1 Samuel 17:47

47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves,^[a] for the battle is the Lord's.^[b] He will hand you over to us."

1 Samuel 17:47 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:47

And all this assembly shall know
The congregation of Israel, and church of the living God, great part of which were now gathered together, and were spectators of this wonderful event:

that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear;
that is, by outward means and instruments, by arms and armed men; he does not save by them only, or by them always; he can save as well without them as with them:

for the battle [is] the Lord's;
it is under his direction; the issue and event of it depend on his will, and are owing to him; or, as the Targum,

``from the Lord is the victory of wars,''

it is he that gives it to whom he pleases:

and he will give you into our hands;
not only this Philistine into the hands of David, but the army of them into the hands of the Israelites; David knew, and was assured of this by the Lord, and it was on this he relied, and was what animated him to engage with this champion in the manner he did.

1 Samuel 17:47 In-Context

45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies- you have defied Him.

46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,

47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's. He will hand you over to us."

48 When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49 David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung [it], and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hs 1:7
• [b]. Ex 14:13-14; Ps 33:16-22; 44:4-8