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Texts -- 1 Samuel 17:1-58 (NET)

Context
David Kills Goliath
17:1 The Philistines gathered their troops for battle . They assembled at Socoh in Judah . They camped in Ephes Dammim , between Socoh and Azekah . 17:2 Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the valley of Elah , where they arranged their battle lines to fight against the Philistines . 17:3 The Philistines were standing on one hill , and the Israelites on another hill , with the valley between them. 17:4 Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines . His name was Goliath ; he was from Gath . He was close to seven feet tall . 17:5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor . The weight of his bronze body armor was five thousand shekels . 17:6 He had bronze shin guards on his legs , and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders . 17:7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam , and the iron point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels . His shield bearer was walking before him. 17:8 Goliath stood and called to Israel’s troops , “Why do you come out to prepare for battle ? Am I not the Philistine , and are you not the servants of Saul ? Choose for yourselves a man so he may come down to me! 17:9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down , we will become your servants . But if I prevail against him and strike him down , you will become our servants and will serve us.” 17:10 Then the Philistine said , “I defy Israel’s troops this day ! Give me a man so we can fight each other !” 17:11 When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine , they were upset and very afraid . 17:12 Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah . He had eight sons , and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. 17:13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war . The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab , his firstborn , Abinadab , the second oldest, and Shammah , the third oldest. 17:14 Now David was the youngest . While the three oldest sons followed Saul , 17:15 David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem . 17:16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position . 17:17 Jesse said to his son David , “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread ; go quickly to the camp to your brothers . 17:18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer . Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 17:19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah , fighting with the Philistines .” 17:20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up , he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry . 17:21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 17:22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer , he ran to the battlefront . When he arrived , he asked his brothers how they were doing. 17:23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath , the Philistine from Gath , was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines . He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it. 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw this man , they retreated from his presence and were very afraid . 17:25 The men of Israel said , “Have you seen this man who is coming up ? He does so to defy Israel . But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy ! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel .” 17:26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation ? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that he defies the armies of the living God ?” 17:27 The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying , “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down .” 17:28 When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men , he became angry with David and said , “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert ? I am familiar with your pride and deceit ! You have come down here to watch the battle !” 17:29 David replied , “What have I done now ? Can’t I say anything ?” 17:30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question , but they gave him the same answer as before . 17:31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul , he called for him. 17:32 David said to Saul , “Don’t let anyone be discouraged . Your servant will go and fight this Philistine !” 17:33 But Saul replied to David , “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy ! He has been a warrior from his youth !” 17:34 David replied to Saul , “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock . Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock , 17:35 I would go out after it, strike it down , and rescue the sheep from its mouth . If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw , strike it, and kill it. 17:36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear . This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them . For he has defied the armies of the living God !” 17:37 David went on to say , “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine !” Then Saul said to David , “Go ! The Lord will be with you.” 17:38 Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head . He also put body armor on him. 17:39 David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul , “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 17:40 He took his staff in his hand , picked out five smooth stones from the stream , placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag , took his sling in hand , and approached the Philistine . 17:41 The Philistine kept coming closer to David , with his shield bearer walking in front of him. 17:42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David , he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy . 17:43 The Philistine said to David , “Am I a dog , that you are coming after me with sticks ?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods . 17:44 The Philistine said to David , “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field !” 17:45 But David replied to the Philistine , “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin . But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel’s armies , whom you have defied ! 17:46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand ! I will strike you down and cut off your head . This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land . Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God 17:47 and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves ! For the battle is the Lord’s , and he will deliver you into our hand .” 17:48 The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him , while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine . 17:49 David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone . He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead . The stone sank deeply into his forehead , and he fell down with his face to the ground . 17:50 David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone . He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand . 17:51 David ran and stood over the Philistine . He grabbed Goliath’s sword , drew it from its sheath , killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead , they ran away . 17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward , shouting a battle cry. They chased the Philistines to the valley and to the very gates of Ekron . The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron . 17:53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines , they looted their camp . 17:54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem , and he put Goliath’s weapons in his tent . 17:55 Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine , he asked Abner , the general in command of the army , “Whose son is this young man , Abner ?” Abner replied , “As surely as you live , O king , I don’t know .” 17:56 The king said , “Find out whose son this boy is!” 17:57 So when David returned from striking down the Philistine , Abner took him and brought him before Saul . He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand . 17:58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you , young man ?” David replied , “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...
    [isbe] DAVID - da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon): I. NAME AND GENEALOGY II. EARLY YEARS 1. Shepherd 2. Slinger 3. Harpist 4. Poet 5. Psalmist 6. Tribesman III....
    [smith] (well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important re...
    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • Saul

