FIRST SAMUEL, Chapters 16-17
King Saul and Future King David
I Samuel 16:1-13 David is Selected As Israel’s Next King
Just as the fat of an animal was set apart from the common sacrifice as a special offering, even so David was chosen out of all the Israelites as the one who would be special to the LORD. He was courageous, fighting lions and bears as a young shepherd. With a giant’s courage, he slung a small stone that struck down the Philistine giant Goliath….because He trusted in the LORD to give him victory over Israel’s enemies. He fought the nation’s enemies on every front….including from inside his own family. While a sinner himself (from his poor parenting to his adulterous behavior with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba) David, nevertheless, was the “man after God’s own heart,” and God forgave His sins……just as He graciously forgives us all our sins. In all David did, he gave thanks to our God, putting (with the Holy Spirit’s guidance) the words of his heart into many of the Psalms that we find in our Bible.
King Saul, on the other hand, is a study in contrasts. His story is situated in Scripture between two legendary, godly figures: the prophet/priest Samuel from the tribe of Ephraim and the dynamic David of Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah. With both of these men Saul had turbulent relationships. At this time in Israel’s history, the extent of Saul’s kingdom was probably not very large. He was still working to bring the twelve tribes of Israel under his central authority, but in his lifetime that wasn’t completely achieved. His authority during his reign likely extended only from Mt. Ephraim to the mountains of Judah and into the Jezreel Valley in the north. Apparently he never built a palace for himself, but instead ruled from a fortress in his hometown of Gibeah, dispensing justice and giving directives from under a tree (1 Sam 14:2; 22:6) – much like the Judges of the previous era (Judges 4:5). In Jonathan, Saul had a son and heir who was everything Saul wasn’t. Jonathan was honest and loyal with a deep faith and trust in God. However, instead of appreciating his son, Saul resented him. The loss of God’s Spirit and guidance affected everything in Saul’s life including his personal relationships and his mental stability.
The story of Saul is a cautionary tale for all of us who have been called by God’s grace into a faith-relationship with Him. The warning is that this gift of faith can be lost if we step aside from God’s guidance and Word, and instead decide – as Saul did – to do”what is right in our own eyes.”
Concerning the people and the events recorded in the Old Testament, Paul wrote: “11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
1 Samuel 16:1-5 – God sends Samuel to Bethlehem
Saul has been “rejected” as Israel’s king because of his failure to listen and obey the voice of Lord in 1 Samuel 15:23, 26, and 16:1. It is a rejection for which Samuel, as Saul’s spiritual advisor, feels personally responsible. In verse 1 God chastises Samuel for continuing to grieve over what God has already ordained, addressing His prophet with these words: “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?”
The life of a prophet of Lord often was filled with great highs and great lows. He had the honor being in a uniquely close relationship with God, but he also experienced suffering and great sorrow only to discover that no one understood his grief except God.
When Samuel continued to mourn for Saul, feeling responsible or Saul’s failure, the Lord redirected his thoughts and efforts:
“Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
Like many of Israel/Judah’s other kings (priests and prophets too), David was anointed to indicate that he was being set apart for special service to God and God’s people. Similarly, Jesus was anointed through His baptism with the Holy Spirit’s appearance as a dove and the Father’s words “This is my Son….” As the Christ (Messiah) He was set apart for the unique service of being the world’s Savior from sin (Mt 3:9-11; Mk 3:16-17; Lk 3:21-22). The difference between David’s anointing with oil and Jesus’ anointing with water and the Spirit was that Jesus’ anointing fulfilled God’s Messianic promises to Israel through His threefold offices of priest, prophet, and king.
This is the first time Jesse is identified in the Bible. His hometown of Bethlehem (house/place of bread) was located in the land of Judah, about fourteen miles south of Ramah, ten miles south of Gibeah, and five miles south of Jerusalem. Jesse was a descendant of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob/Israel and his wife Leah. Inside the tribe of Judah, Jesse belonged to the house of Judah’s son Perez and to the clan of Ephrath….who founded the town Bethlehem. He was also the grandson of Ruth and Boaz, the father of David, and an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth. The 8th century BC prophet Isaiah will prophesy that the Redeemer-Messiah will be a descendant of Jesse of Bethlehem (Isaiah 11:10).
