1 Samuel (Written)

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 17:41-58
(David and Goliath, Part IV)

(Typed 19 November 2025) Life is filled with anticipation. This is true regardless of age, and it isn’t limited to humans either. I have eight dogs, and I can assure you of it. Every day at 3 am, a few of my dogs anticipate a walk in the yard. At 5:50 am, they all get antsy as they anticipate Hideko getting up.

This is because after she gets up, they all go out and then they… they… they… (are you anticipating?) they get a treat. Sometimes they get too antsy and start barking before she wakes up. If that happens, and they wake her up early, no treat will be forthcoming.

They usually don’t have to be told more than once, “Shut up or no treat for you.” They know and comply. In today’s passage, Israel and the Philistines have been anticipating a battle. Before that, however, Goliath had spent forty days anticipating an opponent coming out to face him.

As we have gone through the verses, we have been anticipating more insights into what is being said. When the verses are complete, we will be anticipating what they are pointing to and why God chose this story with the particular details to include in His word.

Text Verse: Text Verse: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Paul’s words can be applied to David. He was the youngest of his family. He was looked down on by his oldest brother. Saul told him he was not capable of defeating the enemy because he was young and untrained. He was just a shepherd boy tending his father’s flock.

But the Lord knew David’s abilities, his heart and determination, and that David was the right person to move from shepherding his father’s flocks to shepherding the House of Israel.

The battle against Goliath will solidify this in the minds of the people, even if it will be a long time before David begins to rule over them. Whatever our abilities are, even if seemingly weak, base, or even foolish to others, God can use them for His glory.

We can have confidence in ourselves because of confidence in the Lord, and also do great things. And more, the things we do which are “great” may not seem great to anyone else, but if they are done in faith, they are great in the Lord’s eyes.

A carpet cleaner who serves the Lord with his life certainly pleases Him more than a prime minister, president, or king who has no heart for Him. Let us remember this and be people of faith, living lives for His glory, not our own.

This is commendable before God. It is a truth 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. I Come Unto You in Name – Yehovah Sabaoth (verses 41-47)

⁴¹ So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David,

The Hebrew is alive with motion: vayelekh ha’p_elishti holekh v_eqarev el David – “And he walked, the Philistine, walking, and neared unto David.” The energy of the words shows determined purpose. Goliath waited weeks for a challenger. Each step now is one of delight and anticipation. “Finally, a worthy foe has left the ranks of Israel to meet my challenge.” This is further supplemented by the words…

^{41 (con’t)} and the man who bore the shield went before him.

v_eha’ish nose ha’tsinah l_ephanav – “And the man lifting the shield to his faces.” The words are close to verse 7 but they leave out the verb “walking.”

“And lifter the shield walking to his faces.” (v.7)
“And the man lifting the shield to his faces.” (v.41)

The movement, and thus the purpose and intent of the action, is ascribed to Goliath. And so, it is as if the shield-bearer is a single unit with him, being propelled on by Goliath’s movement.

The giant, adorned in all of his military gear, with a shield-bearer as well, is actually not alone. Someone guards him. But no one goes before David. The contrast is made all the more poignant by the use of the words in this verse. In his state, and in the confidence he surely felt, we next enter the very thoughts of Goliath.

As he gets close enough to see David, he is incredulous. So much so that he leans his head forward another few inches as if he needs better focus, and then a sense of disbelieving amazement fills his face. His nose scrunches, his eyes squinch, his forehead crimps down, and he says, “Huh?” As the narrative says…

⁴² And when the Philistine looked about and saw David,

vayabet ha’p_elishti vayireh eth David – “And he caused to scan, the Philistine, and he saw David.” The word navat signifies to look intently and thus to scan. Goliath was scanning the field, watching as David approached. Once he was close enough, his eyes zoomed in on his opponent. Surely with a stupid but astonished look on his face, Goliath carefully observed David, and…

^{42 (con’t)} he disdained him;

vayivzehu – “And he disesteemed him.” The word was first seen in the account of Esau when he sold his birthright. For a mere bowl of red soup, he sold off what was of such high value, showing disdain for it. Here, Goliath looks at David and disesteems him. He sees nothing of value in regard to a battle…

^{42 (con’t)} for he was only a youth,

ki hayah naar – “For he was lad.” The Israelites had sent a boy to fight a man. They had sent an inexperienced person to challenge a champion. It was the first reason to disesteem David…

^{42 (con’t)} ruddy

v_eadmoni – and red.” Here, admoni, red, is used for the third and last time. It was first used of Esau when he was born –

“And the first came out red [admoni]. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.” Genesis 25:25

It was next used in Chapter 16 when describing David –

“And he sent, and he brought him. And he red [admoni] with beautiful eyes and good visage. And He said, Yehovah, “Arise! Anoint him! For this he!” 1 Samuel 16:12

Admoni comes from the same root as the verb adom, to be red. It can speak of the hair or the complexion. Either way, the connection to Esau should not be missed. To understand why, take a break and go watch the sermons on Esau and Jacob from Genesis 25 and 27.

It is all the more interesting that the words “despise” and “red” are used in both accounts. A connection between the two has been established. Being red – in hair or complexion – was another reason to disesteem David. To Goliath, David had no gray hairs of an adult. He also had the weak complexion of a ruddy young boy. As such, Goliath saw him as an unfit challenger…

^{42 (con’t)} and good-looking.

im y_epheh mareh – “with beautiful appearance.” This would be a complete surprise. All who were trained in battle would have the look of a warrior. Some may paint their faces to make them look more aggressive. They may also have scars, missing teeth, and so on. And more, for sure, they would snarl and show contempt for their opponent.

David displayed none of these features. He looked like any regular person that you might meet on the street. Thus, it was a third reason to disesteem him…

⁴³ So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”

vayomer ha’p_elishti el David ha’khelev anokhi ki atah va elay bamaqloth – “And he said, the Philistine, unto David, ‘The dog, I? For you come unto me in the sticks.’” Verse 40 said in the singular that David “took his stick in his hand.” Here, Goliath says, “sticks.” This is certainly an expression of derision, like saying to someone, “Grow up and stop playing with tinker toys.” But more, he adds in ha’kelev anoki – “the dog, I?”

In other words, “Fighting the dog with sticks may be effective. Is that what you think I am?” The Philistine stands there arrayed in battle armor, with weapons far fiercer than just angry flashing teeth. Sticks will be entirely ineffective against such a foe. Because of this…

^{43 (con’t)} And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

vayqalel ha’p_elishti eth David belohav – “And he lightened, the Philistine, David in his God.” Out of twenty-seven translations I checked for this sermon, only two state this in the singular, “his God.” Goliath is cursing David b’elohav, or “in his God,” meaning the God of Israel. It is a direct insult to Yehovah.

No Philistine god is named in the account. Goliath has purposefully come out morning and evening to challenge Israel – assuredly at the time of the daily sacrifices. Thus, he is not relying on his false god or gods, but is verbally attacking Israel’s God.

⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me,

vayomer ha’p_elishti el David l_ekhah elay – “And he said, the Philistine unto David, ‘You must walk-ward unto me.” Goliath was no longer in the mood for advancing. He must have thought the challenge was a joke or some type of ruse by Saul.

Either way, it is obvious that he takes David as no true challenge. Because of this, instead of continuing to press forward, he called for David to come to him, certainly not expecting him to do so. But if he did, only then would he act…

^{44 (con’t)} and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

v_eet_enah eth b_esar_ekha l_eoph ha’shamayim u-l_evehemath ha’sadeh – “and let me give your flesh to bird the heavens and to beast the field.” Goliath was so confident of the outcome that he was prepared to dispatch his opponent with little effort and leave his carcass out for whatever came to collect it. He had not moved away from his side of the ravine, and no Israelite would dare come and carry him away. In his mind, David is already dead and no threat at all.

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.

vayomer David el ha’p_elishti atah ba elay b_ekherev u-vakhanith u-v_ekidon – “And he said, David, unto the Philistine, ‘You come unto me in sword and in the spear, and in javelin.’” In the earlier verses describing Goliath, nothing was said of a sword. Here, it becomes apparent that he carried one.

David, noting the weaponry of Goliath contrasts that with his own armament, something much more potent in battle…

^{45 (con’t)} But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts,

v_eanokhi va elekha b_eshem Y_ehovah ts_evaoth – “And I come unto you in Name – Yehovah Sabaoth.” David sets an absolute contrast between himself and Goliath. Goliath is using what is created but then manipulated within the creation (fashioning implements for battle out of elements) to conduct his warfare. However, David comes forward in the name of Yehovah – the self-existent God.

As He is self-existent, He is separate from the creation, meaning He is transcendent over it. As this is so, trusting in His name means trusting in the sum of who He is. He has presented Himself already to Israel in numerous ways: Yehovah Yireh – the Lord will Provide, Yehovah Rapha – the Lord is my Healer, Yehovah Nisi – the Lord is my Banner, Yehovah M_eqadishkhem – the Lord who Sanctifies you, and Yehovah Shalom – the Lord is Peace.

These are but a few ways the Lord has revealed Himself to His covenant people. David presents Him to Goliath as Yehovah Ts_evaoth, the Lord of Hosts. It is a term introduced in 1 Samuel 3. This is its fifth use in Scripture. The name comes from tsava, signifying a massing, such as of persons. Being a plural, it indicates He is the Lord of Hosts. Later, David will use this term in the 24th Psalm –

“Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah” Psalm 24:10

David next expands on this name, saying that He is…

^{45 (con’t)} the God of the armies of Israel,

elohe maarkhoth Yisrael – “God arrangements Israel.” The many-faceted Lord who is a Provider, Healer, source of Peace, and so forth, is also the Captain and Ruler of the ranks of His army – the army that Goliath has openly defied. David will trust in this One to take away the reproach of the uncircumcised Philistine. His confidence in the Lord was unwavering throughout his life –

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.” Psalm 20:1

David is trusting solely in the Lord as his Helper. Goliath thinks he sees victory. David, however, looks beyond the moment to the ultimate defeat of the enemy. This is seen in how he has treated the name of Yehovah…

^{45 (con’t)} whom you have defied.

asher kheraphta – “whom you exposed.” This is the fifth and last time the verb kharaph, to expose, is seen in this chapter. It comes from the noun khoreph, harvest time, or autumn, as in the time of a gathered crop.

David notes that Goliath has not only stripped the ranks of Israel as a reaper would strip the fields at harvest, laying them bare and exposing them, but he has also done this to Yehovah’s name. The taunt cannot be allowed to stand. Therefore…

⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand,

ha’yom ha’zeh y_esagerkha Y_ehovah b_eyadi – “The day, the this, He will shut you, Yehovah, in my hand.” The word sagar signifies to close or to shut up. As such, David is saying that Goliath will be ensnared in his hand, unable to escape. In such an incapacitated state, David says…

^{46 (con’t)} and I will strike you and take your head from you.

v_ehikitikha vahasirothi eth rosh_ekha mealekha – “And I will cause to strike you. And I will cause to veer your head from upon you.” The confidence of David is so great that not only will Goliath be shut up in his hand, but David will have complete control over him, prophesying that he will remove Goliath’s head from his body. Plus…

^{46 (con’t)} And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth,

v_enathati peger makhaneh ph_elishtim ha’yom ha’zeh l_eoph ha’shamayim u-l_ekhayath ha’arets – “And I gave carcass camp Philistines the day, the this, to bird the heavens and to living the earth.” The word is singular, “carcass.” David looks at the entire camp of the Philistines as one body that will be slain and presented as an offering to the birds and the beasts. In defeating Goliath, the deed will be accomplished.

^{46 (con’t)} that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

v_ey_ed_eu kal ha’arets ki yesh elohim l_eyisrael – “And they will know, all the earth, for exists God to Israel.” Israel means He Strives With God. It can be for God or against God. The idea is that God is not “for” Israel, but that God possesses Israel. They are His people, and He displays that fact through them.

⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear;

v_eyed_eu kal ha’qahal ha’zeh ki lo b_ekherev u-vankhanith y_ehoshia Y_ehovah – “And they will know, all the assembly, the this, for not in sword and in the spear, He will cause to save, Yehovah.” The implements of battle used by Goliath are unnecessary for the Lord to gain the victory.

Even if used, it is not they that win the battle, but the Lord Himself who does. It is right to understand the etymology of these implements. The kherev, sword, comes from the verb kharav, to be dry or dried up. It is identical to the name of the mountain, Horeb, where the Law of Moses was received, and which comes from the same root word, kharav.

The khanit, spear, comes from the verb khanah, to incline (and thus to camp) or decline (as the sun in the afternoon). The connection is that a spear is for thrusting, like pitching a tent. That is from the same root as khanan, to stoop or bend in kindness to an inferior, as in God dealing graciously with someone.

There is more to the word, though. It is the same word as the feminine form of khen, grace, the word from which Hannah, Grace, is ultimately derived. Of note is that in verse 13:19, it said, “sword or spear.” Here it says, “in sword and in the spear.”

Understanding these things will help us to understand the typology being presented and why the Lord included such things in this marvelous account of David facing the giant Philistine. David says that it is not in a sword or spear that the victory in battle is attained. Rather…

^{47 (con’t)} for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

ki l_eY_ehovah ha’milkhamah v_enathan etkhem b_eyadenu – “For to Yehovah the battle! And He gave you [all] in our hand.” The battle belongs to Yehovah alone. Only in Yehovah can the enemy be defeated. It is a victory he then hands to His people.

David’s confidence in Yehovah is such that Goliath and all of the hosts of the Philistines will be handed to Israel. His confident attitude is reflected many years later in a psalm penned by the sons of Korah –

“For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
⁷ But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
⁸ In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah” Psalm 44:6-8

I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts
The God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied
You may have the power to pull up fence posts
But when this battle is over, it is you who will have died

The Lord of Hosts! The God of Israel
In Him is our trust and our hope this day
What happens here, to our children we will tell
When you are dead, and your corpse is cast away

Blessed be the Lord! And blessed be His name
My trust is in Him to do away with you today
Great will be the victory, and the honor of His fame
When you are gone, Israel will shout ‘Hooray!’

I. In the Sling and in the Stone (verses 48-58)

⁴⁸ So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

v_ehayah ki qam ha’p_elishti vayelekh vayiqrav liqrath David vaymaher David vayarats ha’maarakhah liqrath ha’p_elishti – “And it was, for he arose, the Philistine, and he walked, and he approached to encounter David. And he hurried, David, and he ran – the arrangement, to encounter the Philistine.” With the parley ended, Goliath could no longer remain still.

The challenge had been made. It was apparent that his opponent was serious, so he rose to his full height and went into motion. The double verbs enhance the excitement of the narrative – Goliath arose, “and he walked, and he approached.” Likewise, “And he hurried, David, and he ran…” No Hollywood movie could improve on the tension of the moment…

⁴⁹ Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead,

vayishlakh David eth yado el ha’keli vayiqakh misham even vayqala vayakh eth ha’p_elishti el mitskho – “And he sent, David, his hand unto the vessel. And he took from there stone. And he slung, and he caused to strike the Philistine unto his forehead!” The account gives a simple description of how the marvelous blow came about. He put his hand to the bag, pulled out a single stone, and slung it with the precision of a sniper, hitting Goliath directly in his forehead.

