1Samuel 17:1 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the 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. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed 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 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 servants to Saul? choose you a man
for you, and let him come down to me. 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, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we
may fight together. 11 When Saul and all
Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly
afraid.
Goliath is from Gath, one of the places where the giants were
driven.
Joshua 11:22 There was none
of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in
Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
With a span being half a cubit John Gill reckoned that Goliath was
just over eleven foot tall although he reports that Josephus said Goliath was eight
feet tall. Here stood a man that could have traced his lineage to some very
interesting verses in Genesis.
Genesis 6:4 ¶
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when
the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to
them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
The resultant
offspring of these sons of God and human women were giants, famous as heroes in
myth and legend. The mythologies of the world have brought us stories of these
great men of renown with various
names and in various forms. The phrase and
also after that shows that this was an ongoing problem even after the
Flood. I will not go into the many websites about and books written on findings
of giant remains in graves and tombs as it is difficult to distinguish fact
from fancy and outright fraud. Sticking with the Bible account, though, we have
many references that would render some of the modern stories about
archaeological finds understandable and believable. Here are a few examples of
the many references to giants with the measurement given so that we see these
were not just National Basketball Association (NBA) style large men.
Deuteronomy
3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained
of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it
not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof,
and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. [that is between
13 ½ to 18 feet long depending on the
actual length of a cubit]
Other references to show
that there were places where such giants were common are;
Numbers
13:33 And there we saw the giants, the
sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as
grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Deuteronomy
2:10 The Emims dwelt therein in times
past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; 11 Which also were accounted giants, as the
Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
Deuteronomy
3:13 And the rest of Gilead, and all
Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all
the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.
Joshua
15:8 And the border went up by the
valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is
Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before
the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
Goliath’s challenge to Saul and Israel demanding single combat
against someone they would send forward struck terror into their hearts so he
must have been a formidable specimen and possibly a great warrior, an epic hero
to the Philistines. He stands for us as representative of all the seemingly
overwhelming challenges in our lives.
An online encyclopedia speaks of single
combat as a prelude to battles or even starting a battle in his way. Just type
in Single Combat into Wikipedia.
“Instances of single combat are known
from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The champions were often combatants who
represented larger, spectator groups. Such representative contests and stories
thereof are known worldwide.
Typically, it takes place in the no-man's-land between the opposing armies, with
other warriors watching and themselves refraining from fighting until one of
the two single combatants has won. Often, it is champion warfare, with the two considered the champions of their respective sides.
Single combat could also take place
within a larger battle. Neither ancient nor medieval warfare always relied on the line or phalanx formation. The Iliad notably describes
the battles of the Trojan war as a series of single encounters on the field,
and the medieval code of chivalry, partly inspired by this, encouraged the
single combat between individual knights on the
battlefield, in which the loser was not usually killed but taken captive
for ransom. However, the use of the longbow and the pike square against mounted knights (as at the
battles of Crécy and Laupen) ended this tradition in the 14th
century, although it was continued away from the battlefield, with the pas d'armes and the early modern duel.”[1]
1Samuel 17:12 ¶ Now David was
the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and
he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days
of Saul. 13 And the 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 Shammah. 14 And
David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 But David went
and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and
evening, and presented himself forty days. 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 carry these ten cheeses
unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and
take their pledge. 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 trench, as the host was going
forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the
battle in array, army against army. 22
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage,
and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there
came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the
armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David
heard them. 24 And all the men of
Israel, when they saw the man, fled from 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 it 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. 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 reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this
manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he
spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said,
Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in
the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou
art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is
there not a cause? 30 And he turned
from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people
answered him again after the former manner.
15 But David went and
returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
Verse 15 shows that David did not go to battle with his brothers
and that this passage is not a flashback to a previous time as it shows that
David was in King Saul’s court but had gone back home. A verse in the previous
chapter shows that David must have gone to battle at times before that, though.
1Samuel 16:18 Then answered
one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the
Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man
of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.
Verse 16 is yet another example of forty days being a period of
testing or trial in the Bible.
Genesis
8:6 ¶ And it came to pass at the end of
forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
Forty days is a
period of testing and fasting in the Bible among other things but more
importantly of waiting on God, as Noah must do here. See Moses, Elijah, and
Jesus’ experiences.