It’s interesting to note that God indicates that one of Jesse’s sons is to be anointed melek (Hebrew for “king”), whereas God earlier (I Samuel 9:16) had told Samuel that Saul was to be anointed nagid, (Hebrew for “prince”). However, in other passages David is also called a nagid (1 Sam 25:30; 2 Sam 5:2; 6:21; 7:8).
It’s also interesting that Jesse’s grandmother was Ruth….a Moabite woman who was brought to faith in the LORD (Ruth 1:4; 4:11; Matthew 1:3, 4). Ruth was also one of only five women included in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, along with Tamar, Rabab, Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife), and Mary of Nazareth. According to the Law of the covenant, the offspring of an Israelite and Moabite marriage was not eligible to worship in the Sanctuary until the tenth generation (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). This law was probably meant to discourage marriage to these pagan peoples during the early years of the conquest, but apparently three centuries later the prohibition was no longer enforced, or perhaps a convert like Ruth, who clearly demonstrated her obedience and faith in the true God, was no longer considered a Moabite. David is only the fourth generation from Ruth (counting her as the first generation).’
Samuel is well aware that Saul can be an unpredictably violent and vindictive man (as in the case of Jonathan, Saul’s son, who narrowly escaped death at his father’s command in 14:44-45). He is therefore understandably concerned that his act of anointing another man to replace the sitting king will motivate Saul to seek his life. God, however, has a plan. Since Samuel regularly visited the surrounding villages and towns as part of his ministry, taking part in village feasts (9:13, 22-24), God tells him to take along a heifer and celebrate a feast in Bethlehem. Once again Samuel demonstrates his great faith. Despite the risk to his own life, he trusts God and is obedient to God’s command. God intends that Samuel will privately anoint one of Jesse’s sons and then celebrate a feast that would also serve as something of an “inaugural banquet” for the new/future king, just as Samuel had an inaugural banquet for Saul.
Samuel’s sudden visit to Bethlehem is also a concern to the town’s elders. Prophets spoke for God and occasionally their message was one of condemnation for the sins of the community. The elders were probably afraid that this was a disciplinary visit. Or, the might have been concerned about Saul’s anger. After all, welcoming Samuel, who had ended his relationship with the king, could bring reprisals from Saul.
In verse 5, the Hebrew can be translated “purify” or “consecrate” and it literally means to keep one another in a state of consecration (see Num 11:18; 2 Sam 11:4; etc.). In order to offer worship to God in a communal feast, the people were probably required to ritually wash themselves and perhaps also wash their clothes as in Exodus 19:10 and Numbers 8:21. Only those in a state of ritual purity could participate in the feast.
1 Samuel 16:6-13 – Samuel Anoints David
Initially Jesse presents to Samuel his firstborn son, Eliab (his name means “God is Father”….Eliab is also mentioned in 17:13, 28; 1 Chronicles 2:13; he is called Elihu in 1 Chronicles 27:18). When Samuel saw Jesse’s tall and handsome firstborn son he immediately assumed Eliab was God’s choice for the next anointed king of Israel, because Eliab was physically impressive like Saul – who was handsome and who stood head and shoulders above other men. However, what God was teaching His prophet (and what He teaches us) is that the LORD is not interested in physical attributes but in interior purity of heart. In fact, God tells His prophet that it isn’t that He simply hasn’t “chosen” Eliab, but that he has “rejected” him. Used here is the same Hebrew verb that was used in 15:23, 26, and 16:1 describing that the Lord had rejected Saul. Perhaps Eliab had defects of character that were similar to Saul’s defects. The second son, Abinadab (“father of generosity”), was also not “chosen” (17:13; 1 Chronicles 2:13), nor was the third son, Shammah (proper noun; see 17:13; 1Chronicles 2:13). Only four of Jesse’s sons are named in this passage. It is significant that the passage says Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel and David is understood to have been the eighth son (verse 12; also see “eight sons” in 17:12). 1 Chronicles 2:13 lists David as the seventh son and Josephus also lists David as the seventh son (Antiquities of the Jews, 6.8.1 [162-63]). Seven sons is supposed to be the ideal composition of a family in the Bible (see Job’s seven sons in Job 1:2; 42:13 and Naomi says that her daughter-in-law Ruth was better to her than seven sons in Ruth 4:15).
