1 Samuel

1 Samuel 17 ©

1 The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being drawn out to battle, 4 Goliath cometh forward with a proud challenge. 12 David, sent by his father to the army to visit his brethren, 20 heareth the challenge, and expresseth indignation thereat. 28 Eliab his eldest brother chideth him. 30 His words cause him to be brought before Saul; 32 he accepteth the challenge, and sheweth the grounds of his confidence. 38 He refuseth Saul's armour, and armed only with a sling and a stone slayeth the giant. 52 The Philistines are routed. 54 David bringeth back the head of Goliath. 55 Saul enquireth and taketh notice of him.

1

NOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at aShochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in 1Ephes-dammim.

a Jos. 15.35; 10.10. 2Ch. 11.7.
2

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by bthe valley of Elah, and 2set the battle in array against the Philistines.

b v.19. ch. 21.9.
3

And cthe Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

c 1Ki. 20.29. v.16. 2Ch. 13.3,4.
4

¶And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of dGath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

d Jos. 11.22; 13.3. ch. 5.8. 2Sa. 1.20. 1Ch. 20.5. Je. 9.23. Zec. 4.6.
5

And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was 3armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

6

And he had *greaves of brass upon his legs, and a 4*target of brass between his shoulders.

7

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

8

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye eservants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

e ch. 8.17.
9

If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

10

And the Philistine said, fI defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

f Nu. 23.7,8. 2Sa. 21.21. Ne. 2.19. v.25,26,36,45.
11

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12

¶Now David was gthe son of that hEphrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had ieight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

g Ru. 4.18-22. Mat. 1.6. Lu. 3.31,32. ch. 16.1,10,18. Ge. 35.19. Mi. 5.2. 1Ch. 2.13-15. Ps. 132.6. Mat. 2.1,6.
h Ge. 35.19.
i ch. 16.10,11. 1Ch. 2.13-15.
13

And jthe three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third kShammah.

j ch. 16.6-9. 1Ch. 2.13.
k 2Sa. 13.3; 21.21. ch. 16.9.
14

And David was lthe youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

l ch. 16.11,12. 1Ch. 2.15. Ge. 25.23. Mat. 19.30.
15

But David went and returned mfrom Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

m ch. 16.19,22.
16

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself nforty days.

n Lu. 4.2. Mat. 4.2.
17

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

18

And ocarry these ten 5cheeses unto the 6captain of their thousand, and look phow thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

o ch. 10.27.
p Ge. 37.14.
19

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

20

¶And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the 7trench, as the host was going forth to the 8fight, and shouted for the battle.

21

For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22

And David left 9his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the *carriage, and ran into the army, and came and 10saluted his brethren.

23

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up qthe champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake raccording to the same words: and David heard them.

q v.4.
r v.8-10.
24

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled 11from him, and were *sore afraid.

25

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and sit shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

s Jos. 15.16. ch. 18.25. He. 12.1,2. Re. 2.7,17; 3.5,12,21.
26

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the treproach from Israel? for who is this uuncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of vthe living God?

t 2Ki. 19.4. Nu. 14.15-19. Jos. 7.8,9. ch. 11.2.
u Ju. 14.3.
v De. 5.26. 1Th. 1.9. Je. 10.10. Jn. 5.26. 1Jn. 5.20. Jos. 3.10.
27

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, wSo shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

w v.25.
28

¶And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's xanger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? yI know thy pride, and the *naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

x ch. 1.14. Mat. 16.22. Pr. 18.19. Ec. 4.4.
y ch. 16.7. 1Ti. 6.4,5. Ps. 35.11. Jude 10.
29

And David said, What have I now done? Is there znot a cause?

z v.17,32. Pr. 15.1. 1Pe. 3.9.
30

¶And he turned from him toward another, and aspake after the same 12manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

a v.26,27.
31

And when the words were heard which David spake, they *rehearsed them before Saul: and he 13sent for him.

32

¶And David said to Saul, bLet no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant cwill go and fight with this Philistine.

b Is. 35.3. Ro. 15.1. Ga. 6.2. He. 12.12.
c ch. 14.6; 16.18. Es. 4.16. 2Co. 5.7. Phi. 4.13.
33

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he da man of war from his youth.

d Nu. 13.31. Re. 13.4.
34

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a 14lamb out of the flock:

35

And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, eand smote him, and slew him.

e Ju. 14.6. 1Jn. 3.8. Col. 2.14,15. He. 2.14.
36

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this funcircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

f v.26.
37

David said moreover, gThe LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and hthe LORD be with thee.

g 2Co. 1.10. 2Ti. 4.17,18. Ps. 63.7; 77.11; 9.10.
h ch. 20.13.
38

¶And Saul 15armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39

And David *girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David iput them off him.

i Ho. 1.7. Zec. 4.6. 2Co. 10.4,5.
40

And he took his jstaff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the 16brook, and put them in a shepherd's 17bag which he had, even in a *scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

j Ps. 23.4. Ju. 20.16; 3.31; 7.16. ch. 14.6. 1Co. 1.27. 2Co. 10.4,5; 4.7.
41

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and kthe man that bare the shield went before him.

k v.7.
42

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he ldisdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

l ch. 14.11,12; 16.12. v.33.
43

And the Philistine said unto David, Am mI a dog, that thou comest to me with *staves? And the Philistine ncursed David by his gods.

m 2Sa. 3.8.
n 1Ki. 19.2. Ac. 23.12.
44

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a oshield: but pI come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast qdefied.

o v.6.
p Ps. 20.7; 33.16; 3.3; 118.10-12. Pr. 18.10. 2Ch. 32.8. Ge. 15.1. Ro. 8.31. Phi. 4.13.
q v.10.
46

rThis day will the LORD 18deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; sthat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

r Mat. 17.20. Ro. 4.19,20. Re. 19.17. De. 28.26. Ps. 58.11; 115.3. Da. 2.47; 6.26. 2Ki. 13.5.
s 1Ki. 18.36. Jos. 4.24.
47

And all this assembly shall know tthat the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for uthe battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.

t Ps. 44.6,7; 33.16,17. Ho. 1.7. 2Ch. 20.15. Zec. 4.6. ch. 14.6.
u ch. 18.17; 25.28.
48

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49

And vDavid put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone 19sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

v Ju. 3.31; 15.15. Je. 9.23. Zec. 4.6. Mat. 19.26. 1Co. 1.27.
50

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51

Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took whis sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and xslew him, and ycut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

w ch. 21.9. 2Sa. 23.21.
x Es. 7.10. He. 2.14. Da. 9.24.
y ch. 31.9.
52

And zthe men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou acome to the valley, and to the gates of bEkron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto cGath, and unto Ekron.

a Jos. 15.33,36,45-47. ch. 5; 6.17.
b Jos. 15.11.
c v.4.
z ch. 14.21,22. 2Sa. 23.10.
53

And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

54

And David dtook the head of the Philistine, and brought it to eJerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

d Ex. 16.33. Jos. 4.7-9. ch. 7.12; 31.9. 2Sa. 4.7,8; 1.10.
e Jos. 10.1; 15.63. 2Sa. 5.6-9.
55

¶And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said funto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, gwhose son is this youth? And Abner said, As hthy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

f 2Sa. 2.8.
g ch. 16.21-23.
h ch. 1.26.
56

And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the istripling is.

i ch. 20.22.
57

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul jwith the head of the Philistine in his hand.

j v.54.
58

And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, kI am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

k ch. 16.1,18,19. Ru. 4.18-22. 1Ch. 2.13-15.