Exodus 34:28
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did
neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of
the covenant, the ten commandments.
1Kings 19:8 And
he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty
days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Matthew 4:2 And
when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Forty days represents a struggle, in this case the men of Israel
facing the contempt of this giant of the Philistines.
David engages the other soldiers of Saul in conversation about the
enemy of God taunting them which draws the contempt of his elder brother who
holds his fighting ability in low regard. We will understand why, perhaps, in
the next passage as David proves himself an adept, what was called in ancient
armies, slinger.
1Samuel 17:31 ¶ And when
the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul:
and he sent for him. 32 And David said
to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight
with this Philistine. 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 a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept
his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb 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, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and
the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he
hath defied the armies of the living God. 37
David said moreover, The 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 the LORD be with thee.
38 And Saul armed 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 put them off him.
Beware of making extreme statements in a time of crisis like,
“somebody ought to do something,” as you might be required to try to do what
you are provoking others to do.
What is peculiar about this is that David did not bring up any
former military service. He only related how he had killed wild animals to
protect his flock. Perhaps, then, that was what merited the appreciation of the
servant of Saul in the last chapter although one wonders why the usage of such
hyperbole about being a mighty man of war.
David had never used and probably couldn’t fit Saul’s armor. If
you have not used a sword or shield or armor before testing it out for weight,
balance, and fit using it in a battle to the death is not a smart idea. As Saul
was taller than David we can imagine things being awkward and
uncomfortable. David will go it alone
with his own preferred weapon, the sling.
David has complete faith and trust in God that God will deliver
him from this formidable enemy.
1Samuel 17:40 ¶ And he took
his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and
put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was
in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto
David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw
David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a
fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine
said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the
Philistine cursed David by his gods. 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 shield: but I come to
thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
thou hast defied. 46 This day will the
LORD deliver 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; that all the
earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the
LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and
he will give you into our hands.
Whether David had had combat experience as a slinger as previous
passages have implied or if his experience with the sling was just in defending
himself and livestock let’s talk about what a slinger would have done in an
ancient army. The Greek poet Homer described slingers in the work he is given
credit for called The Iliad. The
slinger was depicted in Assyrian and Egyptian carvings as well as in Roman. Stone
or even ceramic projectiles were slung fast enough to kill an enemy, especially
when striking the head.
Notice that David selected five smooth stones. Five is a
significant number in the Bible as in five piercings in Christ’s body,
Benjamin’s food being five times that of his brothers in Genesis 43:34, the
five loaves in Mark 6:38 that Jesus fed the multitude with, etc. etc. It is an
interesting study.
This chapter is often used as a description of the seemingly weak
and powerless overcoming the strong. It is a part of the English language, the
Davids versus the Goliaths. Goliath is sometimes referred to as trouble in your
life you cannot seem to overcome on your own. And verse 47 tells us in whose
hand the victory lies.
47 And all this assembly
shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is
the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
1Samuel 17:48 ¶ 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 David put his hand in his bag, and took
thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead,
that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
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 his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew
him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their
champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the
men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines,
until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of
the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto
Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel
returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
54 And David took the head of the
Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David go forth
against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner,
whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O
king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king
said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of
the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of
the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul
said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David
answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
This heroic defeat of the giant Goliath by David, the future king,
has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all combats between a powerful
force and a seemingly weak force. Imagine the Battle of Midway in World War Two
that, for all practical purposes, the mighty and undefeated Japanese Navy
should have won but in a brief period of time the battle went to the Americans
in what one author entitled a book about, Incredible Victory, changing
the war and almost making the defeat of the Japanese Empire inevitable.
David slew Goliath because God was with him as we will slay our
Goliaths if God is with us. The death of Goliath results in a rout of the Philistine
Army who run in terror.
As grisly as it sounds, like many ancient heroes of single combat
David took the head of his defeated enemy to present to his king. Saul is shown
as asking a question we would think he would know the answer to as he has
already offered his armor to David. So, this is one of those statements giving
the hero the opportunity to receive glory. And who are you, young man? So
common sense keeps us from thinking of this as evidence of a conflict in the
Bible. I consider this dialogue between Abner and Saul about David as more
formality and mystery lending gravity to the situation, a sort of formal
statement of events preceded by a question as was common among the ancients.
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