It is possible that the reference to David as the “eighth” son is meant to be symbolic. In the significance of numbers in Scripture, eight is symbolically the number of redemption, salvation, and re-birth. David’s kingship inaugurated a new dynasty of kings for Judah….a dynasty that would span some 400 years. And, of course, David’s greatest descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, would establish an eternal kingdom that would secure salvation for all of humankind. Seven, symbolically, is the number of fullness or completion, and spiritual perfection. It is also possible that one of Jesse’s sons died at a young age prior to David’s anointing. This could be an explanation for his absence from the list found in I Chronicles 2:13.
I Samuel 16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep” [Hebrew….”shepherding the sheep”]. And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes [the word “cheeks,” which is familiar to many, is either found in the Hebrew text nor the Septuagint texts] and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”
This isn’t the first time God expresses special love and recognition for a shepherd. Here are some other shepherds that God included in His plan of salvation, and which had a special relationship with the LORD: Abel (Genesis 4:4); Abraham (Genesis 13:5; 24:34-35); Isaac (Genesis 26:14); Jacob (Genesis 30:32-43); Moses in Midian (Exodus 3:1); David (1 Samuel 16:11-19; 17:14-1); and the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1).
David’s personal history as a shepherd caring for his sheep allowed Him to use his experiences to describe the Shepherd-sheep relationship between God has His people (for example see Psalm 23:1; Psalm 80:1).
The “shepherd-sheep” relationship is also used in the Scriptures to describe the roles of Israel’s kings and priests either as the good shepherds or failed shepherds of their people (1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezra 34:5, 8), and of the promised Messiah who the prophets promised would come to be the Shepherd of His people (Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:12, 23-24). For example, the 6th century BC prophet Ezekiel, who lived four centuries after David, wrote: “And I will set up over them one Shepherd, my servant David, and He shall feed them: He shall feed them and be their Shepherd.”
Of course, Jesus appropriated this description in His Good Shepherd discourse in John 10, one of the more familiar and endearing portions of Scripture, where He speaks of Himself saying, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). In addition, Jesus would identify Himself as the Shepherd sent to find the “lost sheep” of His people (Mt 15:24). And in John 21 Jesus directs Peter to “feed My lambs” and “be a shepherd for My sheep.”
The writer to the Hebrews also speaks of Jesus as Divine Shepherd of the sheep by “the blood that sealed an eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20). And Peter (in I Peter 2:25) says: “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
The Hebrew word admoni, “red,” (translated as “ruddy” above) can either refer to the hair or the completion. For what it’s worth, according to Jewish tradition, David had auburn hair and blue eyes. The rabbis even would write that because of the manly standard set by David, reddish-brown or auburn was considered the ideal hair color for men. David is also described as being attractive in 1 Samuel 16:18 and in 17:42 when David first encountered the Philistine warrior Goliath: “And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy [admoni] and handsome in appearance.”
Interestingly, the Hebrew word used to describe David’s eyes is the same word used for the beauty of women in Scripture like Rebekah and Abigail (Gen 24:16; 1 Sam 25:3 )
1 Samuel 16:12b-13 “And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.”
The Spirit of the LORD came upon David in the same way that God’s spirit had come upon Saul (10:6, 10); however God’s spirit came upon David immediately, whereas Saul did not receive God’s Spirit until the signs Samuel promised were confirmed.
When God’s Spirit comes upon someone who is anointed that indicates that God is gifting these representatives of His with the special, or additional means to carry out their commissioned tasks.
