1 Samuel 17:31-58

David Kills Goliath

31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him.

32 David said to Saul, "¹Let no man's heart fail on account of him; ²your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

33 Then Saul said to David, "³You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."

34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,

35 I went out after him and attacked him, and ⁴rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

36 "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God."

37 And David said, "⁵The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "⁶Go, and may the LORD be with you."

38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.

39 David girded his sword over * his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot * go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off *.

40 He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and ⁷his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer * in front of him.

42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, ⁸he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ⁹ruddy, with a handsome appearance.

43 The Philistine said to David, "¹⁰Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And ¹¹the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh ¹²to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field."

45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, ¹³but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

46 "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the ¹⁴dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, ¹⁵that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

47 and that all this assembly may know that ¹⁶the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; ¹⁷for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."

48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that ¹⁸David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

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

51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and ¹⁹took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. ²⁰When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

52 The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of ²¹Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to ²²Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.

53 The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps.

54 Then David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

55 Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is ²³this young man?" And Abner said, "By your life, O king, I do not know."

56 The king said, "You inquire whose son the youth is."

57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and ²⁴brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand.

58 Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "²⁵I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

1 Samuel 17:31-58 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.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 20:1-4
• 2. 1 Samuel 16:18
• 3. Numbers 13:31
• 4. Amos 3:12
• 5. 2 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:17, 18
• 6. 1 Samuel 20:13; 1 Chronicles 22:11, 16
• 7. Judges 20:16
• 8. Psalms 123:4; Proverbs 16:18
• 9. 1 Samuel 16:12
• 10. 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 3:8; 2 Kings 8:13
• 11. 1 Kings 20:10
• 12. 1 Samuel 17:46
• 13. 2 Samuel 22:35; 2 Chronicles 32:8; Psalms 124:8; Hebrews 11:32-34
• 14. Deuteronomy 28:26
• 15. Joshua 4:24; 1 Kings 8:43; 1 Kings 18:36; 2 Kings 19:19; Isaiah 37:20
• 16. 1 Samuel 14:6; 2 Chronicles 14:11; 2 Chronicles 20:15; Psalms 44:6; Hosea 1:7; Zechariah 4:6
• 17. 2 Chronicles 20:15
• 18. Psalms 27:3
• 19. 1 Samuel 21:9; 2 Samuel 23:21
• 20. Hebrews 11:34
• 21. Joshua 15:11
• 22. Joshua 15:36
• 23. 1 Sam 16:12, 21, 22
• 24. 1 Samuel 17:54
• 25. 1 Samuel 17:12

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "before"
• [b]. Lit "smote"
• [c]. Lit "smote"
• [d]. Lit "smitten"
• [e]. Lit "off from himself"
• [f]. Lit "until your coming to"
• [g]. Lit "fell"