1 Samuel 17

David Defeats Goliath

In this account of young David’s victory over the Philistine giant, we are given a glimpse into the heart of Israel’s future king and a Messianic picture of the ultimate Deliverer from Bethlehem Who would come to rescue His people. 

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.     - Thomas Constable

The Philistines Gathered Their Forces

Challenge

Vs. 3 - The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.

The Philistines again assembled their troops to fight against Israel. As often happened in ancient warfare, the invaders challenged the defenders by calling for a contest between the champions of the two sides.            - Don Fleming

Champion

Vs. 4 - He was nine feet, nine inches tall and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds.

Two other early manuscripts state that Goliath was six feet, nine inches tall. However, the description of Goliath's combat gear appears to support the larger height of nine feet, nine inches tall.   At either height, Goliath would have towered over much smaller Israelites.       - Bryan E. Beyer

This is an unusually long description of an individual for the Old Testament. The writer evidently wanted to impress Goliath’s awesome power and apparent invulnerability on the readers so we would appreciate David’s great courage and faith.                       - Thomas Constable

Courage

Vs. 11 - When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

Saul was the logical choice to square off against Goliath, and we can expect that others assumed that he should fight Goliath.  At one time, he was known as a fierce and successful military leader (1 Samuel 14:52). But that was before the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). As the Spirit left Saul so did his courage.           - David Guzik

David’s Welfare Check

Task

Vs. 15 - David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.

Vs. 20 - So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him.

David had already been anointed for a special calling from God at this point, but his daily life hadn’t changed much.  He was still the youngest brother.  He was still watching his sheep.  And he was still doing whatever his father asked him.  

Reward

Vs. 26 - David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?

There’s a lot to consider in David’s reaction to Goliath’s taunts and threats.  First, he seemed very interested in the specifics of the reward Saul offered.  And understandably so, as a cash award, a princess, and a tax exemption would have been an enticing prize. 

Second, the young and inexperienced shepherd’s courage stands in stark contrast to the terror that gripped the seasoned soldiers all around him.  While some of this boldness could be attributed to “coming-of-age” confidence, an “invincibility” that often accompanies youth, the author emphasizes that the young shepherd’s courage came from His confidence in God. 

Passion

Vs. 26 - Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Commentators note that the emphasis of the account seems to be on David’s words, even over his actions.  And in them, we can hear David’s passion for the name of God and his confidence that God would fight for His people.  

1 Samuel 17:45-47 gives the clearest expression to David’s faith in Yahweh. He viewed Yahweh as the commander of Israel’s armies, a view of God that Saul never accepted but which made the difference between Saul’s failure and David’s success as the Lord’s anointed.  Most of the Israelites took Goliath’s challenge as defying Israel, but David interpreted it as defying the living God, the only true God. Here David’s heart for God begins to manifest itself.                   - Thomas Constable

Rebuke

Vs. 28 - David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him.

Eliab’s anger is the anger of a man who feels small because of the Israelite army’s inability to deal with Goliath, and he particularly resents looking small in the eyes of his young brother [whom Samuel had anointed king-elect instead of himself].      - Gordon

The Battle Is The Lord’s

Lion and Bear

Vs. 37 - Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

As a shepherd facing lions and bears, David had no idea he was being trained to fight a giant. In the midst of our preparation, we rarely see how God will use it. Yet now, David can look back and know that the same God who delivered him before will also deliver him now. David knew that God’s help in times past is a prophecy of His help in the future.           - David Guzik

David viewed Goliath as just another predator that was threatening the safety of God’s flock, Israel, and the reputation of Israel’s God.               - Thomas Constable

Saul’s Armor

Vs. 39 - “I can’t walk in these,” David said to Saul, “I’m not used to them.”

It’s rarely advantageous to attempt to “wear anyone else’s armor” when fighting our “Goliaths.” 

Nothing comes more naturally to people than trying to get someone to fight our battles the way we would were we fighting them.        - Chafin

God’s Fight

Vs. 47 - the battle is the Lord’s

1 Samuel 17:45-47 gives the clearest expression to David’s faith in Yahweh. He viewed Yahweh as the commander of Israel’s armies, a view of God that Saul never accepted but which made the difference between Saul’s failure and David’s success as the Lord’s anointed.                    - Thomas Constable

At this point, it wasn’t enough for all the earth to know that there is a God in Israel. Israel needed to know that there was a God in Israel! Saul and the rest of the soldiers of Israel thought that the LORD only could save with sword and spear.  David was careful to say, the LORD will deliver you into my hand. David was bold, but bold in God not in himself. He knew the battle belonged to the LORD.          - David Guzik

Whose Son Are You?

Question

Vs. 58 - Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

It seems odd that Saul would be this unfamiliar with David after several previous encounters.  Some commentators note that the events described in this section may have occurred before those of chapter 16.  Others note that Saul simply may not have been entirely aware of the specifics of David’s ancestry. 

Answer

Vs. 58 - “The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David answered.

David’s courage to fight for his people and honor his God points us to the greatest “Son of Jesse, Son of David” Who would also come from Bethlehem to lead His people to salvation.  

David is a picture of God’s anointed and how God will rescue the world. Israel is presented with an enemy that it cannot defeat by its own power or abilities. But God will send his anointed to accomplish the necessary victory. Jesus is God’s anointed who is sent by God to defeat the enemies we cannot defeat.                     - Brent Kercheville

His (David’s) victory that day in the valley of Elah made a national hero of him, as well as entitling him to the hand of the king’s daughter in marriage; but it also evoked jealous feelings in Saul, thus indirectly setting in motion the events which fill the rest of 1 Samuel.                   - Gordon