We also want to comment on David’s older brothers being passed over, while he was chosen as God’s anointed one. It’s interesting that the elder son being passed over in favor of the younger is a theme (or example) that is often repeated in Scripture. For example: Abel was favored over Cain. (Genesis 4:1-5; 18-19); Isaac was favored over Ishmael. (Genesis 25:25-28); Jacob was chosen over Esau. (Genesis 28:10, 13-15); Ephraim was ranked over Manasseh. (Genesis 48:17-19); the tribe of Judah was given primacy over the “older brother” tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Levi (Genesis 49:10); and Moses was chosen as the people’s redeemer/lawgiver over Aaron. (Exodus 6:20). God’s choice of a younger son also took take place in David’s family when his son Solomon was chosen to succeed David instead of his older half-brother Adonijah.
Notice, that while Samuel anointed David, nowhere does Scripture say that he informed Jesse’s family that David would one day become the next king of Israel. And so it’s quite likely that the reason for David’s anointing might not have been clear to his family. They could have assumed his anointing indicated a call into the prophetic ministry, like Samuel’s. This “vagueness” could have been for David’s protection, given the rather hostile reaction of David’s eldest brother Eliab when David arrived in the Israelite camp in 17:28.
It’s also noteworthy that no one else in the Bible ever bears the name of “David.” In Hebrew, in fact, David (dvd) is not a proper name. Most scholars are in agreement that, in Hebrew, David means “beloved.” Some have suggested that this might not have been David’s birth name, but that his family gave him the nick-name “beloved” because of his sweet nature as a child.
Others in Scripture also had multiple names. Perhaps the most prominent was Jesus’ disciple Simon, who was also called Peter (rock). Then there were Abram and Sarai, who became “Abraham” (father of many nations), and Sarah (princess). Two additional disciples of Jesus also had more than one name: Levi, who was called Matthew; and Thaddeus, who was also known as Nathaniel.
This, by the way, was the first of what would be three anointings for David. Here he is anointed before his family by Samuel (16:13). Later he will be anointed by the people of Judah to be their king (2 Samuel 2:4). Eventually, he will be anointed by the elders of Israel to be king over the twelve tribes of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).
1 Samuel 16:14-23 David Enters Saul’s Service
As the Spirit of the LORD came upon David (16:13), Saul felt the departure of God’s Spirit and instead “an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.”
Later in David’s life, he wrote about his period of disobedience/impenitence following his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. Subsequently expressing repentance over his transgressions and his silence before God, David recognized the importance of God’s Spirit in his life and prayed that he would not be deprived of God’s Spirit…..as had happened to Saul. In Psalm 50:10-12 David, under inspiration, wrote: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Even though David knew that God had replaced Saul with him as the anointed to be king of Israel, and despite Saul’s future hostility toward him, David would remain loyal to Saul as Israel’s king as long as Saul was alive. This is yet another evidence of David’s good character.
That God permitted an evil spirt to torment Saul was not God’s intent. It was the result of Saul’s disobedience and impenitence. God does not send this evil spirit. Rather, removing His protection from Saul, God allows an evil spirit to afflict him. The LORD will use this to carry out His will and plan of salvation, just as He used Judas’ disobedience and the Jewish religious leadership’s hatred of Jesus to carry out His plan to redeem the world. God neither willed Judas’ and the Jews’ hatred and rejection of Christ. It was their sin. Likewise, Saul’s disobedience was not what God willed, but what Saul wanted. And through that disobedience, Saul moved to impenitence and eventually unbelief. The fault was all his. Not God’s. Realizing he had been rejected by God and deserted by Samuel, Saul suffered repeated attacks of madness. With sin and rejection of God’s will come consequences…..then, for Saul…..and today as well.
