1 Samuel 17

This chapter stands near the middle of 1 Samuel. In the preceding chapter, 1 Samuel 16, Samuel anointed David, and David was summoned to serve Saul as a harpist. In this chapter David first comes to prominence before all Israel.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The Philistines encamp at Ephes-dammim, while Saul and the Israelites encamp in the Valley of Elah, and the two armies face each other across the valley.
• Verses 4–11 Goliath of Gath comes out fully armed and calls for single combat between one representative from each side. Saul and all Israel are greatly afraid.
• Verses 12–16 Of Jesse's eight sons, the three eldest have gone to the battle. David, the youngest, tends the sheep. Goliath comes out morning and evening for forty days.
• Verses 17–30 David goes to the camp to bring provisions to his brothers, hears Goliath's words, and asks about the reward. His eldest brother, Eliab, rebukes him.
• Verses 31–40 Before Saul, David recounts how he struck down a lion and a bear. Unaccustomed to Saul's armor, he takes it off and goes out with only his staff, five smooth stones, and his sling.
• Verses 41–47 Goliath disdains David and curses him. David replies that he comes in the name of the LORD.
• Verses 48–54 David slings a stone that strikes Goliath in the forehead, then cuts off his head with Goliath's own sword. Israel pursues the Philistines as far as Gath and Ekron.
• Verses 55–58 Saul asks Abner whose son the young man is. David answers that he is "the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 17:37 "The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear" — shows that David's confidence rests on the help God gave him in the past.
• 1 Samuel 17:45 "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts …" — distills the chapter's contrast between weaponry and faith.
• 1 Samuel 17:47 "the battle is the LORD's" — the chapter's thematic statement, attributing the victory to God.

Characters and Places

• David: The youngest son of Jesse and a shepherd.
• Goliath: A warrior of the Philistines from Gath. His height is recorded as six cubits and a span.
• Saul: The king of Israel.
• Jesse: An Ephrathite of Bethlehem and the father of David.
• Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah: Jesse's three sons who followed Saul to the battle.
• Abner: The commander of Saul's army.
• Valley of Elah: The place where the two armies faced each other, located in the western foothills of Judah.
• Jerusalem: The place to which David brought Goliath's head (v. 54).

Points to Consider When Reading

• Goliath's height: The Masoretic Text gives "six cubits and a span." By contrast, the Septuagint and the manuscript of Samuel among the Dead Sea Scrolls are reported to read "four cubits and a span."
• The shorter text of the Septuagint: Some manuscripts of the Septuagint are reported to lack verses 12–31 and 55–58, among others.
• Saul's question about David: Although Saul had already kept David at his side in chapter 16, in verses 55–58 he asks whose son David is. Interpretations of this point differ. Those who hold to biblical inerrancy harmonize the passage, for example by understanding Saul to be inquiring into David's family background. Critical scholars regard it as evidence that distinct traditions were combined.
• Who killed Goliath: 2 Samuel 21:19 records that Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite. 1 Chronicles 20:5 records that the man Elhanan killed was "Lahmi the brother of Goliath." Views on this discrepancy divide along the same lines.
• Approaches in preaching: Some sermons treat this chapter as a model, urging listeners to imitate David's courage and faith. Those who read it from a redemptive-historical perspective emphasize that the image of a king who fights and wins on behalf of his people foreshadows Jesus Christ. The New Testament does not directly quote this chapter.

In the Korean Church

The story of David and Goliath is one of the Old Testament stories most frequently taught in Sunday school and vacation Bible school. In preaching, life's difficulties are commonly likened to a "Goliath." The phrase "the battle is the LORD's" is also frequently quoted in prayers and sermons.