    [ebd] asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48. (2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, "asked for"), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. T...
    [isbe] SAUL - sol (sha'ul; Saoul): (1) The first king of Israel. I. EARLY HISTORY 1. Name and Meaning 2. Genealogy 3. Home and Station 4. Sources for Life 5. Election as King 6. Reasons for It II. REIGN AND FALL 1. His First Action...
    [nave] SAUL 1. Called also Shaul. King of Edom, Gen. 36:37, 38; 1 Chr. 1:48, 49. 2. King of Israel. A Benjamite, son of Kish, 1 Sam. 9:1, 2. Sons of, 1 Chr. 8:33. His personal appearance, 1 Sam. 9:2; 10:23. Made king of Israel,...

  • Philistines

    [ebd] (Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., "Philistim"), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other ...
    [isbe] PHILISTINES - fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi): I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES 1. Race and Origin 2. Religion 3. Individual Philistines Mentioned 4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision 5. H...
    [smith] (immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jere...
    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • ELHANAN

    [ebd] whom God has graciously bestowed. (1.) A warrior of the time of David famed for his exploits. In the Authorized Version (2 Sam. 21:19) it is recorded that "Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of...
    [isbe] ELHANAN - el-ha'-nan ('elchanan, "whom God gave"): (1) A great warrior in the army of David who slew a Philistine giant. There is a discrepancy between 2 Sam 21:19 and 1 Ch 20:5. In the former passage we read, "And there was...

  • Jesse

    [ebd] firm, or a gift, a son of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22; Matt. 1:5, 6; Luke 3:32). He was the father of eight sons, the youngest of whom was David (1 Sam. 17:12). The phrase "stem of Jesse" is used for the fa...
    [isbe] JESSE - jes'-e (yishay, meaning doubtful; according to Gesenius it = "wealthy"; Olshausen, Gram., sections 277 f, conjectures yesh yah, "Yahweh exists"; Wellhausen (1 Sam 14:49) explains it as 'abhishay (see ABISHAI); Iessai...
    [smith] (wealthy), the father of David, was the son of Obed, who again was the fruit of the union of Boaz and the Moabitess Ruth. His great-grandmother was Rahab the Canaanite, of Jericho. (Matthew 1:5) Jesse?s genealogy is twice giv...
    [nave] JESSE Father of David, Ruth 4:17; 1 Sam. 17:12. Ancestor of Jesus, Matt. 1:5, 6. Samuel visits, under divine command, to select from his sons a successor to Saul, 1 Sam. 16:1-13. Saul asks, to send David to become a membe...

  • Goliath

    [ebd] great. (1.) A famous giant of Gath, who for forty days openly defied the armies of Israel, but was at length slain by David with a stone from a sling (1 Sam. 17:4). He was probably descended from the Rephaim who found refuge...
    [isbe] GOLIATH - go-li'-ath (golyath; Goliath): (1) The giant of Gath, and champion of the Philistine army (1 Sam 17:4-23; 21:9; 22:10; 2 Sam 21:19; 1 Ch 20:5 ff). He defied the armies of Israel, challenging anyone to meet him in s...
    [smith] (splendor), a famous giant of Gath, who "morning and evening for forty days" defied the armies of Israel. (1 Samuel 17:1) ... (B.C. 1063.) He was possibly descended from the old Rephaim [GIANTS], of whom a scattered remnan...
    [nave] GOLIATH, a giant champion of Gath. Defied armies of Israel and is slain by David, 1 Sam. 17; 21:9; 22:10. His sons, 2 Sam. 21:15-22; 1 Chr. 20:4-8.

  • JAARE-OREGIM

    [isbe] JAARE-OREGIM - ja'-a-re-or'-e-jim, -or'e-gim (ya`are'oreghim): In 2 Sam 21:19, given as the name of a Bethlehemite, father of Elhanan, who is said to have slain Goliath the Gittite (compare 1 Sam 17). The name is not likely ...

  • Boasting

    [nave] BOASTING. Prov. 20:14; 25:14; 27:1; Isa. 10:15; Jer. 9:23; Rom. 1:30; Jas. 3:5; 4:16. Of evil, Psa. 52:1. Instances of Goliath, 1 Sam. 17. Ben Hadad, 1 Kin. 20:10. Seacherib, 2 Kin. 18:19; Isa. 10:8-15. The disciples,...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • WAR; WARFARE

    [isbe] WAR; WARFARE - wor, wor'-far (milchamah, 'anshe m., "men of war," "soldiers"; polemos, polemein, strateuesthai, stratia): 1. Religious Significance 2. Preliminaries 3. Operations of War 4. Strategy 5. Important Requisites 6....