Saul’s servants recognized that an evil spirit was afflicting him. They suggested that he listen to music played on a lyre to calm him during those periods. One of his servants recommended one of Jesse’s sons who was a skilled player. His knowledge of David – including that he was strong, brave and handsome (16:18) – in all probability came from his hearing of David’s reputation. Although we obviously don’t know for certain, perhaps he had learned about David’s exploits in defending his father’s flocks against lions and bears (17:34-36). At any rate, David is described as a fine young man from a good family, who enjoyed God’s favor.
In verses 19-20, Saul sent messengers to Jesse with the order, “Send me your son David who is with the sheep.” Jesse then obediently sent his youngest son to Saul’s court with a gift of bread and wine to cultivate the king’s favor and express his family’s loyalty to Saul.
Verse 21 tells us “Saul loved him” [David]. Saul’s fondness for David at this point in their relationship was probably not so much for David personally as it was for the calming effect that David’s music had on him. It’s interesting that only in modern times has music therapy been recognized as a therapeutic treatment for the mentally distressed.
The Bible also informs us that David composed music (2 Samuel 1:17-27; 22:1-51; 1 Chronicles 16:7-42). Under God’s inspiration, he wrote many of the psalms. They bear the designation: “psalm of David” (Psalms 3-41, 51-70, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 139-144). The prophet Amos also wrote that David also invented musical instruments (Amos 6:5). In addition as king, David introduced the use of musical instruments and choirs of Levites as part of the daily worship practices of God’s people (1 Chronicles 6:31; 23:5; chapter 25).
David’s period of service in Saul’s court gave David the opportunity to experience the positives and negatives of court life and to observe the workings of the monarchy and politics in general. This period in his life was an apprenticeship that would later make him a better king who served as God’s servant to the people.
Saul not only appointed David his court musician but also appointed David to be his weapons carrier. This probably didn’t mean that David accompanied Saul into battle but was likely an honorary position which designated him the king’s official servant and which made David eligible to be housed and have his meals provided at court. That Saul wrote to David’s father requesting that David be allowed to stay at court suggests that David was only in his teens, younger than the 20 years of age required to be a warrior and therefore too young to be conscripted into the army (Numbers 1:20, 22, 24, 26, etc.; 1 Samuel 14:52). That this is the case is also supported by Saul’s statement about David’s youth in 17:33. David apparently continued to commute the ten to miles between Bethlehem and Saul’s fortress at Gibeah (17:15). The letter to Jesse is one of the only times Saul would use David’s given name. Later as his hostility toward David grew, Saul would refer to David only as “Jesse’s
Son.”
Chapter 17: David and Goliath
Joshua 11:22 states: “No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.”
A note on chapter 17. According to many Bible scholars, this chapter contains several inconsistencies in the narrative. One problem is that the Hebrew “Massoretic” text doesn’t agree with the Septuagint (the Greek text), which is considerably shorter because it lacks verses 17:12-31, 41, 48b, 50, 55-58. Some scholars think that the Hebrew text was assembled from two different narratives. Other scholars suggest that the Massoretic text reflects a deliberate expansion of the narrative, and still others suggest the passages were dropped from the Septuagint because of perceived inconsistencies. However, 1 Samuel 17:15 solves some of those inconsistencies by linking chapters 16 and 17, and by giving us the information that David went back and forth between working for his father, Jesse, in Bethlehem and serving as Saul’s servant and court musician. Finally, most conservative scholars believe that the shorter Greek text is actually a subsequent abridgement of the longer, authoritative Hebrew text. We prefer this last explanation.
1 Samuel 17:1-7 – Goliath, the Philistine Champion Goliath
Saul has left his fortress at Gibeah, prepared for war against the Philistines, who were camped at Ephes-dammin between Scoch and Azekah. The Israelite army was camped near the Philistines, on a hill in the Valley of Elah ( “elah” in Hebrew means “terebinth,” which is a type of large tree that grows in the lowlands). The towns of Socoh and Azekah are also mentioned in Joshua 15:35. The Philistines probably also possessed the fortress of Azekah, a few miles northwest of Socoh. It controlled the main road across the valley where the Israelites were camped (Joshua 15:35). The Israelite camp was about four miles northeast of Socoh. The Israelite and Philistine armies faced each other across a valley, with the Philistines occupying the high ground. The valley ran south and parallel to the Valley of Sorek that lay between the Philistine towns of Ashkelon and Gaza. The location was within the tribal lands of Judah, about fourteen miles west of Bethlehem. Finally, the Valley of Elah was the natural entry point from Philistine territory into the Israelite hill country, which was part of Saul’s kingdom.
