1 Samuel 17: David kills Goliath the Philistine

In plain English: The Philistines gathered their armies (literally: camps) for battle. They gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah, at Ephes Dammim (this Bible: Ephesdammim).

In plain English: Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah, and lined up for battle against the Philistines.

In plain English: The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

In plain English: A champion (literally: the man of the between) came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath, from Gath, and he was six cubits and a span tall.

The Hebrew word: "Champion" is literally "the man of the between": benayim, which the dictionary gives as "a double interval, i.e. the space between two armies". So the word pictures a man who comes out into the space between the two armies. It is in only 2 verses: here and verse 23.

Good to know: In the dictionary a cubit (ammah) is "the fore-arm (below the elbow)", and a span (zereth) is "the spread of the fingers". The Hebrew text has "six cubits and a span". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "four cubits and a span". The text gives his height in no other measure.

In plain English: He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of armor made of scales (this Bible: a coat of mail). The coat weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.

In plain English: He had bronze armor on his shins (this Bible: legs; literally: feet) and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

In plain English: The shaft (literally: the wood) of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head (literally: the blade) of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer walked ahead of him.

In plain English: He stood and shouted to the battle lines (this Bible: armies) of Israel, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not Saul's servants? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

In plain English: If he can fight me and kill me, we will be your servants (or: slaves). But if I beat him and kill him, you will be our servants and serve us."

In plain English: The Philistine said, "Today I defy (or: mock) the battle lines of Israel! Give me a man, so that we can fight each other!"

In plain English: When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were shaken (this Bible: dismayed) and very afraid.

In plain English: David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse. Jesse had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was old and well on in years (literally: he had come among men).

Good to know: This verse says Jesse had eight sons. In 16:10 seven of his sons passed before Samuel before David was sent for. 1 Chronicles 2:13 to 2:15 names seven sons of Jesse and calls David "the seventh". The text does not explain the difference.

In plain English: Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.

In plain English: David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul.

In plain English: David went back and forth from Saul to look after (this Bible: feed) his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

In plain English: For forty days the Philistine came forward, morning and evening, and took his stand.

In plain English: Jesse said to his son David, "Please take this ephah of roasted grain (this Bible: parched grain) and these ten loaves for your brothers, and hurry them to the camp, to your brothers.

In plain English: Take these ten cheeses (literally: slices of milk) to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers are (literally: look into their peace), and bring back a token from them (this Bible: bring back news)."

The Hebrew word: "Bring back news" is literally "take their pledge": arubbah, which the dictionary gives as "something given as security, i.e. (literally) a token (of safety)". So Jesse may mean some token from his sons to show they are well. This Bible gives it as news.

In plain English: Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.

In plain English: David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the supplies and went, as Jesse had told him. He came to the ring of the camp (this Bible: the place of the wagons) just as the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry.

In plain English: Israel and the Philistines lined up for battle, battle line facing battle line (this Bible: army against army).

In plain English: David left his baggage with the keeper of the baggage and ran to the battle line. He came and asked his brothers how they were (this Bible: greeted his brothers; literally: asked his brothers about their peace).

In plain English: While he was talking with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath named Goliath, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and said the same words as before, and David heard them.

In plain English: When all the men of Israel saw the man, they ran away from him, terrified (literally: very afraid).

In plain English: The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? He comes up to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich, give him his daughter, and make his father's family free (this Bible: tax-free) in Israel."

The Hebrew word: "Tax-free" is chophshi, which the dictionary gives as "exempt (from bondage, tax or care)". This Bible says "free" in 15 of the 17 verses that use it; here it is "tax-free".

What changes: Read as "tax-free", the man's family would pay the king no taxes. Read as "free", with the dictionary's "bondage", it may also mean free from service owed to the king. The text does not say more.

In plain English: David said to the men standing by him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the shame (this Bible: the reproach) from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the battle lines (this Bible: armies) of the living God?"

Good to know: Yahweh told Abraham that circumcision would be "a token of the covenant between me and you" (Genesis 17:10 and 17:11). Samson's parents also speak of "the uncircumcised Philistines" in Judges 14:3.

In plain English: The people answered him in the same way: "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

In plain English: Eliab, his oldest brother, heard him talking to the men, and Eliab grew angry with David. He said, "Why have you come down here? Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your pride and the wickedness of your heart. You have come down just to watch the battle."

In plain English: David said, "What have I done now? Was it not only a word (or: Is there not a reason; this Bible: Is there not a cause)?"

The Hebrew word: "Is there not a cause?" is literally "is it not a word?": dabar, which the dictionary gives as "a word; by implication, a matter ... a cause".