For David tending to the sheep, there would be little else to do in the wilderness than practice with his sling. His skill would be so refined that the account is not only likely, but it would be hard to imagine how he could miss, even while at a full run. He was proficient with the sling. And more, the Lord’s honor was at stake, and the Lord’s presence was with him. The victory was a given…

^{49 (con’t)} so that the stone sank into his forehead,

vatitba ha’even b_emitskho – “And it sank, the stone, in his forehead!” The forehead in the Bible signifies the place of conscience and identification. David identified with Yehovah, but Goliath identified himself against Him. He had made his stand, and he was judged for it. So great was the blow that the stone not only crushed his forehead, but it also sank into it, becoming one with it…

^{49 (con’t)} and he fell on his face to the earth.

vayipol al panav ar_etsah – “And he fell upon his face earthward!” This shows that not only was Goliath injured, but he was completely incapable of any further action. Being facedown, he was left completely exposed to whatever fate awaited him.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone,

vayekhezaq David min ha’p_elishti baqela u-vaeven – “And he seized, David, from the Philistine, in the sling and in the stone.” In twenty-seven translations checked for the sermon, only the NET Bible includes the definite articles before “sling” and “stone.” The strength of David is placed in the sling and in the stone. It is through this means that Lord won the victory.

^{50 (con’t)} and struck the Philistine and killed him.

vayakh eth ha’p_elishti vaymithehu – “And he caused to strike the Philistine. And he caused to kill him.” It says that David struck the Philistine and killed him. The means by which the kill is credited is the sling and the stone. David hit his mark, and the victory was won. It then says of this…

^{50 (con’t)} But there was no sword in the hand of David.

v_ekherev ein b_eyad David – “And sword, naught, in hand David.” It is specific and unambiguous. David did not have his own sword. This is stated specifically for a purpose. David prevailed not with his own sword…

⁵¹ Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

vayarats David vayaamod el ha’p_elishti vayiqakh eth kharbo vayishl_ephah mitarah vaymoth_ethehu vayikhrath bah eth rosho – “And he ran, David, and he stood unto the Philistine, and he took his sword, and he drew her from her sheath, and he killed him…” David had no sword, and yet he prevailed over the Philistine.

However, to complete the victory, while ensuring that the wound didn’t only appear terminal, David drew out the sword of the Philistine and killed him with it, “…and he cut, in her, his head.”

Whether they were two actions or one, the giant’s life was ended with his own sword, and his head was removed with it as well. The events are minutely recorded to provide specific details of other events coming in redemptive history.

This is the last time the sword is mentioned in this passage, but this same sword will be brought back into the narrative later in 1 Samuel –

“And he said, the priest, ‘Sword Goliath the Philistine whom you struck in Valley the Elah. Behold! It wrapped in the mantle behind the ephod. If it you will take to you, take. For naught other beside it in this.’” 1 Samuel 21:9 (CG)

It is a marvelous passage which plays on the name of Goliath – the Exposer – and his sword, which was covered in a cloth. Goliath thought he would expose with his sword, but his sword lay covered behind the ephod.

^{51 (con’t)} And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

vayiru ha’p_elishtim ki meth giboram vayanusu – “And they saw, the Philistines, for he dead, their powerful, and they fled.” Here, the word translated as “champion” by the NKJV is completely different than the previous two uses.

The word is gibor. It signifies strong or mighty. Though Goliath had made an agreement that the Philistines would become the slaves of Israel if he was defeated, the people were so shocked to see him dead that they turned on their heels and fled.

With this, the entire mood of the battle lines changed, and Israel went on the offensive…

⁵² Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley

vayaqumu anshe Yisrael vihudah vayariu vayird_ephu eth ha’p_elishtim ad boakha gay – “And they arose, mortals Israel and Judah, and they caused to shout, and they pursued the Philistines until your coming – ravine.” It says, “ravine,” not “the ravine.”

Because of this, scholars have raised many questions and much speculation. One possibility is that the word gai, valley, is a misspelling of Gath. The Greek translation says “Gath,” and so this is possible, but not a preferred choice. It could be some indiscriminate valley.

Regardless, the men of Israel and Judah took the initiative, raised the war cry, and went hot on the heels of the Philistines…

^{52 (con’t)} and to the gates of Ekron.

v_ead shaare eqron – “and until gates Ekron.” The name Ekron comes from aqar – to uproot or pluck up. Thus, it signifies Uprooting or Extermination. Zephaniah makes a play on the name in his book –

“For Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.” Zephaniah 2:4

Ekron is noted in 2 Kings 1:2 as the location of the god Baal-Zebub, a false deity that Jesus will equate with the ruler of demons in Matthew 12:24.

^{52 (con’t)} And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.

vayip_elu khal_ele ph_elishtim b_ederekh shaarayim v_ead gath v_ead eqron – “And they fell pierced, Philistines, in road – Shaaraim, and until Gath, and until Ekron.” Shaaraim is the plural of shaar, gate. Thus, it signifies “Two Gates.” It is the scene of a bloody battle where the bodies lie strewn for, literally, miles. Israel took the initiative and overcame its enemies because David first vanquished their champion.

⁵³ Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines,

vayashuvu b_ene Yisrael mid_eloq akhare ph_elishtim – “And they returned, sons Israel, from flaming after Philistines.” The word dalaq, pursue, comes from a root signifying a flame. Thus, this is a heated, burning pursuit, cutting down the enemy like stubble, which is then burned. When that was accomplished, they returned…

^{53 (con’t)} and they plundered their tents.

Rather: vayashosu eth makhanehem – “And they plundered their camps.” This means that the army of the Philistines was divided into various camps, probably based on the villages from which they came. They destroyed the inhabitants of those cities, and then they returned and plundered their various camps.

⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem,

vayiqakh David eth rosh ha’p_elishti vayviehu y_erushalim – “And he took, David, head the Philistine, and he caused to bring it – Jerusalem.” The meaning of the name “Jerusalem” is debated, but the meaning of the second half it is not. It comes from the verb shalem, “to be complete,” or “to be sound.” That gives the sense of the word shalom, peace.

It isn’t merely a quiet peace, but a state of wholeness or completion. The first part could come from one of several sources, which lead to various significations, but Foundation of Peace is sufficient to get the point.

David takes Goliath’s head there, but no explanation as to why is given. Nor is the head mentioned again in Scripture. At the time, the fortress of Zion was not yet captured, but Jerusalem was possessed by Israel. It is possible that he took the head there to terrify the Jebusites, letting them know that they, too, would be defeated in due time.

Others think that this was written later when David conquered Zion and brought the head to this fortress at that time. This would mean that he kept it as a trophy all along, and Jerusalem was where it finally ended up when David ruled over Israel. That seems a stretch, and, in turn, it would make the next clause seem out of place.

^{54 (con’t)} but he put his armor in his tent.

v_eeth kelav sam beaholo – “And his vessels, he put in his tent.” David was obviously given the right to all of Goliath’s goods, which would have included his armor, weapons, and personal effects. But is that what this is referring to? The Hebrew leaves open an obvious set of possibilities.

Is this speaking of David putting Goliath’s goods in his tent, or David putting his goods in Goliath’s tent? It says, “and his goods he put in his tent.” Translational and scholarly comment is unanimous that it is the former. The second option isn’t even considered.

However, the pattern of the previous clause makes David the subject and Goliath the object. If that pattern continues in this clause, it would read –

* And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem
* And his (David’s) goods he put in his (Goliath’s) tent

If the Israelites plundered the camp of the Philistines, it means they also procured the tents along with everything else. David came to the camp to deliver supplies to his brothers, and then he would have returned to his father’s beith, house. Therefore, not being a warrior, it is likely he didn’t even have a tent.

Therefore, David took over the tent of Goliath, placing his goods there. That means everything belonging to Goliath became the possession of David.

Another question that arises is, “Why would it speak of Goliath’s head being taken to Jerusalem a long time in the future and then revert to this note just after the battle?”

It seems more likely that the head of Goliath was taken to Jerusalem as a note of the victory. The city of Jerusalem was granted to Benjamin, but it bordered Judah, and was occupied by people from the tribe of Judah. As Judah means “Praise,” and Jerusalem means “Foundation of Peace,” it seems to be a symbolic gesture playing on the two names.

Two important points to consider are that it says, “his head,” not his “skull,” and the name Goliath is not a derivative of the same root as the word “skull.” Thus, this cannot have any typological connection to “Golgotha,” although that would have been an interesting twist. Something else, rather, is being pictured…

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?”

vekhiroth shaul eth David yotse liqrath ha’p_elishti amar el avner sar ha’tsava ben mi zeh ha’naar avner – “And according to seeing, Saul, David going to encounter the Philistine, he said unto Abner, commander the hosts, ‘Son who this, the lad, Abner?’” The final verses of the chapter have long perplexed readers and scholars alike.

Indeed, many scholars fall back on the supposition that they are not a part of the original text since they are lacking from the Greek translation of it.

Others simply dismiss them with little or no commentary, hoping to avoid the dilemma altogether. The reason for this is that in Chapter 16, David was introduced to Saul and had tended to him during his time of mental affliction.

There are several possibilities concerning this. The first is that Saul focuses on who David’s father is. Unless one is sharp and has a great memory, he may have simply forgotten where David came from and who his father was.

These verses never ask who David is, just who his father is. Since David prevailed in the battle, Saul would need to know whose family was to be given his daughter and be exempted from taxes in Israel.

A second option is that the accounts are not necessarily chronological. This is actually likely, and it was what was concluded in our analysis of Chapter 16.

The events are being tied together categorially in order to present David logically in relation to how events fall into a greater picture of his life and of redemptive history.

David is anointed king by Samuel. At some point, his brothers are in the camp awaiting battle with the Philistines, and David comes to the camp. Eventually, he becomes the hero of the battle. During that time, Saul asks whose son he is.

At some point, Saul went or goes into fits of mental depression. It is found that the same person who was the hero against Goliath has other skills as well and is called into permanent service under Saul.

Following the narrative I laid out in Chapter 16 resolves all of these difficulties. Jonathan is never mentioned in relation to David before Chapter 18. It is true that the order is difficult, but it is no more difficult than understanding that the time frames of events, such as in Chapter 16, could have been over a period of years.

Such categorical rather than chronological accounts permeate Scripture. They may cause confusion when not understood, but they are actually logical progressions of thought when viewed from the greater plan of the redemptive narrative. For now, Abner responds…

^{55 (con’t)} And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

vayomer avner khe naphsh_ekha ha’melekh im yada_eti – “And he said, Abner, ‘Alive, your soul, the king, if I knew!” Abner comes from two words, av, father, and ner, a lamp.  Thus, it means something like Father Is a Lamp, or it could even extend to Father Is Light. As Abner’s father is named Ner, Lamp, it may simply be, “My Father Is Light.”

Abner doesn’t have any idea about David’s father, so the narrative continues…

⁵⁶ So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

vayomer ha’melekh sh_eal atah ben mi zeh ha’alem – “And he said, the king, Saul, ‘You must ask, you, son who this, the stripling?” The word elem, stripling, is used. It is only seen here and in 1 Samuel 20:22. The fact that Saul uses this word, indicating a young man, seems to indicate that the age of David here is not the same as the account in 1 Samuel 16.

With a few years between events, David’s appearance could have been completely different. At one time, he was a youth. Later, he will be a man with a beard. Understanding this, once the battle was over, David was presented to Saul…

⁵⁷ Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

u-kh_eshuv David mehakoth eth ha’p_elishti vayiqakh oto avner vayviehu liphne shaul v_erosh ha’p_elishti b_eyado – “And according to returning, David, from causing to strike the Philistine, and he took him, Abner, and he caused to bring him to faces Saul. And head the Philistine in his hand.” David is presented to Saul while he is still carrying Goliath’s head.

Note that when David was first brought before Saul in this chapter, he never asked his father’s name. It may be an indication that he never expected David to prevail.

Now that he has, Saul needs to know what family David belonged to in order to honor the father of the hero of the battle. This is likely the intent, so the inquiry is made…

⁵⁸ And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

vayomer elav shaul ben mi atah ha’naar – “And he said unto him, Saul, ‘Son who, you, the lad?’” Again, the inquiry is made about who David’s father is. This, along with the unusual use of the word elem, young man, favors the notion that the accounts are categorically placed. Saul wants to know what family he belongs to, and…

*^{58 (fin)} So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

vayomer David ben avd_ekha Yishai beith ha’lakhmi – “And he said, David, ‘Son, your servant, Jesse, House the ‘My Bread.’” It seems like an odd place for the narrative to end, but it’s not. Saul needed to know whose son David was, but we needed to know who David is.

It is this David who is the son of Jesse, and it is this Jesse who, according to Ruth 4, is the son of Obed. Also, it is this Obed who is the son of Boaz, the husband of Ruth, of whom the book of Ruth is written. The names are important because they keep taking us back to earlier stories.

The father of Boaz is Salmon, who was married to Rahab the harlot. Each time the Bible focuses on someone, we have to remember that we are reading something that was documented and already known to the people. The book of Joshua detailed who Rahab was, and the story eventually goes back to Perez and Zerah, who came from Judah.

The importance of these final verses of Chapter 17 means one thing to Saul, but they mean something completely different to those who want to know what God is doing in redemptive history. With the events of David’s life now being recorded, the next generation would have another clue concerning the promised Messiah.

Let us not forget this. When we come to a passage that seems out of place or irrelevant to the immediate narrative, it does not mean that it is.

We have discovered why it is important to know who David’s father is from these final verses of the chapter. We will next try to find out how the chapter itself is important to the overall redemptive narrative of the Bible.

It is great that an unprotected youth slew a giant all by himself in the Valley of Elah, but unless that story has some greater significance, it is just a curious story.

Many people have done great things, and their stories aren’t included in the Bible. But God has selected events to give us clues into what He is doing or will do, and how those things will come about.

Let us remember that Christ is the main focus of this marvelous gift we call the Holy Bible. Even if nothing else were to come out of the story, we know that David’s heroics are recorded, and he will eventually become the king of the nation. After that, covenant promises will be made to him concerning his house and his successors, including the greatest of them – our Lord.

David was a person of faith, even from his youth. He trusted with all of his being that he would prevail because he trusted in his God. For us, we are on the other side of the cross. If David could have such marvelous faith and confidence in the Lord from such an obscure perspective of God’s overall plan, shouldn’t we have so much more?

Let us trust in the Lord, have confidence in His promises, and stand fast in our faith. David pleased God. We too can please Him. That becomes possible by believing His word. And so, let us do so – to His glory.

Closing Verse: “I will sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
¹⁰ The One who gives salvation to kings,
Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.” Psalm 144:9, 10

Next Week: 1 Samuel 17 You are curious about the typology. You ask, “It is whyeth?” You will find out –  no jive… (David and Goliath, Part V) (39^th 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 17:41-58 (CG)

⁴¹And he walked, the Philistine, walking, and near unto David. And the man lifting the shield to his faces. ⁴²And he caused to scan, the Philistine, and he saw David. And he disesteemed him. For he was lad, and red, with beautiful appearance. ⁴³And he said, the Philistine, unto David, “The dog, I? For you come unto me in the sticks.” And he lightened, the Philistine, David in his God. ⁴⁴And he said, the Philistine unto David, “You must walk-ward unto me, and let me give your flesh to bird the heavens and to beast the field.”

⁴⁵And he said, David, unto the Philistine, “You come unto me in sword and in the spear, and in javelin. And I come unto you in Name – Yehovah Sabaoth – God arrangements Israel, whom you exposed. ⁴⁶The day, the this, He will shut you, Yehovah, in my hand. And I caused to strike you. And I caused to veer your head from upon you. And I gave carcass camp Philistines the day, the this, to bird the heavens and to living the earth. And they will know, all the earth, for exists God to Israel. ⁴⁷And they will know, all the assembly, the this, for not in sword, and in the spear, He will cause to save, Yehovah. For to Yehovah the battle! And He gave you [all] in our hand.”