1 Samuel 17:4 introduces Goliath to us. “A challenger who represented the Philistines came out from the camp of the Philistines. He was named Goliath of Gath. He was nine feet, six inches tall.”
Goliath was from the city of Gath, one of the five Philistine city-states located on the coastal plain in southern Canaan (Joshua 13:3). He was one of two men named Goliath who are mentioned in the Book of Samuel. The other was also a giant from Gath whom the Israelites encountered many years later when David was king of Israel. (Perhaps he was a son of the first Goliath [2 Samuel 22:19]). Gath, like Gaza and Ashdod, was one of the remaining homes to a race of giant people known as the Anakim whose inherited DNA was probably the cause of Goliath’s great size (see Numbers 13:22, 28, 33; Deuteronomy 1:28; 2:10-11, 21; 9:2; Joshua 11:21-22; 14:12, 15; 15:13-24; Judges 1:20; and 2 Samuel 21:22).
According to the Hebrew text, Goliath’s height of six cubits and a span would mean that he was just about nine feet nine inches tall. However, the Greek translation (the Septuagint) reduces Goliath’s height to four cubits and a span – approximately six feet nine inches. Given that the average Hebrew was slightly over five feet tall (we know this from measuring skeletal remains of that period), Goliath would have towered above his Philistine peers and Hebrew opponents regardless of whether he was 9/6″ or 6’6″ tall. However, the preferred reading is the Hebrew with Goliath being nearly ten feet tall!
Goliath’s battlearmor and weapons included a helmet, body armor, greaves/shin guards, and a sword (all made of bronze), plus a spear with an iron tip as well as a shield. It’s intriguing that, although the Philistines possessed iron-making skills, only the tip of Goliath’s spear was made of iron. Maybe the Philistines hadn’t yet developed the technology of tempering iron in a way that kept long, flat pieces of iron from being brittle. The text compares the shaft of Goliath’s spear to a “weaver’s beam.” A weaver’s beam was either the bar to which the warp was fastened in a large loom or the shaft carrying the strings for separating the threads of the warp (the threads that are stretched lengthwise on the loom). Just the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron, or roughly about 15 pounds.
Goliath’s breastplate, or more literally his scale armor, weighed about 130 pounds. Although the Philistines, technically, were Greek by background, the Greeks wore chest armor made of a thin, molded solid sheet of bronze. Scale armor, on the other hand, was made of small interlocking pieces of metal or scales. These metal scales were fashioned into shirt that fit over the head, rested on the shoulders and covered the front and back of the warrior. The front and back pieces were attached at the sides
with leather straps, and in some cases at the shoulders. Scale armor was developed by either the Egyptians or by the Hittites around the time of this battle. Goliath’s shield was not the small, round shield used by the Israelites, but instead was a large, standing shield that covered the entire body. Finally, a bronze sword completed the giant’s combat equipment. The detailed description of Goliath and his weaponry was intended to impress upon the reader/hearer the fact that iw would be impossible to defeat Goliath when he was covered from head to toe in bronze – with the exception of his face.
1 Samuel 17:8-11 – Goliath Challenges the Israelites to a “Winner-Take-All” contest
This kind of one-on-one combat representing opposing armies is not documented in the literature of the ancient Near East other than the Bible. However, the practice of an individual challenging an opposing solder in winner-take-all combat was part of the ancient Greek tradition. (Homer’s Iliad has the Greeks challenging the Trojans to individual combat.) The Philistines, of course, were originally Greeks (part of a massive migration through the Mediterranean world known as “the sea peoples”). Each day Goliath taunted the Israelites, offering that the victor in mortal combat between him and an Israelite champion would win victory for his entire army, but the Philistines were confident that no Israelite warrior would be brave enough to face Goliath in combat.
