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| 1 And the Philistines assembled their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. |
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| 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of terebinths, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. |
Set the battle – Evidently the opposing forces were fairly well matched and neither cared to make the attack. R4215:6
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| 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side; and the ravine was between them. |
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| 4 And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. |
Goliath – Probably a descendant of Anak. R5662:1
Six cubits and a span – By an 18-inch cubit, would represent 9'9''. R4216:1
About 10 feet high and probably stout in proportion as indicated by the weight of his armor, spear and sword. R3230:2
There is nothing improbable in the story of Goliath. Encyclopedia Brittanica lists several giants of similar size. R4216:1
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| 5 And he had a helmet of bronze upon his head, and he was clothed with a corselet of scales; and the weight of the corselet was five thousand shekels of bronze. |
Five thousand shekels – 220 pounds. R5662:2
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| 6 And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders. |
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| 7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and the shield-bearer went before him. |
Weaver's beam – Nearly three inches thick. R5662:2
Six hundred shekels – 25 pounds. R5662:2
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| 8 And he stood and cried to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I the Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me. |
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| 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to smite me, then will we be your servants; but if I overcome and smite him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us. |
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| 10 And the Philistine said, I have defied the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. |
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| 11 And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed and greatly afraid. |
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| 12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. |
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| 13 And the three eldest of the sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. |
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| 14 And David was the youngest; and the three eldest had followed Saul. |
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| 15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. |
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| 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. |
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| 17 And Jesse said to David his son, Take, I pray, for thy brethren, this ephah of parched corn and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brethren; |
David – Then a young man of about 21 years. R3230:2
To the camp – About 20 miles from Bethlehem. R4216:2
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| 18 and carry these ten cheeses to the captain of the thousand, and visit thy brethren to see how they are, and take a pledge of them. |
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| 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of terebinths, fighting against the Philistines. |
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| 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took his charge and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the wagon-defence; and the host which was going forth to the battle-array shouted for the fight. |
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| 21 And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, rank against rank. |
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| 22 And David left the things he was carrying in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran into the ranks, and came and saluted his brethren. |
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| 23 And as he talked with them, behold there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them2. |
Goliath by name – Representing Satan and all who are on his side seeking to bring the Lord's people into bondage to errors or sins. R3230:5
The hosts of doubt and skepticism are led about by the great giant of unbelief. R3230:6
Goliath may properly represent pride, backed by worldliness. Another giant is fear, distrust; another sectarian influence. R3231:1
The downward tendencies of our flesh must be killed, must be beheaded, as was Goliath. R4217:2
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| 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were greatly afraid. |
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| 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who smites him, him will the king enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. |
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| 26 And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that smites 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? |
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| 27 And the people told him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that smites him. |
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| 28 And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard while he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. |
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| 29 And David said, What have I now done? Was it not laid upon me? |
Is there not a cause – One approved by God. R5662:4
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| 30 And he turned from him to another, and spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him again after the former manner. |
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| 31 And the words were heard which David spoke, and they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. |
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| 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him: thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. |
David – Type of Christ. R1901:2; B255
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| 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. |
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| 34 And David said to Saul, Thy servant fed his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and also a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. |
A lion – As David, after being anointed, encountered the lion, so Jesus, after being anointed, endured a great fight with the Adversary. R3230:5
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| 35 And I went after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I seized him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. |
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| 36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. |
Lion and the bear – Christians should be daily alert to overcome little weaknesses and frailties. R5662:5
Every battle we fight and every victory we win through faith in God develops strength for future conflicts. R1902:4
Typifying the wolves, who get into the fold in sheep's clothing, who would destroy the sheep. R3142:3
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| 37 And David said, Jehovah who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and Jehovah be with thee. |
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| 38 And Saul clothed David with his dress, and put a helmet of bronze upon his head, and clothed him with a corselet. |
Saul – At this time being king, though David had already been privately anointed. R3230:1
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| 39 And David girded his sword upon his dress, and endeavoured to go; for he had not yet tried it2.And David said to Saul, I cannot go in these; for I have never tried them2.And David put them off him. |
Not proved them – David found that it would require considerable time to learn how to use such armor. R3230:3
Put them off – Having faith, we need no carnal weapons, no armor of human invention is of use to us. R1902:1
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| 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag that he had, into the pocket; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. |
His sling – Which he had thoroughly practiced. R1902:4
He drew near – First our strife is in our own hearts; secondarily against public evils. R5662:5
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| 41 And the Philistine came on and approached David; and the man that bore the shield was before him. |
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| 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was a youth, and ruddy, and besides of a beautiful countenance. |
The Philistine – See comments on 1 Sam. 17:23.
David – As David risked his life for the deliverance of Israel, so our Lord Jesus risked and sacrificed his life for the deliverance of antitypical Israel. R3230:5
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| 43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. |
Am I a dog – According to tradition, when the giant laughed and threw his head backward his helmet fell off or the visor opened. R5662:4, R4216:4, R3230:4
With staves – A club. Probably Goliath did not notice the sling. R3230:3
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| 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the heavens and to the beasts of the field. |
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| 45 And David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. |
Name of the LORD – Strong in his faith in the Lord, who was able to give him victory and deliver his people. R3230:4, R5662:2
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| 46 This day will Jehovah deliver thee up into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the camp of the Philistines this day to the fowl of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth. And all the earth shall know that Israel has a God; |
Will the LORD – A faith gradually developed in previous victories over lesser foes helps to give courage and strength for battling with the most terrifying giants we may encounter. R5662:4
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| 47 and all this congregation shall know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hands.
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| 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and advanced to meet David, that David hasted, and ran towards the ranks to meet the Philistine. |
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| 49 And David put his hand into the bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead; and he fell on his face to the earth. |
Smote – Many in the tribe of Benjamin could throw such sling stones to a hair's breadth. (Judg. 20:16) R3230:5, R4216:4
In his forehead – The neck and a portion of the head were exposed, and David's stone struck the vital spot of the forehead. R3230:5
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| 50 So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and killed him; and there was no sword in the hand of David. |
David – "Beloved;" The Christ, Head and Body. R5662:5
With a sling – Shortly a sling-stone of truth is to smite down the great giant of sin and iniquity. R5662:5
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| 51 And David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him completely, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled. |
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| 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to the ravine and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down on the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron. |
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| 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they pillaged their camps. |
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| 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. |
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| 55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. |
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| 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son this youth is. |
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| 57 And 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. |
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| 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, young man? And David said, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite. |
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