1 Samuel 17:12-30

Listen to 1 Samuel 17:12-30

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah named Jesse, who had eight sons; and he was an old man in Saul's day, and far on in years.

13 And the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone with Saul to the fight: the names of the three who went to the fight were Eliab, the oldest, and Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.

14 And David was the youngest: and the three oldest were with Saul's army.

15 Now David went to and from Saul, looking after his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 And the Philistine came near every morning and evening for forty days.

17 And Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dry grain and these ten cakes of bread, and go quickly with them to the tents to your brothers;

18 And take these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are and come back with a sign to say how they are.

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

20 And David got up early in the morning, and, giving the sheep into the care of a keeper, took the things and went as Jesse had said; and he came to the lines where the carts were, when the army was going out to the fight giving their war-cry.

21 And Israel and the Philistines had put their forces in position, army against army.

22 And David gave his parcels into the hands of the keeper of the army stores, and went running to the army and came to his brothers to get knowledge about them.

23 And while he was talking to them, the fighter, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came out from the Philistines' lines and said the same words, in David's hearing.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw him, went in flight, overcome with fear.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man? Clearly he has come out to put shame on Israel: and it is certain that if any man overcomes him, the king will give that man great wealth, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's family free in Israel.

26 And David said to the men near him, What will be done to the man who overcomes this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? for who is this Philistine, a man without circumcision, that he has put shame on the armies of the living God?

27 And the people gave him this answer, So it will be done to the man who overcomes him.

28 And Eliab, his oldest brother, hearing what David said to the men, was moved to wrath against David, and said, Why have you come here? Into whose care have you given that little flock of sheep in the waste land? I have knowledge of your pride and the evil of your heart, you have come down to see the fight.

29 And David said, What have I done now? was it not only a word?

30 And turning away from him to one of the other men, he said the same words: and the people gave him the same answer.

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1 Samuel 17:12-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 17

This chapter relates how the armies of Israel, and of the Philistines, prepared for battle, and where, 1Sa 17:1-3, describes a champion of the Philistines, who defied the armies of Israel, 1Sa 17:4-11, and while he was so doing, it informs us that David came into the camp, and he heard his words, and signified to one and another his inclination to fight with him, 1Sa 17:12-30, which being reported to Saul, David was sent for by him, and much discourse passed between them about it, 1Sa 17:31-37 when we are told the manner in which he engaged with the Philistine, and the victory he obtained over him, 1Sa 17:38-51 upon which the Philistines fled, and Israel pursued them; and on account of this action David was taken notice of by Saul, and brought to court again, as the following chapter shows, 1Sa 17:52-58.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

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1 Samuel 17:12-30 Study Resources

Sermons

Winning The Battles Of Life - 4C

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that our role as Christians is to show up, while God’s role is to bring our giants down. When we advance God’s kingdom, using whatever He has placed in our hands, we are acknowledging that the victory belongs to Him.

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Winning The Battles Of Life - 4B

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that when a situation seems impossible, God will not forsake us, no matter how we feel. We can’t wait until we feel strong enough. God uses our faith and our simple obedience to Him.

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Winning The Battles Of Life - 4A

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches us that even when darkness advances, and the difficulties of life try to overcome us, our victory starts when we remember what God has already brought us through. David didn’t listen to the fear, knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord.

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Winning The Battles Of Life - 3C

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that when it comes to the battles of life, there is more at stake than just the here and now. God’s eternal purpose reminds us to not wait for perfect conditions, but to act now and share our faith with others.

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Winning The Battles Of Life - 3B

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that David versus Goliath is our example of how we need to face the intimidating giants in our lives. The battle is the Lord’s, and we don’t fight alone. But, our faith still needs to be active like David stepping into the action.

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Winning The Battles Of Life - 3A

Jack Hibbs

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that God is calling us to win the battles of life, not just survive them. These battles aren’t just about us personally, but are tied into a much larger spiritual warfare that is surrounding God’s purpose for the bigger picture.

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