⁴⁸And it was, for he arose, the Philistine, and he walked, and he approached to encounter David. And he hurried, David, and he ran – the arrangement, to encounter the Philistine. ⁴⁹And he sent, David, his hand unto the vessel. And he took from there stone. And he slung, and he caused to strike the Philistine unto his forehead! And it sank, the stone, in his forehead! And he fell upon his face earthward! ⁵⁰And he seized, David, from the Philistine, in the sling and in the stone. And he caused to strike the Philistine. And he caused to kill him. And sword, naught, in hand David. ⁵¹And he ran, David, and he stood unto the Philistine, and he took his sword, and he drew her from her sheath, and he killed him, and he cut, in her, his head.

And they saw, the Philistines, for he dead, their powerful, and they fled. ⁵²And they arose, mortals Israel and Judah, and they caused to shout, and they pursued the Philistines until your coming – ravine, and until gates Ekron. And they fell pierced, Philistines, in road – Shaaraim, and until Gath, and until Ekron. ⁵³And they returned, sons Israel, from flaming after Philistines. And they plundered their camps. ⁵⁴And he took, David, head the Philistine, and he caused to bring it – Jerusalem. And his vessels, he put in his tent.

⁵⁵And according to seeing, Saul, David going to encounter the Philistine, he said unto Abner, commander the hosts, “Son who this, the lad, Abner?”

And he said, Abner, “Alive, your soul, the king, if I knew!”

⁵⁶And he said, the king, Saul, “You must ask, you, son who this, the stripling?”

⁵⁷And according to returning, David, from causing to strike the Philistine, and he took him, Abner, and he caused to bring him to faces Saul. And head the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸And he said unto him, Saul, “Son who, you, the lad?”

And he said, David, “Son, your servant, Jesse, House the ‘My Bread.’”

 

1 Samuel 17:41-58 (NKJV)

⁴¹ So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. ⁴² And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. ⁴³ So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. ⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. ⁵¹ Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵² Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. ⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?”

And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

⁵⁶ So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷ Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸ And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

 

 

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 b_edabero 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 b_edavid – “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?

v_eal mi natashta m_eat 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 zedon_ekha – “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,

v_eeth roa l_evavekha – “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 l_emaan r_eoth ha’milkhamah yarad_eta – “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,

vay_esham_eu 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.”

avd_ekha yelekh venilkham im ha’p_elishti 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’p_elishti ha’zeh l_ehilakhem 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 v_ehu ish milkhamah min_eurav – “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 avd_ekha l_eaviv 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 v_eeth 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,

v_enasa 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 v_ehikitiv v_ehitsalti 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 v_ehekhezaqti bizqano v_ehikithiv 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’p_elishti he’arel ha’zeh k_eakhad 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 k_eakhad 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 Y_ehovah 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’p_elishti 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 v_eY_ehovah 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 v_eY_ehovah 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.

v_enathan qova n_ekhosheth 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 l_emadav 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 b_eyado – “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.

v_eqal_eo v_eyado – “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’p_elishti – “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) (38^th 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.

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 17:12-27
(David and Goliath, Part II)

(Typed 17 November 2025) In 1 Samuel 17, the Hebrew is much different from the Septuagint, the Greek translation. The verses from 12 to 31, along with verse 41, are missing. Further, verses 54 to the end of the chapter are omitted. Of this, Adam Clarke, someone I generally agree with, says the following –

“Notwithstanding what Bishop Warburton and others have done to clear the chronology of the present printed Hebrew, it is impossible to make a clear consistent sense of the history, unless these verses are omitted. Let any one read the eleventh verse in connection with the thirty-second, leave out the forty-first, and connect the fifty-fourth with the sixth of 1 Samuel 18, and he will be perfectly convinced that there is nothing wanting to make the sense complete; to say nothing of the other omissions noted above. If the above be taken in as genuine, the ingenuity of man has hitherto failed to free the whole from apparent contradiction and absurdity. I must confess that where every one else has failed, I have no hope of succeeding: I must, therefore, leave all farther attempts to justify the chronology; and refer to those who have written for and against the genuineness of this part of the common Hebrew text.” Adam Clarke

Clarke can’t make sense of the passage because it appears oddly arranged, repetitive, and otherwise unfathomable to him. I have always taken the exact opposite view, even though much of it is hard to follow. After the study (meaning the verses we will look at today), they not only appear genuine, but they are also ingenious.

I feel bad for people who find that the word is in error. With a bit of study, it is evident how beautifully laid out the word is, and how marvelously detailed it all is. Charles Ellicott agrees with this assessment –

“…the LXX. translation not un-frequently adding or subtracting from the text when anything met them which they could not readily understand. The passage, as we find it, is undoubtedly genuine.” Charles Ellicott

Text Verse: “No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
¹⁹ To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
²⁰ Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
²¹ For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
²² Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33:16-22

What a hopeful portion of Scripture! The Lord is our help and our shield. Do you really believe that? If so, how much do you REALLY believe that? Would you be willing to put your life on the line to find out? The fact is that all men are destined to die. Well, unless the Lord comes for His church first.

Does it really (I mean really) matter when? Is there something that will make your possible death today worse than whatever way you might die tomorrow? The battle ranks of Israel apparently felt it was so, because – as we have seen in our verses – nobody stepped forward for forty days.

For all we know, a few of them died from boredom, from bad meat, or from getting bitten by a snake lurking in a tent over the past forty days.

They will be off to meet the same God whom those coming later will meet. But how shameful to think that they met Him while lacking faith during their time encamped in the Valley of Elah.

Think it through. “Where is your faith? It’s time for you to ask yourself what you believe.” (Yes, I stole that line from a movie). The Lord is watching us as we live our lives. Be people of faith. Have trust in His promises. And live for Him no matter what giants you might face.

These are marvelous lessons we can learn from 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. And He Neared, the Philistine (verses 12-16)

Verses 12-15 are parenthetical, providing key information to set up the narrative concerning David.

¹² Now David

v_edavid – “And David.” David was introduced into the biblical narrative in Ruth 4. He was also seen several times in the previous chapter. Here, he is introduced into this narrative concerning Goliath. The name David means Beloved.

^{12 (con’t)} was the son of that Ephrathite

ben ish ephrati ha’zeh – “son man Ephrathite, the this.” The seemingly odd wording, “Ephrathite, the this” is given because David was already introduced into the narrative in the previous chapter. This affirms it is the same David. Therefore, the words “that Ephrathite” could be paraphrased as “the person who was mentioned before.”

As for saying, “Ephrathite,” it designates the location where they reside. In this case, it is…

^{12 (con’t)} of Bethlehem Judah,

mibeith lekhem y_ehudah – “from Bethlehem Judah.” David is from a line of people who settled in Bethlehem in the land belonging to Judah. The ancient name of the same location, as seen in Genesis 35, was Ephrath. Depending on the root word, the name Ephrath means both Fruitful and Ashes.

Bethlehem comes from beith, house, and lekhem, bread. Thus, it signifies House of Bread. However, there is a secondary meaning derived from the word lakham, which is the same spelling as lekhem.

The verb lakham means to do battle. It is identical with the verb lakham, to eat or use as food. Thus, it also means House of Battle (War). The secondary meaning fits marvelously into the narrative of David and Goliath. Judah means “Praise.”

^{12 (con’t)} whose name was Jesse,

ush_emo Yishai – “And his name, Jesse.” Jesse means My Husband, but it also means Yehovah Exists. As such, the name contains the weighty notion that human marriage reflects divine revelation.

^{12 (con’t)} and who had eight sons.

v_elo sh_emonah vanim – “And to him, eight sons.” These words take the reader’s mind back to Chapter 16, where David was selected from among his brothers and anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel. There it said –

“And he took, Samuel, horn the oil, and he anointed him in midst his brothers. And it surged, Spirit Yehovah, unto David from the day, the it, and upward. And he arose, Samuel, and he walked the Ramah-ward.” 1 Samuel 16:13

The number eight, shmonah, comes from the word shamen, meaning “fat” or “robust.” Bullinger defines the number, saying –

“In Hebrew the number eight is Sh’moneh, from the root Shah’meyn, ‘to make fat,’ ‘cover with fat,’ ‘to super-abound.’ As a participle it means ‘one who abounds in strength,’ etc. As a noun it is ‘superabundant fertility,’ ‘oil,’ etc. So that as a numeral it is the superabundant number.” E.W. Bullinger

As such, there was a play on words found in the narrative of David’s anointing. The word in that verse, translated as “oil,” is shemen, coming from the same root as shamen, the root of shmonah, eight.

Thus, David was anointed with oil (shemen), being the one who abounds in strength, noted by his position as the shmonah, eighth son of Jesse.

Not to confuse the narrative, but as an interesting point of fact, the Greek name of Jesus, IESOUS, numerically equals 888, the superabundance of the superabundant number. One can see how numbers are used consistently in Scripture in both testaments.

^{12 (con’t)} And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.

v_ehaish bime shaul zaqen ba vaanashim – “And the man, in days Saul, he aged – he went in men.” The Hebrew wording is odd and highly debated, but the sense is either that he was too old to go to battle, and thus excused, or that he is noted among men, being a man of esteem.

The latter seems less likely, but it still may be the case. Jesse was too old to engage in battle, but he was also noted among men, as David seems to proudly proclaim in verse 57. Because of his state, the account continues with a note concerning the family. They were not opposed to serving. Instead, several were a part of Saul’s army…

¹³ The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul

vayel_ekhu sh_elosheth b_ene Yishai ha’gedolim hal_ekhu akhare shaul – “And they walked, three sons Jesse, the greats. They walked after Saul.” The verse begins with “and” which is unfortunately left out of the translation. The author is meticulously laying out his thoughts.

Again, the Hebrew is complicated, repeating the word halak, “to walk,” in a seemingly unnecessary way. However, it is necessary to express a completed action.

Keil correctly renders what is being said as, “And then (in Jesse’s old age) the three eldest sons followed, had followed, Saul.” This speaks of a time before the account began in verse 1.

Here in verse 13, the sons are noted as ha’gedolim, “the greats,” signifying that they are the three eldest sons of Jesse. It is these three who went…

^{13 (con’t)} to the battle.

lamilkhamah – “to the battle.” This is where the secondary meaning of Bethlehem, House of Battle, first expresses itself in the passage. The word milkhamah, battle, comes from lakham, which we saw already is a root connected to lekhem, bread. These three from the House of Battle have gone to the battle. And…

^{13 (con’t)} The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

v_eshem sh_elosheth banav asher hal_ekhu bamilkhamah eliav ha’b_ekhor u-mishnehu avinadav v_e’hash_elishi shamah – “And name, three his sons who they walked to the battle: Eliab the firstborn, and his duplicate Abinadab, and the third Shammah.”

The account specifically names the three. This sets the tone for everything that follows. It is dependent on what was seen in Chapter 16, where Jesse’s sons were brought before Samuel to see which one the Lord had chosen as king to replace Saul.

Out of all the seven of David’s brothers, only three were named. They are the same three who are again named in Chapter 17. David is thus being set in contrast to them. Their names mean: Eliab – God Is Father, or My God Is Father. Abinabdab – My Father Is Generous, or My Father Is Noble. Shammah – Desolation, Astonishment, or Horror.

¹⁴ David was the youngest.

v_edavid hu ha’qatan – “And David, he, the diminutive.” Again, the verse begins with “and” which is left off by the translators. The word qatan means “youngest,” but the root qut gives the sense of “to feel a loathing.” Thus, the youngest is the lesser or least important.

Therefore, the words, “And David, he the diminutive,” are set in contrast to the term, ha’gedolim, the greats, used to describe the three eldest. To further set the contrast, the next clause is repeated from the previous verse…

^{14 (con’t)} And the three oldest followed Saul.

u-sh_eloshah ha’g_edolim hal_ekhu akhare shaul – “And three the greats, they walked after Saul.” Chapter 16 already revealed the anointing of David to be king, but everything here is given to show that what is said about the Lord there is true. He does not look to the externals, but to the internals.

The account is slowly leading to a crescendo, which would be completely lacking without the methodical, step-by-step, fine detail being presented.

And, although over a much wider scale, the exact same thing is done concerning Christ Jesus in Scripture. David was introduced as the anointed king, and yet he continues to be described in terms that make him appear inconsequential. All the while, however, he is the focus of the narrative.

The Bible repeats this pattern concerning Jesus, such as in Isaiah 53, where it says –

“Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
³ He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:1, 2

The parallel between David and Jesus is not to be missed. Concerning David, the account continues…

¹⁵ But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

v_edavid holekh vashav meal shaul liroth eth tson aviv beith lakhem – “And David, walking and returning from upon Saul to pasture flock his father – Bethlehem.”) This verse ends the parenthetical thought that began with verse 12.

There was the explanation that the three oldest sons followed Saul, indicating that they are men of war remaining in the war camp. David, however, was more of an apprentice to the ways of the camp and would come and go between his house and the camp.

This anticipates what is coming in the next verse. The army of Israel will be in this location for forty days. During this extended period, David, who is not a soldier and thus not expected to enter battle, would go to his home, which was nearby, tend to the sheep, and then bring supplies back to the camp for those who remained to engage in the battle.

Many find contradictions here and throughout the narrative. For example, it said in verse 16:21 that David became Saul’s armorbearer. That is then, supposedly, a contradiction to the account now. How could his armorbearer leave the camp?

Understanding the categorical, not chronological, structure of 1 Samuel resolves the tension. The note concerning David and Saul in 1 Samuel 16:21-23 occurs after this account.

Even then, it doesn’t say David became “the” armorbearer to Saul, only that he was Saul’s armorbearer. In 2 Samuel 18:15, Joab is seen to have ten armorbearers in the battle with him. For all we know, he may have had ten more back at the camp as apprentices. The same could be true with Saul. For every supposed contradiction, there is always a valid explanation.

There is no reason to claim the text is in error. The narrative is given in a precise and particular manner to highlight the contrast between David and the surrounding people and events.

With the parenthetical thought of verses 12-15 complete, the main discourse that ended last week resumes with…

¹⁶ And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

Rather: vayigash ha’p_elishti hashkem v_ehaarev vayithyatsev arbaim yom – “And he neared, the Philistine, cause to rise early and cause to darken, and he stationed himself forty day.” The NKJV jumbles the clauses and gives a poor rendering of what is said.

These words follow naturally in chronology after verse 11. It indicates that what was presented about David in the previous four verses was an intentional parenthetical statement for emphasis and contrast concerning him.

Because of the layout of the land, with a ravine between the two armies, neither army was willing to be the first to attack, lest they be at a disadvantage and their effort end in defeat. Therefore, during the period, the Philistine took advantage of the situation to mock Israel.

Goliath approached Israel as a taunting challenge twice a day. Rather than saying “morning and evening,” verbs are used to indicate the time of day. As the sun was being caused to rise, and as it was being caused to darken, Goliath would go out and challenge the Israelites to a duel.

What seems likely, because they are in a valley where voices would carry across the ravine, is that Goliath purposefully went out each day when the Israelites had their morning and evening prayers. At that time, they would recite the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4 – sh_ema Yisrael Y_ehovah elohenu Y_ehovah ekhad – “Hear Israel, Yehovah our God, Yehovah is one.”

Israel worshiped at the time when the morning and evening sacrifices were conducted. At the same time, Goliath would call out his taunts to Israel. Thus, he was not merely taunting Israel, but he was defying the God of Israel – directly and openly. This explains the meaning of David’s words coming in verse 45 –

“And he said, David unto the Philistine, You come unto me in sword and in the spear, and in javelin. And I come unto you in Name – Yehovah Sabaoth – God arrangements Israel whom you exposed.’” 1 Samuel 17:45

As for the evening sacrifice, which actually took place in the afternoon, there is no reason to dismiss the words “cause to darken” as not meaning that. The sun is at its brightest at noon. Any time after that, and especially in the afternoon, the sun becomes increasingly less bright.

This routine taunting continued for forty days. The number forty is defined by Bullinger as –

“…a period of probation, trial, and chastisement … where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification.”

