1 Samuel 17:48

David Defeats Goliath

48 {When} the Philistine got up and came and drew near to meet David, David {ran quickly} to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:48 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:48

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose
Or prepared for the encounter, and was in all probability in great wrath and fury at hearing what David said, and which hastened him to it:

and came and drew nigh to meet David;
as fast as his unwieldy body, and heavy load of armour on him, would admit of:

that David hasted and ran toward the army;
the army of the Philistines, from whence this champion came:

to meet the Philistine;
to get up to him before he could draw his sword, or put himself in a posture to make use of any weapon to strike at David with.

1 Samuel 17:48 In-Context

46 This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down {and cut off your head}! Then I will give [the] corpses of the army of [the] Philistines this day to the birds of heaven and to the animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God [who is] for Israel.

47 And all of this assembly will know that Yahweh does not rescue with sword or with spear, for the battle [belongs] to Yahweh, and he will give you into our hands!"

48 {When} the Philistine got up and came and drew near to meet David, David {ran quickly} to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49 Then David put his hand into the bag and took a stone from it and slung [it]. He struck the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and with the stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him, but there was no sword in David's hand.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "And it happened that when"
• [b]. Literally "made quickly and he ran"