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Day 110: David and Goliath
Chapter 17: David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:1-7 ~ The Philistine Champion Goliath
Saul has left his fortress at Gibeah to prepare for war with the Philistines. The Philistines are encamped at Ephes-dammin between Scoch and Azekah. The men of Israel are encamped on a hill in the Valley of Elah ( elah in Hebrew means "terebinth," a type of large tree that grows in the lowlands). The towns of Socoh and Azekah are listed as lowland towns of Judah in the Book of Joshua (Josh 15:35). The Philistines probably also have possession of the fortress of Azekah, a few miles northwest of Socoh which controls the main road across the valley where the Israelites are camped (Josh 15:35). The Israelite camp is about four miles northeast of Socoh. The Israelite and Philistine armies are across from each other with the Philistines occupying the high ground. The valley is south and parallel to the Valley of Sorek that lies between the Philistine towns of Ashkelon and Gaza. The location is in the Shephelah lowlands in the tribal lands of Judah, fourteen miles west of Bethlehem. The Valley of Elath is the natural point of entry from Philistine territory into the hill country controlled by Saul's kingdom.
Goliath is not a Semitic name but is believed to be Anatolian or Aegean. His battle equipment, some of which is similar to the equipment worn by the Greek/Aegean warriors in Homer's Iliad, included a helmet, body armor, greaves, a sword (all made of bronze), a spear with an iron spear point and a shield. It is interesting that only Goliath's spear is made of iron. Perhaps the Philistines had not yet developed the technology of tempering the iron that kept long, flat pieces of iron from being too brittle.
David and Goliath (Michelangelo)
1 Samuel 17:8-11 ~ Goliath Challenges the Israelite Army to Individual Combat
This kind of individual combat representing opposing armies is not documented in the literature in the ancient Near East other than the Bible. However, the challenge of individual combat between opposing army's champions is recorded in Greek literature especially in the Iliad where the Greeks challenged the Trojans to individual combat. You may recall that the Philistines originated from the region of the Greek isles of the Aegean. Goliath taunts the Israelites and makes the offer that the victor in mortal combat will win victory for his entire army. It is an offer the Philistines are confident they will not have to keep, and no warrior on the Israelite side is brave enough to face Goliath in combat.
1 Samuel 17:12-19 ~ Jesse sends David with Provisions to the Israelite Camp
For the first time we are told that Jesse is from the clan of Ephratha. It is the clan of Judah that settled in Bethlehem, and it is the clan of Naomi and Boaz of the Book of Ruth (Rt 1:2; 4:11; Mic 5:1). Jesse's three eldest sons (see 16:6-9) are now serving in Saul's army. In verse 12 we are reminded that David is the eighth son of Jesse (see 16:10-11). David is too young to join the army like his brothers, but before Saul and the army left for the renewed war with the Philistines David was traveling ten miles from Bethlehem to Gibeah to serve as Saul's court musician and then returning to Bethlehem to continue caring for his elderly father's sheep. At Saul's camp, a Philistine warrior has been challenging the Israelites to individual combat.
Question: For how many days had Goliath harangued the Israelites with his taunts?
Answer: For forty days.
Question: Why does Jesse tell David to bring back "some token" from each of his brothers?
Answer: Jesse is asking David to determine proof of life. Either he will find his brothers alive and bring some item of theirs back as proof they are still living or he will have to find their bodies on the battle field and bring proof to their father that they are dead.
1 Samuel 17:20-31 ~ David Arrives in the Israelite Camp
Since Saul has moved out of the court at Gibeah and has resumed the war against the Philistines, it may be some time since he has last seen David who has returned to Bethlehem to resume his duties as the shepherd of his father's flocks. In 17:17-18 David's father gave him two commands: to take provisions to the camp and to check on the condition of his brothers.
Question: What three things does David do to show that he is a dutiful and responsible son?
Answer:
- He arranges to have someone watch his father's sheep.
- He takes the supplies to the Israelite camp and leaves them with the guard.
- He immediately looks for his brothers so he can report to his father on their condition.
Notice that David's family does not have servants to help with such duties. It is another indication that David's family is not wealthy. Jesse is sending provisions for his sons who have been living in the military camp for at least forty days as well as a gift to curry favor for them with their commanding officer. When David arrives in camp the armies are aligned in battle formation across from each other in the valley and so David entrusts his supplies to the guards and hurries to the battlefield to see his brothers. There David hears Goliath's taunts and challenge to Israel. The key word in this part of the narrative concerning Goliath is the word "challenge" or "defy" (hrp pronounced charaph) that is repeated five times in verses 17:10; 25, 26, 36, and 45. Goliath is not only challenging Israel but he is defying Israel's God!
When David hears the reward Saul is offering for the man who kills the Philistine champion, he is very interested and asks several different people to be sure the information is correct.