A connection can be made to this temptation of Israel, and the tempting of Christ by the devil for forty days. The temptation itself is not in relation to David (as the one tempted), but rather to Israel, of whom David becomes the deliverer.

In other words, Jesus is shown to be the greater and true Israel, and David’s accomplishments here on behalf of Israel prefigure what is seen in Christ.

Forty days, he has derided us
He calls out threats and spews bile
That giant bag of wind throws a fuss
The things he says are loathsome and vile

Morning and evening, he keeps on saying
Words that are like venom from the snake
Evil words that giant bag of wind is relaying
And yet, we will sit here, and his words we will take

We don’t have the strength to challenge him
Who among us could even try?
Our chances are dour and grim
Anyone who faces him will surely die

II. Pledges You Must Take (verses 17-19)

¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.

vayomer Yishai l_edavid b_eno qakh na l_eakhekha ephath ha’qali ha’zeh vaasarah lekhem ha’zeh v_eharets hamakhaneh l_eakhekha – “And he said, Jesse to David his son, ‘You must take, I pray, to your brothers ephah the roasted, the this, and ten bread, the this. And you must cause to run – the camp, to your brothers.’”

Dried grain means parched grain. It is roasted and will last well beyond the harvest season. Its amount is an ephah. According to Exodus 16:36, an ephah is comprised of ten omers. According to Exodus 16:16, an omer is enough food for one person for one day.

Therefore, the grain alone would take care of the three brothers for more than three days. With the bread added in, it would be enough for them to have a good meal for the better part of a week.

As a campaign would normally be a few days, the forty days of delay for the battle necessitated that food be brought in at regular intervals until the fighting was engaged and completed. As for ten, Bullinger says –

“Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten. It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.”

¹⁸ And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand,

v_eeth asereth kharitse he’khalav ha’eleh tavi l_esar ha’aleph – “And ten cuts the milk, the these, you will cause to bring to commander the thousand.” Of the phrase, “ten cuts the milk,” Adam Clarke says that “they press the milk but slightly, and carry it in rush baskets. It is highly salted, and little different from curds.”

These curds or actual cheese may be what is referred to. But the Hebrew term “cuts of milk” is a specific description for us to consider. This gift was probably to seek the favor of the captain so that he would look positively on Jesse’s sons.

^{18 (con’t)} and see how your brothers fare,

v_eeth akhekha tiphqod l_eshalom – “And your brothers, you will visit to peace.” This means, “Check on your brothers and see how they are doing. Are they well? Are they getting enough rest? Are they encountering any difficulties or needs?”

^{18 (con’t)} and bring back news of them.”

v_eeth arubatham tiqakh – “and their pledges, you will take.” The word arubah, pledge, is introduced. It is only found here and in Proverbs 17 –

“A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety [arubah] for his friend.” Proverbs 17:18

It is derived from arab, to intermix and thus to give in pledge. One intermixes his destiny when a pledge is given. There are several ideas of what the use of this word means. One is that Jesse is asking for confirmation that they are ok, or to guarantee that David actually took the supplies, and this would prove he did. However, John Gill seems to have the proper take on it. He says –

“…that is, if they had been obliged for want of money to pawn any of their clothes, or what they had with them to buy food with, that he would redeem and take up the pledge, by paying the money for which they were pawned; for it is thought that soldiers at this time were not maintained at the expense of the king and government, but at their own, and the families to which they belonged.” John Gill

This is more closely what is being referred to. David is being asked to personally carry any debt of his brothers so that payment can be made. With this matter presented, Jesse continues…

¹⁹ Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

v_eshaul v_ehemah v_ekhal ish yisreal b_eemeq ha’elah nilkhamim im p_elishtim – “And Saul, and they, and all man Israel, in Valley the Elah being fought with Philistines.” Many translations ascribe these words to the narrator, but they are more likely Jesse speaking to David.

David had been out with the sheep for some period of time. Jesse was alerted to the current situation of the army. He knew that supplies were needed by now. It may even be the reason he told David to bring back the pledges, because they may already be out of supplies and selling their things just to eat. Therefore, Jesse gives these final words.

Bring back news of Your brothers
Tell Me about how it goes for them, too
Let Me know about the battle and all the others
Have many died, or just a few?

Carry these things to accomplish the task
Bring them good things from Your Father’s house, to sustain
Give them bread and milk from this flask
Refresh their souls and make them new again

Go with care, My Son, the mission must be done
The sheep will be watched while You are gone
The keeper will watch over every single one
Stay tonight, and begin your mission at dawn

III. To Expose Israel, He Has Ascended (verses 20-27)

²⁰ So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him.

vayashkem David baboqer vayitosh eth ha’tson al shomer vayisa vayelekh kaasher tsivahu Yishai – “And he caused to rise early, David, in the morning. And he spread the flock upon guarder. And he lifted, and he walked according to which he charged him, Jesse.” An interesting word is seen here, natash, translated as disperse.

It means to pound. When something is pounded, it spreads out. Thus, David has given the flock to a guarder, spreading it out before him.

In these words, the willingness of David is seen in the words, “he arose early, David, in the morning.”

The care of David is seen in the words, “he cast the flock upon guarder.”

The obedience of David is seen in the words, “according to which he charged him, Jesse.”

David was sent on a mission. He was given a new charge in the process, and he was given specifics about that mission. In these things, he exactingly fulfilled his duties without complaint or delay. As such, he makes a marvelous type of the coming Messiah.

^{20 (con’t)} And he came to the camp

vayavo ha’magalah “And he came the circular-ward.” There is a new word, magalah, circular. It comes from the same root as egel, calf. Both come from agol, “round.” Therefore, it is an entrenchment, probably encompassed by the wagons of the army, and thus providing protection for the camp within.

This is, of course, a best guess as we weren’t there, but it appears likely from the words and from the concept of both warfare and defense. Elsewhere, the word is translated as “tracks,” or “paths,” or even figuratively as the “ways” of a person’s conduct.

^{20 (con’t)} as the army was going out to the fight

v_eha’khayil ha’yotse el ha’maarakhah – “and the valorous, the ‘going unto the arrangement.’” It is an independent clause. As David was arriving, the troops were lining up in their ranks for the battle.

Some background information, much of which is speculation but appropriate, needs to be understood. It is about a 13-mile walk from Bethlehem to the Valley of Elah. It is most likely spring. In 2 Samuel 11:1, it says, “in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle.”

In Israel, it is way too hot to battle in the summer, and too cold and/or wet to battle in the autumn or winter. The sun rises in Israel during the spring, either side of 6 am. Rising early in the morning would thus mean 4 or 5 am. Whenever the predawn light was enough, off he would go.

It takes 3+ hours to walk 13 miles. David, being young and energetic, even carrying the supplies, would have no problem with this. Therefore, he would arrive sometime around the morning prayers. In fact, knowing the battle lines would be excitedly reciting the Sh_ema at that time, which is about 9 am, he would probably want to see that soul-stirring moment.

With this in mind, it says…

^{20 (con’t)} and shouting for the battle.

v_ehereu bamilkhamah – and they caused to shout in the battle.” It is a pregnant construction, “in the battle.” They weren’t actually fighting, but were on both sides of the ravine facing one another and raising a war cry against the opposing forces.

David’s arrival was at the time of the daily show of bravado by both sides. Although speculative, one can imagine the flow of events. The camps are getting ready for the day. At the hour of sacrifice, incense, and prayer, Israel calls out the Sh_ema.

During this time, while the forces are engaged in calling out to their God/gods, Goliath steps forward to defy the army of Israel, and indeed the God of Israel.

But… despite all the displays of great bravado, no one stepped out of the ranks to fight the champion, and neither side rushed forward to take on the enemy. This is the scene that continued for forty days in Valley the Elah.

The whole scene is raised to the highest levels of human emotion and pride, and is given to contrast what lies ahead concerning the faith and action of a shepherd boy named David.

²¹ For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

Rather: vataarokh Yisrael u-ph_elishtim maarakhah liqrath maarakhah – “And it arranged, Israel and Philistines, arrangement to encounter arrangement.” The fighting men of the encampment went out to fight. Others in the camp, also part of the army, remained behind.

It is the bravest, most prepared, and most battle-hardened who have gone out to face the foe. The scene continues to be elevated in intensity, preparing the reader to stop and contemplate the enormity of what lies ahead when it is put into its proper perspective.

With all of the crying out, flashing spears and swords, and clashing of shields, another figure comes into the scene…

²² And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army,

vayitosh David eth ha’kelim mealav al yad shomer ha’kelim – “And he cast, David, the vessels from upon him, upon hand guarder the vessels.” The things given to David by Jesse, which may include the payment for pledges, replacements for anything they pawned off, and any other supplies he brought along for himself, were given into the care of the keeper of the supplies.

As soon as that was taken care of, it says he “ran” to the ranks, and the men of battle lined up for war. It shows complete bravery on his part to enter into what could turn into an engagement of battle at any moment. As he had just arrived, he would not know that an actual battle wasn’t moments away.

Rather than staying in the camp until the war lines had withdrawn, he exposed himself right in the midst of the fray on Israel’s side. As soon as he arrived, it notes…

^{22 (con’t)} and came and greeted his brothers.

vayarats ha’maarakhah vayavo vayishal l_eekhav l_eshalom – “And he ran – the arrangement. And he came, and he asked to his brothers to peace.” In other words, he immediately asked about the welfare of his brothers. The main concern of David, even at the risk of exposing himself to danger, was their welfare.

One might think he would ask, “How’s the battle going?” or something similar. Instead, his desire is the status of his brothers. It shows the heart of David for his family, a heart that will be seen many times in his lifetime towards his close family.

²³ Then as he talked with them, there was the champion,

v_ehu m_edaber imam v_ehineh ish ha’benayim oleh – “And he talking with them. And behold! Man, the middleman, ascending.” This is the second and last use of benayim, middleman, in the Bible. The two armies had shown a whole giant heap of outward bravado, but nothing more. And so, to once again spite Israel, the middleman becomes the focus of the narrative. He ascends from the ranks of Philistia for his irksome taunting…

^{23 (con’t)} the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines;

gal_eyath ha’p_elishti sh_emo migath mimaaroth p_elishtim – “Goliath the Philistine his name, from Gath, from caves [k.] Philistines.” The written and the oral Hebrew differ. The written says, “from caves.” The oral says, “from ranks.” The words kind of look the same, with only one letter different –

מִמַּעֲרֹות
מִמַּעַרְכֹ֣ות

There is no need to deviate from the written. Goliath was probably a troglodyte, and the text is stating it as a fact.

The word mearah, cave, comes from ur, to be exposed, bare, or made naked.

Goliath, from the caves of Gath in Philistia, stepped out of the ranks intending to start the momentum for a battle. As he ascended from there, it is in the direction of Israel…

^{23 (con’t)} and he spoke according to the same words.

vaydaber kad_evarim ha’eleh – “And he spoke according to the words, the these.” His words are the same words that he has called out repeatedly from verse 10 for forty days, “I, I expose arrangements Israel the day, the this. You must give to me man, and let us be fought together.” On this day, however, there is a difference. Unlike the previous days, another person is there…

^{23 (con’t)} So David heard them.

vayishma David – “And he heard, David.” The narrative is beautifully succinct. And yet, it leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader that a complete contrast has been set forth between all the fighting ranks of Israel, and a shepherd boy on a mission from his father to feed his hungry brothers, make payment for their outstanding debts, and return with word about their condition to him…

²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

It is singular: v_ekhol ish Yisrael birotham eth ha’ish vayanusu mipanav vayir_eu m_eod – “And all man Israel in their seeing the man, and they fled from his faces, and they feared vehemently.” Even if the thought is intended collectively, each man contrasted himself against the giant.

In his contemplation, fear sets in, and, as it says of them all, “they fled from his faces.” A spirit of cowardice filled every man in the ranks so that when Goliath spoke, each man felt he was being spoken to all by himself.

No one wanted to be the one to step forward, nor did he want to be the last one standing there when everyone else fled. Therefore, they fled (it is plural) from him. And their condition is almost painfully stated, “they feared vehemently.”

The words call out the clearest and most complete contrast possible between Israel, each man in Israel, and the shepherd boy who had now arrived in the camp of Israel.

²⁵ So the men of Israel said,

vayomer ish Yisrael – “And he said, man Israel.” Once again, it is singular. One person is speaking to David. He conveys the following…

^{25 (con’t)} “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel;

har_eithem ha’ish ha’oleh ha’zeh ki l_e’khareph eth Yisrael oleh “You saw the man, the ascender, the this? For to expose Israel, ascended.” The one ascending has a set goal and purpose. It is the driving force of his existence at this time, which is to defy Israel. Israel means He Strives With God.

The implication to their foes is that they strive with God on God’s behalf. Therefore, to defy Israel is to defy the God of Israel, laying bare His authority and greatness by exposing the cowardly hearts and incapable actions of the people.

Because of the magnitude of the challenge set before him, Saul has promised any victor over Goliath three things…

^{25 (con’t)} and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches,

v_ehayah ha’ish asher yarkenu yas_erenu ha’melekh osher gadol – “And it was, the man who he will cause to strike him, he will cause to accumulate him, the king – wealth great.” The first promised honor is to make the victor wealthy.

A draft of soldiers will usually take from the poor people who would otherwise want to stay and help the family. A king would appoint richer people to positions in the government or make them officers. Thus, this would be a nice enticement for someone who probably grew up in poverty.

^{25 (con’t)} will give him his daughter,

v_eeth bito yiten lo – “And his daughter, he will give to him.” The second promise is marriage to the king’s daughter. A daughter means friendliness with the king, prestige, and royal blessing. The thought includes sonship.

^{25 (con’t)} and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

v_eeth beith aviv yaaseh khaph_eshi b_eyisrael – “And house his father, he will make exempt in Israel.’” This means that the house of the soldier’s father, meaning him and all his sons, would be free in Israel. The exact meaning of “free” is debated, but it could mean free from being drafted to war, free from taxes, and/or free from personal services to the king.

Whatever the final benefit is, the result is great honor from the king for the one who slew his great enemy. Note, however, that God is not mentioned in them. The king promised great things to the man who killed the Philistine. Saul’s expectation is that the battle will be won by men and that one man in the battle will kill Goliath.

²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying,

vayomer David el ha’anashim ha’om_edim imo lemor – “And he said, David, unto the men, the ‘standing with him,’ to say.” David just heard what was promised to the man who killed the Philistine. Despite this, and at first, he seems to want clarification of the matter. And so he asks…

^{26 (con’t)} “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?

mah yeaseh laish asher yakeh eth ha’p_elishti halaz v_ehesir kherpah meal Yisrael – “What it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike the Philistine, this, and he caused to veer reproach from upon Israel?” The question seems completely out of place. He was just told what would be done for the man who kills the Philistine, and yet he asks what will be done for the man who kills the Philistine.

The reason it seems out of place is because of the erroneous translation of the previous verse – “So the men of Israel said.” As we learned, it was a single person who said that. David took the words of one man and asked them to be confirmed by many men.

But even more, it is a direct challenge to all who hear. One must put himself into the time and place of the event. David heard about the rewards that would be granted for meeting the challenge. Then, certainly with voice elevated – and maybe even accusatory – he calls out to all standing by him, probably heavily stressing the words “the man.”

Even if David understands that all these things will be his if he wins, he is not looking for self-enrichment, a king’s daughter, or exemption in Israel. Rather, he is looking much higher. Remember the words of the text verse –

“No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.” Psalm 33:16

David heard the supposedly exciting, but otherwise boring, news about the king’s offer, and he was almost mocking it. He has set the bounds by contrasting the two parties – “this Philistine” and “Israel.” David’s care was not bound up in earthly riches. It was bound up in the honor of the Lord his God. As he next says…

^{26 (con’t)} For who is this uncircumcised Philistine,

Rather: ki mi ha’p_elishti hearel ha’zeh – “For who the Philistine, the foreskinned, the this?” David is not looking to fight Goliath. He is not looking for glory. He is not looking to deprive his brothers of their chance to lead the family.