  • Suffering

    [nave] SUFFERING Alleviation of Job 22:29; Isa. 58:6, 7, 10; Matt. 25:34-45; Luke 10:30-37; Phil. 2:1, 2; 1 Tim. 5:10; Jas. 5:13-15 For Christ Acts 9:16; Rom. 8:17-23, 26; 1 Cor. 4:12, 13; 2 Cor. 1:7; 2 Cor. 4:11-18; Phil. 1:29;...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • Championship

    [nave] CHAMPIONSHIP Battles were decided by. Instances of Goliath and David, 1 Sam. 17:8-53. Young men of David's and Abner's armies, 2 Sam. 2:14-17. Representatives of the Philistines' and David's armies, 2 Sam. 21:15-22.

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Decision

    [nave] DECISION. Deut. 30:19; Josh. 23:8. Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Kin. 18:21; Psa. 37:34; Psa. 69:13; Prov. 4:25-27; Isa. 50:7; Matt. 24:13 Mark 13:13; Matt. 10:22. Matt. 25:23; Luke 7:23 Matt. 11:6. John 8:31; John 15:4, 5, ...

  • Courage

    [nave] COURAGE Enjoined upon Joshua, Deut. 31:7, 8, 22, 23; Josh. 1:1-9; the Israelites, Lev. 26:6-8; 2 Chr. 32:7, 8; Solomon, 1 Chr. 22:13; 28:20; Asa, 2 Chr. 15:1-7. Enjoined by Jehoshaphat upon the judicial and executive office...

  • Bear

    [ebd] a native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked...
    [isbe] BEAR - bar (dobh; compare Arabic dubb): In 1 Sam 17:34-37, David tells Saul how as a shepherd boy he had overcome a lion and a bear. In 2 Ki 2:24 it is related that two she bears came out of the wood and tore forty-two of th...
    [smith] (1 Samuel 17:34; 2 Samuel 17:8) The Syrian bear, Ursus syriacus, which is without doubt the animal mentioned in the Bible, is still found on the higher mountains of Palestine. During the summer months these bears keep t...
    [nave] BEAR Ferocity of, 2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; 28:15; Isa. 11:7; 59:11; Lam. 3:10; Hos. 13:8; Amos 5:19. Killed by David, 1 Sam. 17:34-37. Two destroy the children of Beth-el, who mocked Elisha, 2 Kin. 2:24. Figurative Dan....

  • Sling

    [ebd] With a sling and a stone David smote the Philistine giant (1 Sam. 17:40, 49). There were 700 Benjamites who were so skilled in its use that with the left hand they "could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss" (Judg. ...
    [nave] SLING Used for throwing stones, Prov. 26:8. David slays Goliath with, 1 Sam. 17:40-50. Dexterous use of, Judg. 20:16. Used in war, Judg. 20:16; 2 Kin. 3:25; 2 Chr. 26:14. See: Armies; Arms.

  • Shepherd

    [ebd] a word naturally of frequent occurence in Scripture. Sometimes the word "pastor" is used instead (Jer. 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16). This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and...
    [isbe] SHEPHERD - shep'-erd (ro`eh, ro`i; poimen, "a feeder"): The sheep owner frequently tends the flocks himself (Gen 4:4; 30:40; compare Ezek 34:12), but more often he delegates the work to his children (Gen 29:9; 1 Sam 16:19; 1...
    [smith] In a nomadic state of society every man, from the sheikh down to the slave, is more or less a shepherd. The progenitors of the Jews in the patriarchal age were nomads, and their history is rich in scenes of pastoral life. The...
    [nave] SHEPHERD One who cares for flocks, Gen. 31:38-40; Psa. 78:52, 53; Jer. 31:10; Amos 3:12; Luke 2:8. David the, defends his flock against a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34, 35. Causes the flock to rest, Psa. 23:2; Song 1:7; Je...

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...
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  • [1Sa 17:37] By Whom Was David Taught
  • [1Sa 17:37] The Lord Be With Us

Questions

  • It is not merely an arbitrary period or a "round number," but is chosen to convey die sense of fullness. Some of its prominent Scriptural uses are: Moses was forty days on the mount (Ex. 24:18, etc.); Elijah, strengthened by ...
  • The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...