1 Samuel 17:12-31 – David is sent to the Israelite Camp to learn about his brothers
For the first time we are told that Jesse is from the clan of Ephrath, which had settled in Bethlehem. This is the clan of Naomi and Boaz from the Book of Ruth (Ruth 1:2; 4:11; Micah 5:1). Jesse’s three eldest sons (see 16:6-9) were serving in Saul’s army. Verse 12 indicates that David was the eighth son of Jesse (see 16:10-11). To serve in the Hebrew army a man had to be 20 years of age. David, however, was too young to join the army like his brothers. Consequently, although he had functioned at Gibeah as Saul’s court musician and as one of his servants, David had returned the ten miles home to Bethlehem where he was working for his father.
For forty straight days Goliath had harassed the army of Israel. Forty is one to the significant numbers in Scripture. We think, for example, of the forty days of continuous rain that began the Great Flood; also Moses’ two forty-day periods on Mount Sinai; plus there were Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness during which He was tempted; and finally, the period of forty days between Jesus crucifixion and His Ascension.
From verses 17-19 we learn that Jesse was concerned about the welfare of his eldest sons and so he sent David to deliver an ephah of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread for them as well as gift of ten cheeses for their commander. An ephah is about half a bushel. Roasted grain was cooked in a pan and could be stored for a long time. With the words “bring back some assurance,” Jesse was directing David to learn whether or not his brothers were still alive and to bring back some proof either that they were living, or that they had died on the battlefield.
The fact that Jesse did not send a servant to do this work strongly suggests that his family was not sufficiently well-off to have servants working for it. David is sent instead. When he reaches the camp the armies are aligning for battle across from each other in the valley. David entrusts his supplies to the supply officer and hurries to the battlefield to see his brothers. There David hears Goliath’s taunts and challenge to Israel. The key point here is the use of the word “defy” to describe Goliath’s challenge. (It is repeated five times in verses 17:10; 25, 26, 36, and 45.) Goliath was not only challenging Israel but was defying the God of Israel as well!
When David learns that Saul is offering a reward to the man who kills the Philistine champion, he is interested enough to ask several different people about it in order to be sure his information is correct. Some commentators have criticized David’s interest in the reward, as though it was mercinary and unvirtuous of him. But it would have been foolish for David not to be interested in the possibility that his father could be free from all taxes for the rest of his life, as well as that David might secure a good marriage that would increase the honor of his family. Marriage only for love was not a concept in ancient times. However, David was likely just trying to verify the impressive offer, because he later twice declined the offer to marry Saul’s daughter (18:18, 23), before finally taking Michal as his bride (18:26). More important is the fact that he was outraged at Goliath’s disparaging of the only true God.
In verses 28-29 we have a rather revealing exchange between David and his eldest brother. Eliab, who is probably about ten years older than David, was annoyed with his little brother’s conduct. He evidently believed that David has come to the camp without their father’s permission just to spy on them and view the battle. (Shades of Joseph’s brothers and their feelings toward him….) David was not in the least intimidated by his brother, defending himself by asking exactly what was it he had done to offend Eliab….besides, didn’t he (David) have the right to express his opinion on such an important matter? That David is not afraid to challenge his elder brother, who is supposed to have authority over him as the “firstborn,” was probably why Eliab accused him of impudence.
1 Samuel 17:31-39 David Volunteers to Challenge Goliath
Since David, apparently, was the only one in the camp who had expressed any interest in the king’s offer, he is brought before Saul. Once before the king he confidently declared his willingness to fight and kill the Philistine champion, but Saul protested that David was just a boy without any training as a soldier. However, David responded that God had enabled him to kill both lions and bears with his bare hands while defending his father’s flock. David further expressed his confidence that since God could deliver him from wild beasts that He would also deliver him from the Philistine.