Instead, his intent is to inspire those of Israel to do what has been promised to them all along: trust in the Lord, and He will fight the battles for you. Just trust and have confidence in Him.

By calling Goliath “the foreskinned,” David is saying that there is no covenant relationship to God. Because of this, not only can he be defeated, but he will be defeated. If the Lord is God, and David has every confidence He is, then the battle cannot be lost. And to boost that to an even higher note, he next says…

^{26 (con’t)} that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

ki khereph maarkhoth elohim khayim – “For he exposed arrangements God living!’” David is speaking to the soldiers, not about his challenge, but about the challenge they are to make. He is not a soldier; he has no commission. But they do, and they represent the living God – each of them circumcised in the flesh as a sign of the covenant between them and the Lord.

“Our God is alive, not a dead idol. Our God stands with Israel, not this Philistine. Our God is Yehovah, the LIVING GOD.” David is giving a motivational speech, hoping that His representatives on the battlefield will respond…

*^{27 (fin)} And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

vayomer lo ha’am kadavar ha’zeh lemor koh yeaseh la’ish asher yakenu – “And he said to him, the people, according to the word, the this, to say, ‘Thus it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike him.’” The verses end on an almost hopeless note. All of the people turn right back to that which is temporary, fleeting, and of no true value. “See what Saul has promised! It is just as said by that guy. Riches! A daughter of the king! Exemption in Israel!”

But that is not worth dying over. A dead man cannot enjoy the riches of life. No man accepted the challenge, even for forty days. Not a man stood worthy of the honor of killing the Philistine, because not a man among them cared about the honor of the Lord, nor did they have faith in His assurances.

Where will Israel get such a man? From where will their own hero arise? Not from the warring ranks of Israel, apparently.

Despite the almost depressing tone as we finish, it is a marvelous place to do so, nonetheless. The army of Israel has a great and awesome challenge set before it, and it must be met.

As we await more from the wonderful passage, we can think on the supposed greatness of the things we are tempted with in life. We can then contrast them with the greater things that the Lord offers us.

All He asks us to do is to simply trust in His covenant promises. That is what David attempted to get the ranks of Israel to do, but they would not heed. They lacked the faith of the proverbial mustard seed, and they could neither slay giants nor move mountains.

However, by faith in Christ, we not only destroy the works of the devil in our lives, but through faith in Christ, we become children of God. All that He asks us for in order for this to happen is to simply receive by faith what He has done.

This is what I would implore you. Think on your life, put the things you cherish here into their proper perspective, and then determine to conduct your life with the long-term view of life in Christ.

Trust the Lord God, live for Him, and be pleasing to the One who sent His Son on a mission to bring us back to Himself.

Closing Verse: “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:6, 7

Next Week: 1 Samuel 17:28-40 With questions, Saul will David plyeth… just wait and see… (David and Goliath, Part III)

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 17:12-27 (CG)

(¹²And David, son man Ephrathite, the this, from Bethlehem Judah. And his name, Jesse. And to him, eight sons. And the man, in days Saul, he aged – he went in men. ¹³And they walked, three sons Jesse, the greats. They walked after Saul to the battle. And name, three his sons who they walked to the battle: Eliab the firstborn, and his duplicate Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴And David, he, the diminutive. And three the greats, they walked after Saul. ¹⁵And David, walking and returning from upon Saul to pasture flock his father – Bethlehem.)

¹⁶And he neared, the Philistine, cause to rise early and cause to darken, and he stationed himself forty day.

¹⁷And he said, Jesse to David his son, “You must take, I pray, to your brothers ephah the roasted, the this, and ten bread, the this. And you must cause to run – the camp, to your brothers.’ ¹⁸And ten cuts the milk, the these, you will cause to bring to commander the thousand. And your brothers, you will visit to peace and their pledges, you will take. ¹⁹And Saul, and they, and all man Israel, in Valley the Elah being fought with Philistines.”

²⁰And he caused to rise early, David, in the morning. And he spread the flock upon guarder. And he lifted, and he walked according to which he charged him, Jesse. And he came the circular-ward, and the valorous, the ‘going unto the arrangement,’ and they caused to shout in the battle. ²¹And it arranged, Israel and Philistines, arrangement to encounter arrangement. ²²And he cast, David, the vessels from upon him, upon hand guarder the vessels. And he ran – the arrangement. And he came, and he asked to his brothers to peace. ²³And he talking with them. And behold! Man, the middleman, ascending. Goliath the Philistine His name, from Gath, from caves [k.] Philistines. And he spoke according to the words, the these. And he heard, David. ²⁴And all man Israel in their seeing the man, and they fled from his faces, and they feared vehemently. ²⁵And he said, man Israel, “You saw the man, the ascender, the this? For to expose Israel, ascended. And it was, the man who he will cause to strike him, he will cause to accumulate him, the king – wealth great. And his daughter, he will give to him. And house his father, he will make exempt in Israel.”

²⁶And he said, David, unto the men, the ‘standing with him,’ to say, “What it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike the Philistine, this, and he caused to veer reproach from upon Israel? For who the Philistine, the foreskinned, the this? For he exposed arrangements God living!”

²⁷And he said to him, the people, according to the word, the this, to say, “Thus it will be done to the man who he will cause to strike him.”

 

1 Samuel 17:12-27 (NKJV)

¹² Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. ¹³ The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. ¹⁵ But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. ¹⁸ And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” ¹⁹ Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰ So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. ²¹ For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. ²² And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. ²³ Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. ²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. ²⁵ So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

²⁷ And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 17:1-11
David and Goliath, Part I

(Typed 17 November 2025) 1 Samuel 17 is one of the most stirring and memorable passages in all of Scripture. It sets the tone for the life of David, who becomes king in Israel. It also demonstrates the concepts of faith in the Lord and trust in His guiding hand in a way that is almost unmatched in the pages of the Bible.

But more, it deals with one of the most beautifully messianic, or Christological, passages in the Bible as well. Great themes of the redemptive narrative are contained within it, revealing what God would do, based on what He promised to do, in a unique and beautiful way.

The context of the passage is necessary to understand what occurs here. In Chapter 15, King Saul disobeyed the Lord, failing to follow through with His command to utterly destroy the Amalekites, devoting them and all of their possessions to God through destruction.

Instead, it said, “And he commiserated, Saul, and the people, upon Agag, and upon best the flock, and the cattle, and the doubles, and upon the lambs, and upon all the good, and not he acquiesced – caused to anathematize them. And all the deputyship – disesteemed and being wasted, it they caused to anathematize” 1 Samuel 15:9 (CG).

Because of this, Samuel came to Saul and said, “Because you spurned word Yehovah, and He spurned you from king” 1 Samuel 15:23 (CG). Then, in Chapter 16, the Lord said to Samuel –

“Until when you mourning yourself unto Saul, and I spurned him from reigning upon Israel? You must fill your horn – oil, and you must walk. I will send you unto Jesse – House the ‘My Bread.’ For I saw in his sons: to Me – king” 1 Samuel 16:1 (CG).

Samuel obeyed, and David, the son of Jesse, was selected and anointed. After that, it noted, “And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul. And it affrighted him, breath evil from Yehovah” 1 Samuel 16:14 (CG).

In order to calm the distressing spirit, David was selected to play the harp for Saul. That is where the chapter ended. As was seen, the thoughts were not necessarily chronological, but categorically placed in this order. That is where we enter Chapter 17.

Text Verse: “Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” Ruth 4:17

David is noted more than 930 times in Scripture between Ruth 4:17 and Revelation 22:16. He isn’t mentioned in the verses today, but they set up the scenario for us to see and understand why he was considered so great throughout the rest of the Bible.

The scene is the Valley of the Elah, a beautiful valley lined with low mountains, in the middle of which is a ravine. On my trip to Israel with my mom in 2003, it was one of my most cherished stops. While there, I whipped out the Bible and read the passage we will be looking at for the next few weeks.

Everyone gathered around and listened – almost the whole tour group. Afterwards, many of them came up and thanked me. What astonished me is that nobody else brought a Bible, including the tour guides who had conducted almost 70 tours. To me, it seemed like a no-brainer – go to Israel, take your Bible.

Apparently, I’m in the minority, but I cannot even fathom why. The central point of faith for every true Christian on the planet is Jesus Christ. And the only way to know Him is to know the Bible. None of Scripture makes sense without Him, and all of it makes complete sense when viewed from His life.

If you don’t believe this, just look at Israel. They have absolutely no idea what their own Scriptures say because they don’t know who Jesus is in relation to what those Scriptures are saying. And the truth is that if anyone picked up only the Old Testament without the New Testament, it really wouldn’t make much sense.

But in knowing Jesus, every single story comes into clear focus. This is a certain truth that is discovered when you pick up and read 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. Valley of the Elah (verses 1 & 2)

Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle,

vayaasphu ph_elishtim eth makhanehem lamilkhamah – “And they gathered, Philistines, their camps to the battle.” Philistine comes from the verb palash, to roll, as in an act of mourning. In this state, a person will roll in the dust or ashes because of their intense grief. Thus, the name signifies Griever, Burrower, or something akin to that.

However, this can also be interpreted as an active action. Thus, it would be those who cause grief. Hence, the name Weakeners would be the result. This use is explained by Abarim –

“The name Philistine comes from the verb פלש (palash), which originally described the digging of burrows in river banks by rodents such as rats. By doing so, these creatures weaken the shore and may ultimately cause it to collapse.” Abarim

They are first mentioned in Genesis 10 in the Table of Nations. They are noted in the area of Canaan as early as Genesis 21 at the time of Abraham. They are believed to be displaced descendants of the Minoans who entered the land of Canaan and gained a foothold there.

They lived along the coastal areas, but they gathered their armies inland for battle against Israel. As it next says…

^1 (con’t) and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah;

vayeas_ephu sokhoh asher lihudah – “And they were gathered – Sochoh, which to Judah.” Sochoh comes from the verb suk, to hedge or fence up. Thus, it means Hedge or Fence. One commentary says it comes from the noun sek. If so, it would mean Thorn, which is less likely.

This area belongs to Judah, meaning Praise. Thus, the Philistines are seeking to expand into Israelite territory. In this clause, Sochoh is spelled שֹׂכֹ֖ה. From this point, the account becomes more specific…

^1 (con’t) they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.

vayakhnu ben sokhoh u-ven azeqah b_eephes damim – “And they inclined between Sochoh and between Azekah in Ephes Dammim.” In this clause, the name Sochoh is spelled with an additional letter, a vav: שׂוֹכֹ֥ה.

Azekah comes from the verb azaq, a word used only once, in Isaiah 5:2. It signifies to dig about, or till –

“Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
² He dug it up [azaq] and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.” Isaiah 5:2, 3

Ephes Dammim comes from two words signifying “to cease” or “come to an end,” and the plural of the word “blood.” Thus, it means something like “The Boundary of Blood Drops.” James Strong also defines it as “The Two Extremities,” meaning the soles of the feet or the ankles, but I have no idea why. 

Boundary of Blood Drops probably refers to the fact that this is the boundary where there was constant warfare between Israel and her brutal neighbors. This is the only time the name Ephes Dammim is seen in Scripture. Elsewhere, such as in 1 Chronicles 11:13, it is known as Pas Dammim.

This area is about sixteen miles southwest of Jerusalem. It is also thirteen miles west of Bethlehem, the place from which David came.

² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together,

v_eshaul v_eish Yisrael neesphu – “And Saul, and man Israel, they were gathered.” Although David was anointed, Saul was still the king of Israel, despite disobeying the word of the Lord. He has been told that his rule will end and the kingdom will be granted to another. Saul, or Shaul, comes from the verb shaal, meaning to inquire or ask for.

Thus, it means Asked. However, without the later-added vowel points, it is identical in spelling to the word sheol, the place of the dead: שאול. Because of this, one can imagine the grave calling out for the souls of humanity, asking them to come and join it.

The army of Israel came together because of the Philistines threat. After that…

^2 (con’t) and they encamped in the Valley of Elah,

vayakhanu b_eemeq ha’elah – “and they inclined in Valley the Elah.” In order to face the Philistines, Saul and his army come to, and encamp at emeq ha’elah, Valley of the Terebinth. There are several words translated as valley in Scripture. This one, emeq, comes from amoq, signifying deep. Thus, it is a broad depression.

Elah comes from ayil, a ram. Thus, it denotes strength. It signifies an oak or a terebinth, trees known for their strength. There is an article before Elah, Valley of the Terebinth. With both camps properly settled into their respective locations, it next says…

^2 (con’t) and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.

vayaarkhu milkhamah liqrath p_elishtim – “And they arranged battle to encounter Philistines.” One can feel the tension when such words are presented. There are two camps, each confident in its abilities. The Philistines are the aggressors. The Israelites would have sued for peace if they thought they could not match the forces that had come against them.

Therefore, either the Philistines will realize their mistake and back out of the encounter, or there is only the anticipation of a battle which is sure to come.

Here they come again! The Philistines are looking for war
They have camped between Sochoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim
They have it out for us, and they are pretty sore
They are like buzzing wasps, or so it would seem

But with Saul leading the many ranks of Israel
Surely this will be a quick rout, and we will be home soon
We’ll all sit around the table, our stories to tell
And maybe write a war song with a catchy tune

Here we are, camped on one side of the ravine
With the ranks of the Philistines on the other side
But now! There is someone standing in between
By the look of him, our quick victory may be denied

II. The Middleman (verses 3-11)

³ The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side,

u-ph_elishtim om_edim el ha’har mizeh – “And Philistines standing upon the mount from this.” This tells us that the valley is sided with mountains. On one mountain, the Philistines are standing, facing Israel. In Scripture, a har, mountain, is a lot of something gathered. In typology, it is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people. Like the Philistines…

^3 (con’t) and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side,

v_eyisrael om_edim el ha’har mizeh – “And Israel standing unto the mount from this.” On the opposite side of the valley is another mountain where Israel is standing on its slope, facing the Philistines. Between them lies a natural border…

^3 (con’t) with a valley between them.

v_ehagay benehem – “And the ravine between them.” Here, a word which is also unfortunately translated as “valley” is completely different than that of verse 2. The emeq, or valley, is a broad and deep valley between the mountains. In this verse, the gai, a ravine or gorge, is narrow and precipitous.

Thus, we have a natural border between the two forces, which is, at times, running with water. It is a ravine within a valley. This explains how these two armies could stand against one another for an extended period of time without actually engaging in battle.

First, crossing any distance to the ravine would leave them exposed to archers. Once at the ravine, those crossing would be at a continued disadvantage as they traversed the gorge. Depending on its depth, while they crossed through it, the opposing forces, being stationed on the other side, would easily destroy them as they struggled down one side and up the other.

The word gai, ravine, comes from gevah, meaning exaltation. Figuratively, it speaks of arrogance or pride. That comes from gaah, exaltation, or triumph.

With this ravine between the forces, the Philistines begin to make the first move in the battle…

⁴ And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines,

Rather: vayetse ish ha’benayim mimakhanoth p_elishtim – “And he went out, man – the middleman, from camps Philistines.” The use of the plural “camps” signifies various divisions of camps that formed the entire camped army. From these camps, one comes forward. To describe him, the word benayim, middleman, is used. It will only be seen in the Bible here and in verse 23.

The word is the plural of bayin, a space or interval, used in verse 1 and translated as “between.” This word signifies a double space or double interval.