Sermon Illustrations

Five Smooth Stones; Five Smooth Stones; God’s Names

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 3:1-12 Horeb is another name for Sinai (v. 1). It probably indicates a range of mountains rather than a particular mountain peak. The writer called it "the mountain of God"because it was the place where God later gave the Mos...
  • After the process of assigning land to the three tribes mentioned above, Israel's attention turned to relocating the tabernacle in a more central location (v. 1). God undoubtedly made the choice of Shiloh (lit. rest; cf. Deut...
  • The 11 tribes wisely tried to settle this problem with the Benjamites peacefully (v. 12; cf. Josh. 22:13-20). Unfortunately the Benjamites decided to support the residents of Gibeah who were their kinsmen. They should have si...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • Elkanah was a bigamist, a condition forbidden by God (Gen. 2:24). However, he loved Hannah dearly and gave her special consideration since she was infertile (v. 5; cf. Jacob's relationship with Rachel and Leah). Hannah's ster...
  • The Hebrew word used to describe Samuel in verse 1 (naar) elsewhere refers to a young teenager (cf. 17:33). Consequently we should probably think of a boy in his early teens as we read this section. At this time in Israel's h...
  • The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel's primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judg. 13-16).52There are about 150 references to the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel...
  • The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines.655:1-5 Having captured the ark the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their ma...
  • Armed with trust in God and courage Jonathan ventured out to destroy Israel's enemy in obedience to God's command to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (cf. 9:16). He would have made a good king of Israel. Saul remained in G...
  • The basic theme in Samuel, that blessing, and in particular fertility of all kinds, follows from faithful commitment to God's revealed will, continues in this section. However another major motif now becomes more prominent. W...
  • "In addition to being the middle chapter of 1 Samuel, chapter 16 is pivotal in another way as well: Its first half (vv. 1-13), ending with a statement concerning David's reception of the Spirit of God, describes David's anoin...
  • The exciting story of David and Goliath illustrates what it was that God saw in David's heart that led Him to choose David for the position of king. It also shows how and why others in Israel began to notice David. David foug...
  • The Elah Valley is an S-shaped valley just south of the Sorek Valley. It runs east and west parallel to it. Socoh stood to the east and Azekah to the west. Archaeologists have not yet located Ephes-dammim. Gath was 7 miles to...
  • At this time in his life David was assisting Saul as his armorbearer when he was not tending his father's sheep (v. 15). Moses too had been tending sheep before God called him to shepherd His people Israel (Exod. 3:1). The si...
  • David seems to have considered himself capable of defeating Goliath from the first time he heard of Goliath's insults to Yahweh. The fact that he referred to Yahweh as the "living God"(v. 26) shows David's belief that Yahweh ...
  • When David volunteered to be Israel's champion, Saul scoffed at him because he evaluated David's chances for success solely in physical terms, as usual. The Hebrew word na'artranslated "youth"(v. 33) describes an older teenag...
  • Goliath disdained David because the lad had no battle scars; he was not a warrior at all but simply a fresh-faced boy (v. 42). Goliath assumed that he would win because his physical power and armaments were superior. As often...
  • God used a humble weapon to give His people a great victory in response to one person's faith. This is another instance of God bringing blessing to and through a person who committed himself to simply believing and obeying Go...
  • Earlier the writer narrated Saul's anointing, military success, and the popular reaction to him (chs. 10-11). Now he followed the same pattern by recording David's anointing, military success, and the popular reaction to him ...
  • Since he had been unsuccessful in murdering David himself, Saul also tried to get other people to kill him (cf. 2 Sam. 11:15). Saul had promised his daughter in marriage to Goliath's victor (17:25). Nevertheless now Saul adde...
  • Nob stood one and one-half miles northeast of Jerusalem and two and one-half miles southeast of Gibeah. There Ahimelech served as high priest. Priestly activity and evidently the tabernacle were now there (cf. 17:54). It is s...
  • The writer's attention focused next on Saul's activities. He used the literary device of focusing on David, then on Saul, then on David, etc. He used the same technique in chapters 1-3 with Samuel and Eli's sons to contrast S...
  • Ahimelech the Hittite may have been a foreign mercenary (cf. Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam. 11:3). The writer may have mentioned him to show the extent of David's appeal. Abishai was David's nephew, one of the sons of his sister Z...
  • David used his opportunity to defeat and to annihilate the common enemies of Israel and the Philistines that lived to Israel's southwest. David did not leave any survivors, as the Lord had commanded (Deut. 3:18-20; Josh. 1:13...
  • Samuel's death and the mention of Saul's commendable removal of mediums and spiritists prepare for what follows (cf. Lev. 19:3; Deut. 18:11). Mediums are people who communicate with the dead, and spiritists are those who comm...
