones are used for building things. These were taken from the nakhal, wadi. A nakhal is a stream that flows at various times, but not at all times. However, it explains the stones being smooth.
David selected smooth stones for the greatest possible accuracy. Choosing five was a note of prudence. If one missed, he would have backup, even if he felt it wasn’t necessary.
The noun nakhal, wadi, comes from the verb nakhal, an inheritance. It should be noted that the staff and stones, including their smoothness, are products of nature provided by the Lord. David uses what the Lord provided. Only the sling was made by him.
Fanciful explanations of David picking up five stones because Goliath was one of five giants in the area (based on 2 Samuel 21) stretch the narrative unrealistically, but it makes for a good sermon. There is one foe, and the agreement is that one side or the other would submit at the loss of their champion. David got these five smooth stones…
40 (con’t) and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had,
vayasem otham bikhli ha’roim asher lo u-vayalqut – “And he put them in ‘vessel, the pasturers’ which to him, and in the pouch.” Along with his staff, he had a shepherd’s bag. It was a simple bag, probably used to carry around some food and whatever else he thought he would need while out in the wilderness. It also says, u-vayalqut, “and in the pouch.”
This probably means that it went into a particular pouch of the shepherd’s bag. This word, yalqut, is only found here in the Bible. It is from laqat, to gather. It is a particular place for these gathered items…
40 (con’t) and his sling was in his hand.
veqaleo veyado – “And his sling in his hand.” The qela, sling, could be a terrifying weapon. In Judges 20, it says –
“Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.” Judges 20:16
Not only was it highly accurate with practice, but it could be lethal when the projectile was properly placed. Due to its accuracy and lethality, other than the time it took to gain enough speed to hurl, it is, for all intents and purposes, as lethal as a small handgun and equally as accurate. In the case of my pitiful shooting skills, a practiced slinger would be way more accurate.
Goliath brought a sword and a spear to what is essentially a gunfight. That generally doesn’t work out too well for the one without the gun. David’s military prowess, even at this early point in his life, is evident. He used what he was acquainted with, and he didn’t burden himself with anything superfluous…
*40 (fin) And he drew near to the Philistine.
vayigash el ha’pelishti – “And he neared unto the Philistine.” It is David who crossed the ravine and the wadi to the other side while Goliath waited. David went on the offensive into the land held by the enemy. He went forward unafraid to a place no other person of Israel dared to go.
It’s a tense spot to end a sermon, but end it we must. It is with great hope and anticipation that we will all be here to participate in next week’s sermon together. Until then, remember the thought which opened us today. It is a thought that is based on two simple premises.
The first is that in order to be right with God, we must be living in accord with His will. The second is that in order to be living in accord with His will, we must know what His will is. And that can only happen if we pick up the Bible, read it, and apply it – in its proper context – to our lives.
The word of God reveals the will of God. And of that will, the first aspect of it that we absolutely must get right is that of Jesus Christ. If we fail to come to God through Him, then nothing else we do in accord with Scripture will make any difference at all.
David had faith in the Messiah because the word said He would come. This is why David was considered such a man of God. It wasn’t because he faithfully observed the law, but because he anticipated what the law promised.
This is what we must do as well. Only then will our faith in God be properly directed. In the life of David, we see types, pictures, and lessons that direct us to Christ. Let us pay heed to what we see in this, and then let us direct our attention to the One who has come, who David only anticipated.
If God was pleased with David’s anticipatory faith in the coming Redeemer, how pleased indeed He will be in our faith in the Redeemer who has come.
Closing Verse: “Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.” Psalm 144:1, 2
Next Week: 1 Samuel 17:41-58 The Philistines got whomped, and much they crieth, big time, for sure… (David and Goliath, Part IV) (38th 1 Samuel Sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.
1 Samuel 17:28-40 (CG)
28And he heard, Eliab his brother, the great, in his speaking unto the mortals. And it burned, nostril Eliab, in David. And he said, “To why this you descended, and upon whom you cast little, the flock, the those, in the wilderness? I, I knew your seething and badness to your heart. For to end purpose: ‘see the battle’, you descended.”
29And he said, David, “What I did now? Not word, it!” 30And he revolved from his side unto before another, and he said according to the word, the this. And they caused to return him, the people, word according to the word, the first.
31And they were heard, the words which he spoke, David. And they caused to declare to faces Saul. And he took him. 32And he said, David unto Saul, “Not it will fall, heart human, upon him. Your servant, he will walk, and he was fought with the Philistine, the this.”
33And he said, Saul unto David, “Not you will be able to walk unto the Philistine, the this, to be fought with him. For lad, you, and he man battle from his youths.”
34And he said, David unto Saul, “Pasturer he was, your servant, to his father in the flock. And it came, the lion and the bear. And he lifted lamb from the muster. 35And I went out after him, and I caused to strike him. And I caused to snatch from his mouth. And he arose upon me, and I caused to seize in his beard, and I caused to strike him, and I caused to kill him. 36Also the lion, also the bear he caused to strike, your servant. And he was, the Philistine, the foreskinned, the this, according to one from them. For he exposed arrangements God living.” 37And he said, David, “Yehovah who He caused to snatch me from hand the lion and from hand the bear, He, He will cause to snatch me from hand the Philistine, the this.”
And he said, Saul unto David, “You must walk, and Yehovah, He will be with you.”
38And he caused to wrap, Saul, David – his garments, and he gave helmet – bronze – upon his head, and he caused to wrap him – breastplate. 39And he girded, David, his sword from upon to his garments. And he caused to yield to walk. For not he tested. And he said, David unto Saul, “Not I will be able to walk in these. For not I tested.” And he caused to veer them, David, from upon him.
40And he took his stick in his hand, and he selected to him five smooths – stones from the wadi. And he put them in ‘vessel, the pasturers’ which to him, and in the pouch. And his sling in his hand. And he neared unto the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:28-40 (NKJV)
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.
31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.