He is the one to step forward, thus leaving a space between himself and his own army, and between himself and the opposing army. Therefore, he is the middleman and thus the champion of the armies allied against Israel. In this capacity, he is the one to challenge the opposing army to a single combat to decide the entire battle. He is…

^4 (con’t) named Goliath,

gal_eyath sh_emo – “Goliath his name.” His name comes from galah, to uncover or remove, but it also means to lead away into exile. The word was first used in Genesis 9:21, where it says of Noah, “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered [galah] in his tent.”

It is often used in Leviticus and Deuteronomy to refer to uncovering the nakedness of another. At times, it speaks of the Lord revealing himself. Thus, in the case of Goliath, his name means Uncoverer, or Exposer.

But the secondary meaning, exile, also applies because when one is exiled, he is left open and exposed in that state. To call him Exiler is not inappropriate. However, the primary meaning of Exposer carries the weight of the meaning of his name. He is the one who intends to expose the weakness of Israel. He is…

^4 (con’t) from Gath,

migath – “from Gath.” Gath comes from the noun gath, winepress. His description continues, saying…

^4 (con’t) whose height was six cubits and a span.

gav_eho shes amoth vazereth – “His elevation six cubits and span.” Here is a new word in Scripture, govah, height. The word signifies excellency, elation, grandeur, and so forth. It can also figuratively signify haughty. In this case, it speaks of his literal height, which is six cubits and a span.

EW Bullinger defines the meaning of the number –

“Six is either 4 plus 2, i.e., man’s world (4) with man’s enmity to God (2) brought in: or it is 5 plus 1, the grace of God made of none effect by man’s addition to it, or perversion, or corruption of it: or it is 7 minus 1, i.e., man’s coming short of spiritual perfection. In any case, therefore, it has to do with man; it is the number of imperfection; the human number; the number of MAN as destitute of God, without God, without Christ.” Bullinger

A cubit, or ammah, is a unit of measurement that is the length of the forearm below the elbow. It comes from em, mother. Thus, it is the mother measurement. Its exact length is debated, but it is about 16-18 inches.

The zereth, span, is a rare word seen just seven times in the Bible. It comes from zarah, to scatter or winnow. Thus, it is the distance between the tip of the little finger and the end of the outstretched thumb, as if the fingers are scattered.

If you spread your hand in that fashion and place it on your arm at the tip of your middle finger, and then do the same where your hand ended, you will see that it ends at your elbow. In other words, a span is one-half a cubit.

Assuming the cubit is 16 inches, multiplied by 6, plus 8 inches, he would be 104 inches. Divide that by 12, and this guy is around 8’ 7” tall. He would probably be a descendant of Anak. Very few of them remained, but this is stated in Joshua 11 –

“And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²² None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.” Joshua 11:21, 22

These Anakim lived among the Philistines and are regarded as Philistines. The account continues to describe this champion…

⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head,

v_ekhova n_ekhosheth al rosho – “And helmet, bronze, upon his head.” The kova, helmet, is introduced into the Bible. It comes from an unused root meaning to be high or rounded (as in arched). It is a variant of qova, helmet, which will be used in verse 38 of this chapter. The difference between the two is the initial letter, either a kaph or a quph.

Bronze mainly symbolizes judgment, but also endurance. Such judgment can be positive or negative. If positive, it results in purification and justification. If negative, it results in punishment or even death.

However, positive judgment for a sinful person requires the death of an innocent in his place. Therefore, the positive judgment still carries a negative aspect.

^5 (con’t) and he was armed with a coat of mail,

veshiryon qasqasim hu lavush – “And breastplate, scales, he wrapped.” The word qasqeseth means scales. It is only seen elsewhere in the dietary laws of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Ezekiel 29:4. Each use refers to scales, thus some translations rightly call it “scale armor.” Of this, Charles Ellicott says –

“This armour has been sometimes understood as ‘chain armour,’ but it is more probable that the Philistine armour was made of metal scales, like those of a fish, whose defensive coat was, no doubt, imitated at a very early date by this warlike race, who dwelt on the sea-shore, and whose life and worship were so closely connected with the great sea. This coat of mail, or corselet, was flexible, and covered the back and sides of the wearer.”

Next, the detailed information about Goliath says…

^5 (con’t) and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

u-misqal hashiriyon khamesheth alaphim sh_eqalim n_ekhosheth – “And weight breastplate five thousands shekels bronze.” The word shekel comes from shaqal, to suspend or poise. Therefore, it probably signifies a weight, as if suspended. One thousand shekels would weigh a bit more than 25 pounds. Therefore, five thousand shekels would be a bit more than 125 pounds. Next…

⁶ And he had bronze armor on his legs

u-mishkhath n_ekhosheth al raglav – “And frontlet, bronze, upon his feet.” A word used only here in the Bible is mitskhah, translated as frontlet. It comes from an unused root meaning to be conspicuous. Thus, it is bronze armor that covered the feet, but probably extended over his shins, as the greaves of a knight’s armor. Further…

^6 (con’t) and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

v_ekidon n_ekhosheth ben k_ethephav – “And javelin, bronze, between his shoulders.” The word translated as javelin is kidon. It comes from the word kid, meaning calamity or misfortune. It is used elsewhere and translated as either a spear or a javelin, such as in Joshua 8 –

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stretch out the spear [kidon] that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’ And Joshua stretched out the spear [kidon] that was in his hand toward the city.” Joshua 8:18

Because it is kept between his shoulders as a quiver would be, it is a smaller weapon than the sword he also carried, which will be noted in verse 45.

It could have been either on his back or on the front. If it were long enough, it would be kept on his back. If it were shorter, for close-in fighting, it might be on the front. The exciting details continue…

⁷ Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam,

v_ekhats khanitho kimnor or_egim – “And arrow his spear according to beam, weavers.” There is a variation between the written and the spoken text here concerning the word staff. The written uses the word khets, a piercer. As such, it signifies an arrow. The spoken uses the word ets, wood.

This shaft is described as kimnor oregim, or “beam, weavers.” The size of a weaver’s beam, both in thickness and in length, is unknown, as they vary greatly. However, the fact that it is described as such tells us that it was certainly very thick, or there would have been no point in conveying this.

Further, it would have been rather long. One commentator notes that “it is conjectured that, in proportion to the stature of Goliath, his spear must be twenty-six feet long” (John Gill). If this is so, it would have to be thick enough to stay straight, even with a great weight at the end of it, as is next noted…

^7 (con’t) and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels;

v_elaheveth khanito shes meoth sh_eqalim barzel – “And flame his spear six hundreds shekels iron.” The word laheveth, flame, signifies the part of the spear that flashes like a flame, thus its head. This flame is said to be made of barzel, iron, which in the Bible represents strength, be it in binding together, in government, in hard service, in bondage, etc.

Six hundred shekels is about 15 pounds. With the added weight of the wood, the spear would be extremely heavy to carry along with the sword, javelin, and all of the body armor. Amazingly, this is how he was arrayed.

The khanith, spear, was introduced in Chapter 13. It is from khanah, to incline (and thus to camp) or decline (as the sun in the afternoon). The connection is that a spear is for thrusting, like pitching a tent. That is from the same root as khanan, to stoop or bend in kindness to an inferior, as in God dealing graciously with someone.

There is more to the word, though. It is the same word as the feminine form of the word grace, khen, the word from which Hannah, Grace, is ultimately derived.

All of this detail concerning Goliath is to show that he was not only a huge man, but also extremely strong, being able to wear an immense amount of weight in armor and weapons. And more, the armor and weapons mean that he was both heavily defended and exceptionally well-armed.

It is worthy of note that some claim that Goliath must be a picture of the Antichrist based on the first number of the weights of each implement noted in verses 6 and 7: 6, 6, and 6. However, that has been passed along without those teaching it checking. The first numbers are 6, 5, and 6.

Others try to justify this by using two of the numbers, conveniently leaving out the third, saying he had 6 pieces of armor. This not only fudges the numbers, but it is also incorrect:

Helmet
Breastplate
Frontlet (2, because there is one on each leg)
Javelin
Spear

Shield (borne by the lifter)

One could say the use of the single “frontlet” signifies only one item. That is a reasonable proposition, but why would only his height and the weight of the tip of his spear be counted while not counting the weight of the breastplate?

Unfortunately, instead of verifying before passing on information, such sensational things become supposed standards that don’t match what the Bible is telling us. Sometimes, in our attempt to find “the key” to a passage, we may be a bit overzealous in our interpretation of it.

The description of Goliath and his armament has been given to make a complete contrast to the one he will eventually face in battle. In addition to all of his own personal armament, we read of one more thing accompanying him…

^7 (con’t) and a shield-bearer went before him.

v_enose ha’tsinah holekh l_ephanav – “And lifter the shield walking to his faces.” The tsinah, shield, is introduced. It comes from the word tsen, meaning a thorn or barb. It is a guard against that which pierces. Cambridge, citing the scholar Layard, says –

“The archers, whether on foot or in chariots, were accompanied by shield-bearers, whose office it was to protect them from the shafts of the enemy. The king was always attended in his wars by this officer; and even in peace, one of his eunuchs usually carried a circular shield for his use. This shield-bearer was probably a person of high rank as in Egypt.” Layard

With all of Goliath’s strength, protection, offensive weapons, and secondary assistance, the Exposer is ready to challenge the enemy to battle. What will he uncover concerning the state of Israel?…

⁸ Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel,

vayaamod vayiqra el maarkhoth Yisrael – “And he stood, and he called unto arrangements Israel.” The word maarakah signifies an arrangement, thus its plural, used here, means ranks or battle lines. This giant dude stepped forward and called out to the entire army of Israel, who are formed on the other side of the ravine, readied for battle…

^8 (con’t) and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle?

The translation is spot on: vayomer lahem lamah thets_eu laarokh milkhamah – “and he said to them, ‘To why will you come out to arrange – battle?” His words are a taunt. “I have stepped forward, and you are all arranged for battle. But why would you enter into battle against us? I am one man who represents all of the people behind me. One of you should come out and fight me. So far, no one has stepped out of your ranks.”

The fact that he had to call out shows that nobody was willing to come forward. And so, he taunts a bit more…

^8 (con’t) Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul?

halo anokhi hap_elishti v_eatem avadim l_eshaul – “Not I the Philistine? And you, servants to Saul!” He sets forth both national pride and faith in a leader as a challenge. He has declared himself “the Philistine,” while they are Israel.

Further, Goliath is not a king, but Saul, who leads Israel, is. If Saul hasn’t stepped forward, then who else is likely to? His words are chosen to dishonor the nation, the king, and also each individual who fails to step forward and meet his challenge.

But what is more important, and has as yet been left unstated, is that this is an attack against the God of Israel. The name Israel means He Strives with God. Who will strive with his God to defend the name that he bears? Is there even one who will come forward to meet the champion of the Philistines?

^8 (con’t) Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

b_eru lakhem ish v_eyered elay – “You must eat, to you, man, and he descended unto me.” The word, barah, normally translated as choose or select, is perplexing. It means “to eat,” and it is always translated that way except here. The context is obvious, even if the word’s meaning isn’t.

It comes from a word bar, grain of any kind. That is from barar, to clarify, purify, polish, choose, etc. Thus, the grain, when winnowed, is cleaned up. The connection between these words is found in Ecclesiastes 3:18, where this root is used –

“I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them [barar], that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’”

In this, man can discern something. Goliath is asking them, using this word in an odd way, to discern who is capable of coming against him. In the use of this word, he could be making a pun.

If so, it would be, “Do you all have enough confidence to eat one of yours for strength? Then let him come down to me!” In essence, “If whoever is sent is enough to feed all of you as an army, fine.  However, I assure you, it is he who will be my meal.”

Again, this is an attack against Saul. If the king won’t come out to battle, then they should choose someone more fit than he is to come and fight, making the decision for him.

Saul had fought against and driven back the Philistines in the recent past, and yet now he must be tiring. Surely someone competent could come take his place. And so, Goliath petitions for someone capable of coming down and facing him…

⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants.

im yukhal l_ehilakhem iti v_ehikani v_ehayinu lakhem laavadim – “If he will be able to battle with me, and he caused to strike me, and we became to you to servants.” Goliath is obviously taunting them, intending to embarrass Israel.

If either side felt they could win the battle, they would have engaged in it. But the layout of the land made it impossible to say who would win or how many would die in the process. And whichever side engaged first would be at a disadvantage.

Therefore, it was Goliath’s day to shine. Nobody else in the Philistine ranks was moving forward, and no opposing individual would come forward. He knew this. And so, to embarrass them by showing that no one could kill him, he taunts, “I’m just one man. If one of you kills me, we will be your servants!”

The temptation is given first, knowing that it would not be met with a response. After the temptation, then comes the warning…

^9 (con’t) But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”

v_eim ani ukhal lo v_ehikitiv vihithem lanu laavadim vaabadtem othanu – “And if I, I will be able to – him, and I caused to strike him, and you became to us to servants, and you served us.” In what would be a certain defeat in a clash between the two men, the army of Israel would thus be defeated.

The only option left to either side is to continue to wait while Israel endures the tauntings of Goliath. If they picked up and left, the Philistines would move forward and gain ground. And so, the stalemate would, for now, remain. But not without continued tauntings…

¹⁰ And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day;

vayomer hap_elishti ani kheraphti eth maarkhoth Yisrael hayom ha’zeh – “And he said, the Philistine, “I, I expose arrangements Israel the day, the this.” The verb kharaph is translated as to taunt, reproach, defy, and so on. However, it comes from the noun khoreph, harvest time, or autumn, as in the time of a gathered crop.

Thus, his words are as if he has stripped the ranks of Israel as a reaper would strip the fields at harvest, laying them bare and exposing them. Such a taunt is intended to show that he knows nobody will come forward. They are like the sheaves in the field that are easily cut down. If not, prove it! To do so…

^{10 (con’t)} give me a man, that we may fight together.”

The verb is imperative: t_enu li ish v_enilakhamah yakhad – “You must give to me man, and let us be fought unitedly.” To allow them to prove they aren’t chicken, he states his demand. Ignoring Saul, who will no doubt refuse to come, or even choose a person, he is asking “all of you” (it is plural) to give him a man.

In his words, we see that he is taunting everyone, he is taunting all together, and he is pitting them against one another. Nobody will even be willing to say, “Hey, I might not be able to beat you, but this guy can!” No one is confident enough in himself, or in anyone else.

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,

vayishma shaul v_ekhal Yisrael eth divre hap_elishti ha’eleh – “And he heard, Saul and all Israel, words the Philistine, the these.” The battle was obviously unwinnable by either side when pitting army against army, and because of the ravine that ran between them.

Therefore, the only option to end the stalemate would be a solitary battle between the two forces’ best. The champion of the Philistines came forward and defied the king of Israel and every individual soldier of Israel. Indeed, he also implicitly defied the God of Israel because His name is upon them.

However, instead of trusting in the Lord, we see a sad conclusion to our verses for today…

*^{11 (fin)} they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

vayekhatu vayiru m_eod – “And they were prostrated, and they feared vehemently.” The word khathath, discouraged, was introduced in Deuteronomy 1:21. Its principal meaning is to prostrate. It is translated as shattered, dismayed, beaten down, affrighted, and so on. It has been used five times since it was introduced –

1. “Look, the Lordyour God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LordGod of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged [khathath].” Deuteronomy 1:21 (Moses speaking to the people when they originally stood at the door to Canaan).
2. “And the Lord, He isthe One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed [khathath].” Deuteronomy 31:8 (Moses speaking to Joshua just prior to him taking over the leadership of Israel).
3. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed [khathath], for the Lordyour God iswith you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (The Lord speaking to Joshua after the death of Moses).
4. “Now the Lordsaid to Joshua: ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed [khathath]; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.’” Joshua 8:1 (The Lord speaking to Joshua after Israel resolved the matter of Achan).
5. “Then Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed [khathath]; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lordwill do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’” Joshua 10:25 (Joshua encouraging Israel after the defeat of the five kings).

