1 Samuel 17:36

36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he defied the battle lines of the living God."

1 Samuel 17:36 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:36

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear
At different times, and several of them at one time or another; whenever any of them came into the flock, he used to lay hold on them and kill them, with all the ease imaginable. The Jews suppose this phrase denotes many of them ^F8.

And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them;
as he was like them in nature, savage, cruel and unclean, so he would be in his end, killed as they; of this David was fully persuaded and assured in mind having an impulse from the Spirit of God, by which he was certified of it:

seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God;
so that as he justly deserved to die, he made no doubt of it it would be his case.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 See Halicot Olam, p. 177.

1 Samuel 17:36 In-Context

34 And David said to Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd of the flock for his father. If the lion or the bear would come and carry off a sheep from the group,

35 I would go out after it and strike it down and rescue [the sheep] from its mouth. If it rose against me, I would grab [it] by its beard and strike it down and kill it.

36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he defied the battle lines of the living God."

37 And David said, "Yahweh, who rescued me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear, will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine!" Then Saul said to David, "Go and may Yahweh be with you!"

38 Then Saul clothed David with his [own] fighting attire and put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him [with] body armor.