Saul accepted David’s offer to fight Goliath and generously dressed David in his own armor, but David refused the offer because the armor did not fit him (since David was not tall like Saul) and also since he was not used to wearing armor. It’s safe to say that David also realized that God’s favor was far greater protection than any man-made protection.
1 Samuel 17:40-47 – David Confronts Goliath
Goliath’s taunt concerning David’s “sticks” referred to his shepherd’s staff. His sling was his primary weapon. With the two armies lined up in formation across from each other (17:48), David proceeded to a stream that flowed through the valley and collected five smooth stones for his sling. Although Goliath was better armed, he only had short range weapons. David, on the other hand, using his sling, had the tactical advantage of a long range weapon.
Once he was close enough to the giant for Goliath to hear his words, David told him that God would protect him and give him the victory, using God’s battle name “The Lord of Armies.” In fact, he used God’s divine name four times as he spoke to Goliath (verses 45, 46, and 47 twice).
1 Samuel 17:48-54 – Goliath Defeated…..the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
David stuck Goliath on the only part of his body that was not covered. Writer Agatha Christie, who accompanied her archaeologist husband on a number of his digs, got to witness the advantage of the sling as a weapon first hand. She wrote: “Standing on the mound at Nimrud, I watched the local bird scarer, an old Arab with his handful of stones and his sling, defending the crops from the hordes of predatory birds. Seeing his accuracy of aim and the deadliness of his weapon, I suddenly realized for the first time that it was Goliath against whom the dice were loaded. David was in a superior position from the start; the man with a long distance weapon against the man who had none. Not so much the little fellow against the big one, as brains versus brawn.”
Of course, David possessed an even more powerful “Weapon” against his enemy. He had faith that the battle’s outcome was in God’s hands. Faith in the LORD was his undeniable advantage in that contest…..as it is our advantage in all of the spiritual and personal battles that we fight in life.
With amazing accuracy, David slung one stone, striking Goliath in his forehead and killing him. Then, he ran up to the dead Philistine who was lying face down on the ground (verse 49). David pulled Goliath’s sword from its scabbard and cut off the Philistine’s head.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, their confidence was suddenly shattered and they fled the field of battle……in defiance of the “agreement” between Goliath and David that the loser’s army would become the captives of the victory. Nevertheless, the men of Israel and of Judah charged the Philistines as they shouted their war cry. Judah was mentioned because it was David’s tribe and the largest fighting force of all the tribes of Israel. They pursued the Philistines right up to the gates of Ekron. Philistine dead were scattered all along the road. Then the Israelites broke off their pursuit and returned to the field of battle to plunder the Philistine camp.
In the aftermath, we’re told that David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but that he kept the the giant’s weapons, putting them in his own tent as trophies of his victory. This last verse (18:54) is probably a scribal addition to the text, since at the time Jerusalem was still a Canaanite city under the control of the Jebusites. David would later capture the city after he became king of Israel….about ten years later in @ 1000 BC. Perhaps at that time the head of Goliath was taken to Jerusalem as a kind of relic.
1 Samuel 17:55-58 – David, the Victor, is Presented to King Saul
The chapter closes with this intriguing addendum: “55 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?’ Abner said, ‘As your soul lives, my King, I do not know.’
56 The king said, ‘Inquire whose son the young man is!’ 57 As David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, ‘Whose son are you, young man?’ David answered, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.’”
Abner was Saul’s cousin and his chief military commander. It was not surprising that Saul did not recognize the young musician who had been performing at his court. Servants were considered to be nearly invisible. Saul was “loved” of David (16:21), but that probably meant that he loved the calming music David played, but that he did not necessarily personally know the servant musician. We also do not know how much time had elapsed since Saul last saw David….perhaps a few months, or longer. Young men in their teenage years can grow and mature significantly in a short time. Notice that David does not ask for or receive the reward he was told the victor would be given for killing the Philistine champion in 17:25. Was this another of Saul’s short comings that he did not seem to feel bound by his own vows if it isn’t convenient? This certainly wouldn’t be the first time Saul would renege on a promise to David.