In all five examples, the Lord is the One who provides the victory if the people will simply trust Him and follow His lead. All five instances were recorded in Israel’s history. And all five times, the word dismayed was joined to the thought of being fearful: Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged.

Here, exactly the opposite is seen. The people are not only discouraged, but they are also greatly afraid. The key point that we are to see from this passage is that all of Israel failed.

They failed to remember the Scriptures given for their admonishment, and thus they failed to trust the Lord who gave them the word. He assured them that they would prevail if they trusted Him.

It is a sad note to end on, but it is only the beginning of this marvelous chapter that details the heroic deeds of a shepherd boy in the Valley of the Elah.

So far, we have gotten a bit of background and mechanical information needed to determine what is going on. We have also been readied for the introduction of a very special figure into the narrative.  He will be presented as soon as we continue our journey through the chapter next week.

For now, the main lesson I want you to consider is that God wants us to trust Him. He is there with us even if the enemy we face is large, well-defended, and well-armed. In comparison to the Lord, the enemy is nothing.

But in order for us to trust the Lord as we should, we have to know Him as He is. Muslims certainly trust their false god, Allah. Anyone willing to blow up himself and a bunch of other people in order to supposedly gain entrance into paradise has trust in what he thinks is true.

The Japanese were told the same thing in WWII as they flew airplanes into the side of warships. People all over the world trust in one “god” or another. The problem isn’t trust. Rather, it is misdirected trust. That needs to be straightened out.

The God of the Bible, the one true God, isn’t like those other false gods. Instead of asking us to do something for Him, He promises to accomplish the work for us instead. All He asks of us is to know who He is, and in knowing Him, to then trust Him.

The problem is sin, and sin came through the lies of the devil. In order to correct that, God promised to destroy the works of the devil and, in turn, the power of the devil. Eventually, the devil will be cast out of our presence forever, where he will endure an eternal swim in the Lake of Fire.

God has accomplished all of this through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. As we continue through this chapter, keep remembering this. Keep asking, How does this point to Jesus? In the end, the story of David is a part of the story of the coming Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is He who will get us to those fair shores of the better land which God has prepared for us. Let us trust Him to do so. Through this, God will be pleased to call us His children.

Closing Verse: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16

Next Week: 1 Samuel 17:12-27 Jesse sent David on a journey, and you may ask “whyeth,” so I will explain it to you… (David and Goliath, Part II) (36^th 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 17:1-11 (CG)

¹ And they gathered, Philistines, their camps to the battle. And they were gathered – Sochoh, which to Judah. And they inclined between Sochoh and between Azekah in Ephes Dammim. ²And Saul, and man Israel, they were gathered, and they inclined in Valley the Elah. And they arranged battle to encounter Philistines. ³And Philistines standing unto the mount from this. And Israel standing unto the mount from this. And the ravine between them.

⁴And he went out, man – the middleman, from camps Philistines. Goliath his name, from Gath. His elevation six cubits and span. ⁵And helmet, bronze, upon his head. And breastplate, scales, he wrapped. And weight breastplate five thousands shekels bronze. ⁶And, frontlet, bronze upon his feet. And javelin, bronze, between his shoulders. ⁷And arrow [k.] his spear according to beam, weavers. And flame his spear six hundreds shekels iron. And lifter the shield walking to his faces. ⁸And he stood, and he called unto arrangements Israel, and he said to them, “To why will you come out to arrange – battle? Not I the Philistine? And you, servants to Saul! You must eat, to you, man, and he descended unto me. ⁹If he will be able to battle with me, and he caused to strike me, and we were to you to servants. And if I, I will be able to him, and I caused to strike him, and you were to us to servants, and you served us.” ¹⁰And he said, the Philistine, “I, I expose arrangements Israel the day, the this. You must give to me man, and let us be fought unitedly.” ¹¹And he heard, Saul and all Israel, words the Philistine, the these. And they were prostrated, and they feared vehemently.

 

1 Samuel 17:1-11 (NKJV)

¹ Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. ² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

⁴ And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶ And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. ⁷ Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. ⁸ Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 16:14-23
Arise! Anoint Him! Part II

(Typed 10 November 2025) In this passage, Saul discovers the price of being disobedient to the Lord. He probably never figured things would change so completely. However, this is what the Lord determined was right.

This is not to say that every unhappy thing that occurs to us came directly from the Lord. We live in a fallen world and suffer the consequences of sin. We have to adapt to the changes we face as we get older, suffer from accidents or external attacks, and encounter health-related issues that can come in an almost infinite variety of ways.

For Saul, the reason for his declining mental state is explicitly stated. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and something else replaced that influence. In order to adjust to this difficulty, it is suggested that music help control and calm his mental state.

It has been known for as long as man has walked on the earth that music nearly instantly calms a restless mind and lifts a heavy heart. Slow, soothing songs lower stress hormones and ease a racing pulse. This gives your brain the same relief as a deep breath.

Upbeat tunes spark dopamine, the feel-good chemical our bodies naturally produce. Singing or drumming delivers a quick sense of victory that pushes back sadness.

Text Verse: To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. Intro to Psalm 66

Many psalms begin with the words, “To the Chief Musician.” The meaning is that the psalms were set… anyone? To music. Although some of them may have been slow and contemplative, one would be hard-pressed to say that they all were.

One read through the 150^th Psalm tells you that if the Levites had modern guitars and amplifiers, the people would be praising the Lord with them. Seeing David whirl and spin before the Lord when the ark was brought to Jerusalem tells us that rejoicing before the Lord includes dancing that would make those in Victorian England run to prayer closets, hoping to escape the supposed sure coming of the wrath of God.

Along with music, lyrics, such as those found in the psalms, allow us to borrow someone else’s words to ease pain we can’t even properly describe. They can guide us back toward hope that we thought was wholly elusive.

In today’s passage, David is called to play for Saul. David was God’s choice to replace Saul as king. His music was certainly a part of the reason for this.

Playing an instrument sharpens memory and focus, and it trains the mind to stay active. It directs the individual to unite in thought, emotion, and intent with the subject of the music. In David’s psalm, he was uniting with the Lord in this way.

Many of the psalms were meant for corporate worship. It is known that a shared chorus or concert melts loneliness and weaves voices together into an instant state of belonging.

Because of the benefits of music, we don’t need a therapist to begin changing our mental state. If we listen to music, tap a rhythm, or hum along with others, we can change our attitude and focus. It’s free, safe, and always ready to be our first step back to peace.

We see this in the account of Samuel, and we can infer it from other passages in Scripture as well. Wonderful things such as this are 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. Knowing Thrumming (verses 14-17)

These verses need to be considered parenthetical and actually belong after verse 18:1a. This has already occurred several times in 1 Samuel.

There are several reasons for this, but the description of David here and in verse 17 gives a strong hint. It would also explain why Saul’s condition came upon him as it did.

¹⁴ But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,

v_eruakh Y_ehovah sarah meim shaul – “And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul.” This is the Spirit that first came upon him in verse 10:10 –

“And they came there, the hill-ward, and behold, company prophets to meet him. And it surged upon him, Spirit God. And he prophesied himself in their midst.” 1 Samuel 10:10

It again surged upon Saul in verse 11:6, meaning that the Spirit was available to him all the time. It was a pressing force when action was needed. That Spirit, however, departed from Saul…

^{14 (con’t)} and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.

u-viatatu ruakh raah meeth Y_ehovah – “And it affrighted him, breath evilnessfrom Yehovah.” The word ruakh has three separate and distinct translations: spirit, wind, and breath. The context of each use determines its meaning. There is overlap in how people perceive what is being presented. The corresponding Greek word, pneuma, carries the same three meanings.

Determining what word to translate pneuma as requires the same thought process as the Hebrew ruakh. In the Greek, the only exception to this is when the word is preceded by the definite article, thus indicating the Holy Spirit.

All translations say “spirit” in the second clause. The question is, are the clauses set in parallel or in contrast? The first clause is universally agreed to be the Spirit of Yehovah (also God) in these verses. The differences would be –

And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul.
And it affrighted him, spirit evil from Yehovah.

And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul.
And it affrighted him, wind evil from Yehovah.

And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul.
And it affrighted him, breath evil from Yehovah.

The word “from” shows this is probably an active agent. Benson, et al, says, “That is, by God’s permission, who delivered him up to be buffeted by Satan.” That inserts what is unstated, but it is not out of the question. An example of a secondary agent used in this manner is found in 1 Kings 22:19-23.

The word breath is a possibility. In Ezekiel 37, it says –

“Thus says the Lord God to these bones: ‘Surely I will cause breath [ruakh] to enter into you, and you shall live. ⁶ I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath [ruakh] in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:5, 6

Likewise, in Isaiah, it says –

“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’
And he said, ‘What shall I cry?’
‘All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath [ruakh] of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.” Isaiah 40:6, 7

These and other such instances make breath a possibility. As for translating it as “spirit,” in Hosea 11, it says –

“For He, between brothers, He will cause to fruit
It will come, east wind [ruakh] – Yehovah
From wilderness, ascending.
And it will pale, his well,
And it will parch, his fountain.
He will plunder, depository, every vessel delightfulness.” Hosea 11:15 (CG)

The east wind, a wind of turmoil, destruction, and trouble in the Bible, is said to come from Yehovah. Though the term “evil wind” is not used, the meaning is synonymous in relation to those who receive it.

Therefore, there is precedent for the use of a wind directed from Yehovah that causes trouble. Outside of what happens to Saul, there is no evil spirit sent directly from the Lord.

The word translated as “affrighted” in this clause, baath, is introduced. It signifies to fear. In this case, it is what causes the fear. The Topical Lexicon rightly says, “It is never a mild uneasiness; it is a jolt of fear that immobilizes, unnerves, or drives one to desperate action. The concept is closely linked with the felt reality of divine judgment or the crushing weight of impending calamity.”

This is something that suddenly comes upon Saul and causes him mental anguish.

¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.

vayomeru avde shaul elav hineh na ruakh elohim raah m_evaitakha – “And they said, servants Saul, unto him, ‘Behold, we pray, breath God, evilness, affrighting you.’” The evil breath from Yehovah is now called “breath God evil.” The servants perceive this as an evil breath of God. Verse 23 will confirm this is so.

The question now is whether this evil breath is something of God that is placed upon Saul or is it a breath that causes evil in Saul. It should be taken as an axiom that in God, there is no evil. However, be it God or the Lord, something that is sent will cause what we perceive as evil, even if it suits His good purposes –

“If it will be blown, shophar in city,
And people not they will shudder?
If there will be evil in city,
Yehovah, not He did?” Amos 3:6 (CG)

In Amos, the question is rhetorical, but did Yehovah actively cause the evil, or was it allowed through the attack of the enemy? The answer is that it was allowed. As such, there is precedent for this concerning God in this verse in Samuel as well. As for Saul, to alleviate this problem, a suggestion is made…

¹⁶ Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp.

yomar na adonenu avadekha l_ephanekha y_ebaqshu ish yodea m_enagen ba’kinor – “You will say, we pray, our lord – your servants to your faces – you will seek man knowing thrumming in the harp.” As explained before, the words “to your faces” is the Hebrew idiom which means “before you.” The servants who stand before Saul recommend a thrummer upon the harp to ease Saul’s distress. The reason for this is…

^{16 (con’t)} And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

v_ehayah biyoth alekha ruakh elohim raah v_enigen b_eyado v_etov lakh – “And it was, in being upon you breath God, evilness, and he thrummed in his hand, and good to you.” These words led me to decide upon breath rather than wind. One would think a wind would come to a person while a breath would come upon him, as if it resided in him but manifested itself at times.

The words breath, wind, and spirit are almost interchangeable. The sense will not be lost when thought through, regardless of which word is used. However, as God is the source and there is no noted intermediary, I am hesitant to use the word spirit.

It is practically written into our makeup that sounds can affect our mood. Music is something that soothes us and mentally refreshes us, a condition known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. On the contrary, a child’s incessant moaning or the grating of fingernails on a chalkboard will bring about a state of misophonia in many people.

The suggestion by the servants is hopeful, anticipating a positive response to Saul’s condition. The word translated as thrumming, is new, nagan. It signifies to beat a tune with the fingers, particularly when playing on a stringed instrument.  Saul accepts their suggestion…

¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

vayomer shaul el avadav r_eu na li ish metiv l_enagen vahaviothem elay – “And he said, Saul, unto his servants, ‘You must see, I pray, to me man ‘causing to make well to thrum,’ and you cause to bring unto me.’” Saul agrees, using an imperative. It is as if he says, “You really need to go get me a guy that can do this and bring him back to me directly.” Because of this, a recommendation will be made…

Thrumming a tune to ease the soul
Soundness returns to the mind
It’s a help when things spin out of control
Or when the world is unkind

A tune to take the cares away
Or remind you of times in the past
Music to encourage you throughout the day
And to make your evening a total blast

Music is a gift found in the word
It speaks of psalms, hymns, and also songs
Let music fill you with knowledge of the Lord
Through guitars, trumpets, and even gongs

Make a resounding sound to the Lord anytime
Or sing to Him a melody so sublime

II. He Thrummed in His Hand (verses 18-23)

¹⁸ Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,

Rather: vayaan ekhad mehan_earim vayomer hineh raiti ben l_eyishai beith ha’lakhmi – “And he answered, one from the lads, and he said, ‘Behold! I saw son to Jesse – House the ‘My Bread’.’” This is the second of four times the term beith ha’lakhmi or House the ‘My Bread” is seen.

As with the Lord’s words in verse 1, it is specifically worded this way. James Strong sees it as a patrial, as noted in verse 1. If so, it would be like saying, “House ‘the bread-ite,’” Thus, one would think it would be consistently used as such.

But it is used only four times, and only in the books of Samuel, while the standard Bethlehem is used ten times in the same books. This seems to negate that idea.

My suggestion to resolve this is that the youth speaking is one of David’s brothers, mentioned already, and who will be noted again in Chapter 17. This would explain why both David and this person use the term.

It was first used by the Lord in 1 Samuel 16:1 when referring to this family. It is then used by two of Jesse’s sons, acknowledging the Lord’s designation. Thus, Bethlehem is the House where their bread comes from. Hence, “House the ‘My Bread.’” This is speculation, but it would fit with the idea that these verses are parenthetical and belong after Chapter 17.

Jesse means My Husband. It also means Yehovah Exists. As such, the name Jesse contains the weighty notion that human marriage reflects divine revelation.

If this is one of David’s brothers, he would know David had been anointed as king, something he would not want revealed. It would also explain why he knows what he knows about David, saying…

^{18 (con’t)} who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”

yodea nagen v_egibor khayil v_eish milkhamah un_evon davar v_eish toar v_eY_ehovah imo – “knowing thrum and powerful valor, and man battle, and being discerned – word, and man – form, and Yehovah with him.’” This individual was intimately aware of David’s abilities and qualities, including that Yehovah was with him. That could be a general statement, but a brother who saw him anointed would certainly know this.

Again, his identity as a brother is speculation. Regardless, his description of David is enough to cause Saul to act…

¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

vayishlakh shaul malakhim el Yishai vayomer shilkhah elay eth David binkha asher batson – “And he sent, Saul, messengers unto Jesse. And he said, ‘You must send-ward unto me David your son who in the flock.” The words are imperative and given as a command to Jesse.

David is with the tson, flock, but he is being summoned to attend to Saul. The word tson comes from a root meaning to migrate. This provides another clue that it could be David’s brother. He would know that David was the one to tend Jesse’s flock. David means Beloved. In response…

²⁰ And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.

vayiqakh Yishai khamor lekhem v_enod yayin ug_edi izim ekhad vayishlakh b_eyad David b_eno el shaul – “And he took, Jesse, jack – bread, and skin wine, and kid goats, one. And he sent in hand David, his son, unto Saul.” Jesse loaded David up with supplies as an offering to Saul.