  • Achish swore in Yahweh's name to David, probably to impress the truth of what he was saying on David, that David had been upright and pleasing to him. Nevertheless David had not won the confidence of the other Philistine comm...
  • The rest of the chapter describes the distribution of plunder from this battle. The amount of space the writer devoted to this revelation shows that he intended to stress it.David returned to his 200 exhausted followers at th...
  • The other Israelite soldiers retreated when they heard that Saul and his sons had died. This left towns in the region open for Philistine seizure. Instead of driving the native inhabitants out of the land Saul had made it pos...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Students of David's lament over Saul and Jonathan's deaths have called it the Song of the Bow (cf. v. 22).10Many people in Judah learned and sang it (v. 18). The Book of Jasher (v. 18) is no longer extant (cf. Josh. 10:13)."H...
  • Travelers can visit the pool of Gibeon today. It lies about three miles northwest of Gibeah."The pool is a cylindrical shaft thirty-seven feet in diameter and thirty-five feet deep. Its five-feet-wide spiral stairway, which w...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • This second descendant of Saul demonstrated a reaction to David that was the opposite of Ziba's. Ziba had been ingratiating and submissive, but Shimei, a "reptile of the royal house of Saul,"245was insulting and defiant (cf. ...
  • This record emphasizes the supernatural character of the victories David was able to enjoy because God fought for him by using various men in his army."The lists of heroes and heroic exploits that frame the poetic centre-piec...
  • We can explain the writer's unusual reference to Judah and Israel at this time, before the division of the kingdom. When he wrote Kings the nation had split, so probably the writer was using the designation that was common in...
  • Samaria's conqueror, Shalmaneser V, died in 722 B.C. shortly after his conquest. His successor, Sargon II (722-705 B.C.), carried out the deportation of the Israelites. The king who followed him was Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.,...
  • This chapter does not appear in Kings. It illustrates well that "the Lord will rule (judge),"the meaning of Jehoshaphat's name and the truth that characterized his reign. The motif of retribution is very strong here. God gave...
  • The reader would expect that Isaiah would inveigh against Assyria since it was the most threatening enemy in his day and since he referred to it many times in earlier chapters. However, he did not mention Assyria in this sect...
  • How would the Judeans respond to this blasphemous challenge? How they did determined their destiny not only at that moment but for years to come.36:21 The people listening to this invitation did not respond out loud because H...
  • 28:1-2 Ezekiel was to speak an oracle to the contemporary leader (Heb. nagid, prince, ruler, king) of Tyre in the Lord's name, probably King Ethbaal II (also known as Ittobaal II and Ithobalus II, ca. 590-573 B.C.). As usual ...
  • This section introduces another ruler of Israel who, in contrast to Zedekiah, his foil, would effectively lead God's people."This royal oracle is obviously intended to be the central peak of the range of oracles in chs. 4 and...
  • 6:1-2 Micah called his audience to hear what Yahweh had told him to say. Yahweh had a case (lawsuit, Heb. rib) to bring against His people. The Lord was summoning Israel to defend herself in a courtroom setting. He addressed ...
  • Paul proceeded to deal with a significant group of antagonists that the Philippians faced.3:2 Jesus and other prophets used the term "dogs"to refer to opponents of God's truth (Matt. 7:6; cf. Deut. 23:18; 1 Sam. 17:43; 24:14;...
  • 11:32 The Old Testament is full of good examples of persevering, living faith. The writer selected these few for brief mention along with what such faith accomplished.372Each individual that the writer mentioned was less than...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Samuel was staggered by the apparent failure of his errand. God had told him that he had provided a king from this family, and now they had passed in review before him, and none was chosen. Again he is made to feel his own im...
  • 1 Samuel 17:32-51The scene of David's victory has been identified in the present Wady Es-Sunt, which still possesses one of the terebinth-trees which gave it its name of Elah.' At that point it is about a quarter of a mile wi...
  • When the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, his courage seems to have gone too, and he is cowed, like the rest, by Goliath. His interview with David shows him as timid and unlike his former self, when he dashed at Nahash and any o...
  • Saul meant to honor as well as to secure David by dressing him in his own royal attire, and by encumbering him by the help of sword and helmet. And David was willing to be so fitted out, for it is no part of the courage of fa...
  • In 1 Samuel 17:48 between the slow movements of the heavy-armed Philistine and the quick run of the shepherd, whose' feet were as hind's feet' (Psalm 18:33). Agility and confident alacrity were both expressed. His feet were s...
  • 1 Samuel 18:5-161 Samuel 18:5 anticipates 1 Samuel 18:13-16. It is the last verse of a section which interrupts the even flow of the story, and which is absent from the Septuagint. Verse 6 follows immediately on 1 Samuel 17:5...
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