1 Samuel 17:43

43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:43 in Other Translations

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

43 And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.

43 The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods.

43 He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:43 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:43

And the Philistine said unto David, [am] I a dog?
&c.] Truly David did not think him much better, because of his impudence, impurity, and barking blasphemy against God, and the armies of Israel; the Targum is,

``am I a despised dog?''

verily he was by David:

that thou comest to me with staves?
or with a staff, the plural for the singular, to beat him with it as a dog is beaten, and as David used to beat his dog with, while keeping his father's sheep, when the dog he had with him did not do his business as he should; he says nothing of his sling and stones, they being out of sight:

and the Philistine cursed David by his gods:
by Dagon and others; he made an imprecation by them, and wished the greatest evils might befall him from them; he devoted him to them, and doubted not to make a sacrifice of him.

1 Samuel 17:43 In-Context

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.

42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.

43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 3:8; 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Kings 8:13