Bread, lekhem, signifies dependence on God, sustenance, and life itself.

Wine, yayin, symbolizes the merging together of cultural expressions into a result. The thing that ought to happen can happen, symbolized by wine. It is as if an act of reasoning is occurring, and an intended result is realized.

The animal is described as a gedi, a kid. That comes from an unused root signifying to cut off. As an example –

“Then he turned to her by the way, and said, ‘Please let me come in to you’; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
So she said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’
¹⁷ And he said, ‘I will send a young goat [gedi] from the flock.’
So she said, ‘Will you give me a pledge till you send it?’
¹⁸ Then he said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’
So she said, ‘Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. ¹⁹ So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
²⁰ And Judah sent the young goat [gedi] by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. ²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, ‘Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?’
And they said, ‘There was no harlot in this place.’
²² So he returned to Judah and said, ‘I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.’
²³ Then Judah said, ‘Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat [gedi] and you have not found her.’” Genesis 38:16-23

It is understood that the goat is what finishes a matter.  The next word, izim, signifies goats. It is the term used for the sin offering, including that mandated on the Day of Atonement in Leviticus16:5. Once loaded up and sent…

²¹ So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

vayavo David el shaul vayaamod l_ephanav vayeehavehu m_eod vayhi lo nose khelim – “And he came, David, unto Saul. And he stood to his faces. And he cherished him, vehemently. And he was to him lifting vessels.” Here is another indication of the flow of the narrative. David came to Saul and Saul cherished him. In Chapter 18, it says –

“And it was according to his finish to speak unto Saul, and soul Jehonathan, it was tied in soul David. (Insert 1 Samuel 16:14-23) And they cherished him – Jehonathan, according to his soul. ² And he took him, Saul, in the day, the it, and no he gave to return house his father.” 1 Samuel 18:1, 2

The written Hebrew in verse 18:1 reads “they.” The oral, not understanding the flow of the narrative, says, “he.” When things are placed as suggested, the narrative flows properly, and it removes all of the complications and seeming contradictions found in Chapter 17.

²² Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”

vayishlakh shaul el Yishai lemor yaamad na david l_ephanay ki matsa khen b_eenay – “And he sent, Saul, unto Jesse, to say, ‘He will stand, I pray, David, to my faces. For he found graciousness in my eyes.’” This request is perfectly in line with what was just stated about the flow of the narrative. Saul is pleased with David and informs Jesse that he wishes his son to be in his presence henceforward. Therefore…

²³ And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand.

v_ehayah bihiyoth ruakh elohim el shaul v_elaqakh David eth ha’kinor v_enigen b_eyado – “And it was, in coming breath God unto Saul, and he took, David, the harp, and he thrummed in his hand.” Notice that it says “breath God” without the adjective “evil” included. We can see how the three translations of the word ruakh coalesce here.

There is the initiator of the process, the spirit, the means by which the change is made. There is the medium in which the process moves, the wind. And there is what is being moved, the breath. These terms are used without precision in order to describe what is going on. The breath of God is sent unto Saul.

Seeing verse 18:10 will add more insight, “And it was from morrow, and it sent, breath God, evil unto Saul, and he prophesied himself in midst the house.” The breath of God that Saul carries with him would cause him evil in his being. It’s not that God sent evil, but that Saul’s state, based on God’s breath, is what causes the evil in him to appear.

Whenever this came about, David would thrum to pacify his state…

^{23 (con’t)} Then Saul would become refreshed and well,

v_eravakh l_eshaul v_etov lo – “And it revived to Saul, and good to him.” A new word is seen here, ravakh, to breathe freely. Saul was all tensed up, unable to breathe freely. When he heard the music, he unwound and was able to breathe properly again. David’s playing eased him, causing him to lighten up in his mind and loosen up in his being, restoring him to normalcy. Therefore…

*^{23 (fin)} and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

v_esarah mealav ruakh ha’raah – “And it veered from upon him breath, the evilness.” It is as if the breath of God that caused the evil condition to arise in him would turn off the path he was on, allowing him to continue without it.

One can think of a schizophrenic taking his meds and being restored to clear thinking. The tendency remains in him, but it is controlled because of the calming effects of the medicine. Such was the music of David’s thrumming to Saul.

This verse gives two more reasons why I prefer breath to spirit. The first is the new word in the previous clause, where Saul is granted freedom to breathe apart from the “evil breath.” Also, Adam Clarke, in his comments on verse 14, said –

“It has been said:
‘Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast.’

This has been literally proved: a musician was brought to play on his instrument while they were feeding a savage lion in the tower of London; the beast immediately left his food, came towards the grating of his den, and began to move in such a way as to show himself affected by the music. The musician ceased, and the lion returned to his food; he recommenced, and the lion left off his prey, and was so affected as to seem by his motions to dance with delight. This was repeatedly tried, and the effects were still the same.” Clark 16:14

If an animal is afflicted with the same angry demeanor but is calmed by music, would it be appropriate to attribute that to the Spirit of God? Rather, it is the breath in the lion, ultimately from God, which affects his demeanor.

A time of transition can be filled with grief
As one thing passes from one hand to another
But a patient soul can offer relief
And be kind in the process, like one’s brother

Saul’s time as king will have to end
And when it does, another will take his place
Is his successor an enemy or friend?
Will Saul ever accept David’s face?

God chose David to replace king Saul
A man who understood the Lord’s will well
He will faithfully adhere to the call
And honor Saul as king until rings his funeral bell

III. From Saul to David, Types of Christ

The contents of this chapter have been placed categorically to instruct us on what God is doing. The information concerning Saul’s condition logically follows the anointing of David, even though it is not chronologically how things happened.

Things are placed this way to show us the transition of the kingdom from Saul to David. This had to happen in order to fulfill God’s redemptive purposes.

It is good to note now that after verse 13, Samuel, Asked from God, takes on a new meaning. Instead of asking from God for sons of grace (Jesus and His people), his name now predominantly means asked from God for the Seed of Grace (Jesus).

Saul, Asked, will also take on a new meaning. Instead of picturing those who seek the truth, he is Asked, the man without the Spirit, Asked of Sheol (which is identical to his name), calling out for the souls of men, while men ask to be freed from the curse of Sheol. It is a double entendre.

In other words, his name reveals that the pit, at this time, is the true leader of the people. He represents the state of those destined for the pit.

The serpent deceived the first man, and all were destined to follow their leader to the same place. One might even view him as a type of inherited sin, leading the people looking for redemption in the wrong direction. The pit asks for, and receives, those destined to perish. Can this be corrected?

In verse 1, the Lord spoke to Samuel about mourning over Saul. The pit is rejected from “reigning upon Israel.” The pit is the state of man without Jesus. The Lord tells Samuel, “You must fill your horn – oil.”

The horn is a symbol of prominence and power. Having oil in it for anointing indicates the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit being specially highlighted in a particular place.

It anticipates Jesus, the Anointed of God, bearing all His prominence and power. Samuel is sent to Jesse – House the ‘My Bread.’ Jesse, Yehovah Exists, is a reference to the deity of Christ. To understand the full significance of the Hebrew meaning of House the ‘My Bread,’ go back and review the lengthy analysis in verse 1.

The kingdom will belong to the Son of Yehovah, Christ, in His incarnation. Samuel is told that in order to avoid suspicion, he is to take an eglat baqar, heifer of the herd. This indicates circular and to seek. It refers to the word being searched out to determine who this king will be.

Jesse is to be invited to the feast. At that time, the Lord will provide the instruction and whom to anoint. The sacrifice is a slaughter intended for a feast, something anticipated in the coming of Christ, not for atonement, but life in Christ.

In verse 4, it specifically mentions Bethlehem. It is a direct connection to the birthplace of Jesus, the Bread of Life.

In that verse was the parenthetical thought, “(And they shuddered, elders the city, to meeting him.)” That provides a marvelous connection to Matthew 2:3, “And Herod the king, having heard, he was agitated, and all Jerusalem with him.”

As Herod didn’t exist and Jerusalem wasn’t a part of the picture yet, the parenthetical words provide the connection that would be missed. In verse 5, Jesse, Yehovah Exists, (the subject based on the parenthesis), asks if Samuel had come in peace. It gives the sense of Luke 2:14 –

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:14 (NASB)

With the attendees gathered, Samuel went through the process of identifying the one to be anointed as prescribed by the Lord. Three are named, Eliab, My God Is Father, looks to the Pharisees in Israel who claimed that God is their father (John 8:42).

Abinadab looks to the Sadducees, who felt they were in a right state with the Lord, as noted in Matthew 26:63-65. Shammah looks to the scribes who were repeatedly spoken against by Jesus in the gospels because of their hypocritical stands against the truth of God.

These “greats” of the house were passed up in favor of another. In like manner, the other sons of Jesse were rejected, totaling seven, the number of spiritual perfection. After inquiry, Samuel discovers there is another son. Though not stated, he is the eighth, the number of resurrection and regeneration. It marks the beginning of a new era or order.

The spiritually perfect time has come, and a new era is to be introduced with this final son who is “keeping in the flock.” The word tson, flock, comes from a root signifying to migrate.

Jesus is the one who migrates through the word in typology as seen in the people, the flock, mentioned in various passages. Likewise, one can think of the migration of people in search of Christ, just as they are in search of food.

In verse 12, David was brought in and described as admoni, red. This points to Jesus who bears the redness of Adam. His eyes were noted as yapheh, a word meaning to be bright, and thus beautiful. It refers to Christ’s bright spiritual state, focus, and understanding. Also, his roi, visage is good. It speaks of Christ’s suitability as a Man.

After that, Samuel was told by the Lord to anoint him. Humanity has asked from God for a Man to fulfill the necessary role as His Anointed, and Jesus is the response to the eons of humanity leading to Him.

In verse 13, Samuel, Asked from God, anointed David, Beloved, in the midst of his brothers. It is the first time his name is mentioned in 1 Samuel. At that time, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward. It is what God did to Jesus in the midst of the people of Israel –

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18, 19

Finally, in verse 13, it said that Samuel went Ramah-ward. It reflects heading to the Lofty Place where those who hold to grace alone, even after salvation, will be exalted. They anticipate what they possess but which they have not yet actually attained.

In verse 14, the new passage concerning Saul began. This is where the typology of the names of Samuel and Saul changes.

Though these verses chronologically belong after Chapter 17, they are rightly placed here to show the contrast of Saul with David and to begin the next series of stories predominantly using David to further the redemptive narrative.

The Spirit Yehovah departed from Saul, and the evil breath from Him affrighted him. Because of this, it was suggested that someone familiar with thrumming the kinor, the harp, be sought out. The kinor is the first instrument mentioned in Scripture.

It is seen 42 times throughout most of the Old Testament, demonstrating “the instrument’s continuity from the dawn of human culture through the post-exilic community.” It is a “melodic conduit for human response to divine revelation” (Topical Lexicon). It is symbolic of both judgment and restoration.

The number 42 is the number connected with the Antichrist. However, it is also a number related to the Lord’s opposition to this force. Bullinger says, “Its factors are six and seven (6×7=42), and this shows a connection between man and the Spirit of God, and between Christ and Antichrist.”

One can see the battle between Sheol and man raging as he looks for relief from his determined end. The focus on the “breath” in this passage takes the reader back to Genesis 2 –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

Man was given the breath of life, but because of sin’s death sentence, it is an evil breath that man now possesses. Therefore, the war between the spirit of Antichrist and the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus, the Man who came in the appearance of fallen Adam, is highlighted.

In verse 18, it was noted that the son of Jesse, Yehovah Exists, was of House the ‘My Bread.’ It speaks of the Incarnation of Jesus, God’s Bread of Life. David was noted as “knowing thrum and powerful valor, and man battle, and being discerned – word, and man – form, and Yehovah with him.”

A more accurate set of words about Jesus would be hard to find. He is the One who knows judgment and restoration (thrum). He is the epitome of powerful valor. He is the Man of battle. He, the Word of God, is discerned in word. He is a Man of form. And Yehovah is with Him.

Saul then sent messengers to get David, “who in the flock.” Jesus was of the flock of Israel. He would be the appropriate One to tend to the need that has been presented.

Because of the request, Jesse took a khamor, a jack, a male donkey, signifying a red one. In past sermons, it has pictured Jesus, the Red One.

He was loaded with bread, life’s sustenance. He also took wine, the cultural expression that leads to the Messiah. Along with that, he took a “kid goats.” The symbolism is the cutting off of sin by the goat of atonement, anticipating Jesus, who was the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement goat sacrifice. He is what finishes the matter of sin.

This is presented by Jesse to Saul. Jesus is the Lord’s offering to man who needs relief from the call of Sheol. From there, the final verses noted the acceptance of Saul concerning David and how David began his service to Saul to alleviate him of his “breath God” that afflicted him.

Verses 14 through 23 were categorically placed here to show how Jesus was anticipated in the Sheol-destined people of Israel. If this event had been placed where it chronologically belonged, it would have made no sense from a redemptive standpoint.

Thus, like other times this occurred, God is giving us information in a step-by-step manner so that we can understand what He is doing in redemptive history.

And all of it centers on Jesus Christ. The details are enough to thoroughly convince us that God has a plan, that it is being slowly and methodically worked out, and that it will come to a satisfactory conclusion in due time.

The intricacy of how things are laid out is complicated, so much so that I don’t know of anyone else who has come up with the layout as presented. Albert Barnes and a Dr. Warburton (as cited by Adam Clarke) were close, but misplaced where the verses resume in Chapter 18.

However, discovering that both of these scholars realized that these events came after Chapter 17 gives me confidence that what I have presented is correct. There are good reasons why both Barnes and Warburton were a bit off. When we arrive at Chapter 18, the structure will be made clear.

For now, get ready for the wonderful details of how David will take his anointing that was detailed in this chapter and use it in an exceptional way to glorify God as we enter into Chapter 17 next week. Until then, be sure to read your Bible, love what it conveys, and cherish the One it proclaims with all your heart and soul.

Closing Verse: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14, 15

Next Week: 1 Samuel 17:1-11 Into these verses we will carefully spieth until they are done… (David and Goliath, Part I) (35th 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 16:14-23 (CG)

The following verses are a parenthetical insert that chronologically belong after 1 Samuel 18:1a

———————

¹⁴And Spirit Yehovah, it veered from with Saul. And it affrighted him, breath evilness from Yehovah. ¹⁵And they said, servants Saul, unto him, “Behold, we pray, breath God, evilness, affrighting you.” ¹⁶You will say, we pray, our lord – your servants to your faces – you will seek man knowing thrumming in the harp. And it was, in being upon you breath God, evilness, and he thrummed in his hand, and good to you.

¹⁷And he said, Saul, unto his servants, “You must see, I pray, to me man ‘causing to make well to thrum,’ and you cause to bring unto me.”

¹⁸And he answered, one from the lads, and he said, “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.”

¹⁹And he sent, Saul, messengers unto Jesse. And he said, “You must send-ward unto me David your son who in the flock.” ²⁰And he took, Jesse, jack – bread, and skin wine, and kid goats, one. And he sent in hand David, his son, unto Saul. ²¹And he came, David, unto Saul. And he stood to his faces. And he cherished him, vehemently. And he was to him lifting vessels. ²²And he sent, Saul unto Jesse, to say, “He will stand, I pray, David, to my faces. For he found graciousness in my eyes.” ²³And it was, in coming breath God unto Saul, and he took, David, the harp, and he thrummed in his hand. And it revived to Saul, and good to him. And it veered from upon him breath, the evilnress.

———————