What changes: Read as "Was it not only a word?", David says he was only asking a question. Read as "Is there not a reason?", he says he has good cause for what he said.

In plain English: He turned away from him to someone else and said the same thing, and the people gave him the same answer as before.

In plain English: When the words David had spoken were heard, they were told to Saul, and he sent for him (literally: took him).

In plain English: David said to Saul, "Do not let anyone lose heart (literally: let no man's heart fall) because of him. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine."

In plain English: Saul said to David, "You cannot go against this Philistine to fight him. You are only a boy (this Bible: a youth), and he has been a fighting man since he was a boy."

In plain English: David said to Saul, "Your servant used to look after his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

In plain English: I went out after it, struck it and rescued the lamb from its mouth. When it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its beard, struck it and killed it.

In plain English: Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the battle lines (this Bible: armies) of the living God."

In plain English: David said, "Yahweh, who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go! Yahweh will be with you (or: may Yahweh be with you)."

In plain English: Saul dressed David in his own clothing. He put a bronze helmet on his head and dressed him in a coat of armor.

In plain English: David strapped his sword over his clothing and tried to walk, because he had not tried them out (this Bible: tested it). David said to Saul, "I cannot walk in these, because I have not tried them out." So David took them off.

In plain English: He took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the stream (this Bible: the brook). He put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he went toward the Philistine.

In plain English: The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with the man carrying the shield ahead of him.

In plain English: When the Philistine looked and saw David, he looked down on him (this Bible: disdained him), because he was only a boy (this Bible: a youth), ruddy and good-looking.

In plain English: The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods (or: by his god).

Good to know: The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has David answer here: "Nay, but worse than a dog." This answer is not in the Hebrew text or in this Bible.

In plain English: The Philistine said to David, "Come here, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the animals of the field."

In plain English: Then David said to the Philistine, "You come at me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I come at you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the battle lines (this Bible: armies) of Israel, whom you have defied.

The Hebrew word: "Yahweh of Armies" is Yahweh tsaba'oth. The dictionary gives tsaba as "a mass of persons ... especially ... an army". This name was first used in 1 Samuel in 1:3. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "the Lord God of hosts" here.

Good to know: "The armies of Israel" in this verse is a different word: ma'arakah, which the dictionary gives as "an arrangement ... specifically a military array". It is the word for Israel's "armies" or battle lines in verses 8, 10, 26 and 36.

In plain English: Today Yahweh will hand you over to me (literally: shut you up into my hand). I will strike you down and cut off your head (literally: take your head off you). Today I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that the whole earth may know that there is a God in Israel (or: that Israel has a God),

In plain English: and so that everyone gathered here may know that Yahweh does not save by sword and spear. The battle belongs to Yahweh, and he will give you into our hand."

In plain English: When the Philistine got up and came closer to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

In plain English: David put his hand into his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

In plain English: So David beat the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David's hand.

Good to know: Verse 50 says David struck the Philistine and killed him with a sling and a stone, and that there was no sword in his hand. Verse 51 says he then took the Philistine's own sword, killed him and cut off his head. The text gives both and does not explain more. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has no verse 50.

In plain English: Then David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion (literally: their mighty man) was dead, they ran away.

In plain English: The men of Israel and of Judah got up, shouted the war cry and chased the Philistines as far as Gai (or: as far as the valley) and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded (literally: the pierced) of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.

The Hebrew word: "Gai" is gay', the word for a valley, which the dictionary gives as "a gorge". So it can be read as a place called Gai, or as "as far as the valley". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "as far as the entrance to Geth", that is, Gath.

In plain English: The Israelites came back from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camp.

In plain English: David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put his weapons (this Bible: his armor) in his tent.

Good to know: In 2 Samuel 5:6 and 5:7 the Jebusites still hold Jerusalem when David, as king, takes "the stronghold of Zion". The text here does not say when David brought the head to Jerusalem. "His weapons" can be read as the Philistine's weapons or as David's own.

In plain English: When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this young man (this Bible: youth)?" Abner said, "As surely as you live (literally: by the life of your soul), O king, I do not know."

Good to know: In 16:18 to 16:22 Saul sent to Jesse for David, David became his armor bearer, and Saul asked Jesse to let David stay in his service. Here Saul asks Abner whose son the young man is, and in verse 58 he asks David himself. The text does not explain how this fits with chapter 16, and readers explain it in different ways. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) does not have verses 55 to 58, or 18:1 to 18:5.

In plain English: The king said, "Find out whose son the young man is!"

In plain English: When David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the Philistine's head in his hand.

In plain English: Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem (this Bible: the Bethlehemite)."