Question: How many times does David inquire about the reward?
Answer: He is told about the reward in verse 25 and then he inquires again in verses 26 and 30.
This is an interesting exchange between David and his eldest brother. Eliab, who is probably about ten years older than David, is annoyed with his little brother's conduct. He evidently believes David has come to the camp without their father's permission just to view the battle. David is not intimidated by his brother but defends his actions asking what has he done to offend him and can't he 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" is probably why Eliab accuses him of impudence.
1 Samuel 17:32-39 ~ David Volunteers to Accept Goliath's Challenge
David bravely announces his willingness to kill the Philistine champion. Saul protests that David is just a boy without any training as a soldier.
Question: What fighting credentials does David give?
Answer: David says that he has killed both lions and bears with his bare hands defending his father's flock, and then David expresses the confidence that if God can deliver him from wild beasts that He will also deliver David from the Philistine.
It is interesting that David says he only kills the prey animals if they turned on him. If the prey animal releases the sheep, he lets it go. Like all truly great men, David does not equate mercy with weakness.
Question: Saul accepts David's offer to kill Goliath and generously dresses David in his own armor, but why does David refuse the offer?
Answer: The armor must have been a bad fit since David was not tall like his brother and like Saul, and he was not used to wearing armor. David also realizes that God's favor is a far greater protection than any man made protection.
1 Samuel 17:40-47 ~ David confronts Goliath
Goliath's taunt concerning David's "stick" refers to his shepherd's staff (see Ps 23:4). His sling is his chief weapon. The armies are on the valley floor and are lined up in formation across from each other (17:48). David goes to the stream that flows through the valley and collects five smooth stones for his sling.
Question: Why does David select five stones? See 2 Sam 21:20-22.
Answer: There were four other huge men from Gath who were probably Goliath's kinsmen. David has a selected a stone to kill Goliath and four others in case Goliath's kinsman may attempt to attack him.
Question: Compare Goliath's weapons to David's sling and staff. Which warrior had the tactical advantage in weaponry, Goliath or David?
Answer: If you said Goliath, you would be wrong. Goliath, although better armed, only had short range weapons while David, with his sling and stone had the advantage of a long range weapon.
Question: David is not intimidated by his enemy. What does David tell the Philistine?
Answer: David tells him that it is David's God who will protect him and give him victory, using God's battle name "Yahweh Sabaoth."
Question: How many times does David use God's divine name in his response to Goliath?
Answer: David uses God's divine name four times in his defiant speech to Goliath (verses 45, 46, and 47 twice).
David Raises the Head of Goliath (Josephine Pollard)
1 Samuel 17:48-54 ~ The Battle
David stuck Goliath on the only part of his body that was not covered. Running up to the dead Philistine who was lying face down on the ground (verse 49), David pulled Goliath's sword from it scabbard that was hung on his back and cut off the Philistine's head.
1 Samuel 17:55-58 ~ The Victorious David is Presented to King Saul
Abner is Saul's cousin and chief military commander. It is 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 "fond" of David (16:21), but it may have been that Saul was fond of the calming music and not necessarily the servant musician. We also do not know how much time had elapsed since Saul last saw David.
Young men of his age can grow and mature significantly in a year or two. Notice that David does not receive the reward he was told the victor would receive for killing the Philistine champion in 17:25, nor does David bring up the question of the reward. It is another of Saul's short comings that he does not seem to feel bound by his own vows if it isn't convenient. This won't be the first time Saul will renege on a promise to David.
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A Daily Defense
Day 110 Adding to Scripture
CHALLENGE: “Catholics’ use of Tradition and the Magisterium is wrong. In the Bible, God says we must neither add to nor take away from Scripture (Deut. 4:2, 12:32; Rev. 22:18–19).”
DEFENSE: These passages do not prove what is claimed. The two from Deuteronomy deal with the Israelites’ observance of the Mosaic Law.
The first says: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”.
The second reads: “Everything that I command you you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it”.
These exhortations do not mean there are no sources of revelation outside the Law. If they did, they would cancel the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament. They would also contradict Deuteronomy itself, which says: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed” (Deut. 18:15).
Here Deuteronomy specifically foretells the arrival of additional sources of revelation (prophets), which the Israelites are to heed. The passage in Revelation reads: “I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
“This book” is a reference to the book of Revelation, not the entire Bible. This is indicated by the parallel passage at the beginning, where John was told, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches” (Rev. 1:11).
It is also indicated by the reference to “the prophecy of this book”—Revelation being a prophetic book. And it is indicated by the Greek word used here for “book”: biblion. This was the normal word for a scroll. Revelation fit into a scroll, but the entire Bible never did. It was far too long and consisted of a library of scrolls. The warning is thus against tampering with the content of Revelation. It does not say there are no authorities besides Scripture.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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