1 Samuel 17

Chap. XVII. Ver. 1—31. The Philistines threaten Israel, and Goliath challenges them to single combat.—This is the earliest instance of such a challenge; but combats of this kind were not unusual among the Greeks and Romans. As to the height of this giant, it could not be less than nine feet and a half, and it might be more; for men of that height are on record. But it may naturally be asked, if the army of Israel were able to combat that of the Philistines, why should they be terrified by the sight of one individual, however great? Doubtless it was a point of honour to meet the challenge, and the army was evidently anxiously waiting the issue, though no man dared undertake the task. David witnesses the profane boasting of this uncircumcised Philistine, and, animated at once with patriotism and with piety, accepts the challenge, in the name of the God of Israel; and in dependence on his strength, burns to engage in the unequal conflict.

David’s piety and courage, however, excite the envy of his elder brethren, who were already in the army, and, spurning at the idea of their younger brother taking precedence of them, charge him with vanity, and pride, and folly. David justified his conduct from the urgency of the case; “Is there not a cause?” The honour of God, and the salvation of his country were his motives; and let those who censure him, rival him in courage and in principle. It is not uncommon for those who are cold-hearted in a good cause to damp the spirit of others, to save themselves from censure. As to David, he encouraged himself in the Lord his God; and having received former deliverance in former instances, now brought before Saul; though the king was at first astonished at his presumption, when he hears his motives, he cannot but applaud his zeal and bravery, saying, “Go, and the Lord be with thee!”

Ver. 32—58. Saul equips David for the conflict, but he declines his armour, and with a sling and stone encounters and slays Goliath.—Saul wished to send David to the fight—not as a shepherd lad, but in proper military costume like his own soldiers; thinking, perhaps, that thus arrayed, though little, he might be taken for a hero, and be better able to cope with his antagonist: but David judged perfectly right in declining armour. He was not accustomed to it; and this suit, in particular, he had not fitted on, which was very important in wearing armour. As to wear armour, still his sling and stone were more advantageous, for with a sword or spear he never could have reached Goliath; but with his own weapons he was probably as dexterous as those Benjamites who could “sling stones within a hair’s breadth, and not miss.”

((Judges 20:16).) The force of a stone thus thrown is said also to be equal to that of a bullet, and if the helmet did not wholly cover his face, as is most probable, then would his sling and stone possess advantages above any weapon then in use. David’s confidence, however, was neither in his own strength nor in his weapons; but in that God who had fortified his mind and nerved his arm, and who at the same time guided the stone with unerring truth to the vulnerable spot. So in after times a certain man drew a bow at a venture, which smote the king of Israel through the joints of his harness, and proved fatal. ((1 Kings 22:34).) David no sooner saw the enemy of God and of Israel fall, than he ran and cut off his head with his own sword, and carried it off as a trophy of his victory.

In the mean time the Philistine army was panic struck, as on a former occasion, when Jonathan and his armour-bearer had taken one of their garrisons, ((1 Samuel 14:1).) Nor was this an uncommon case, when armies were collected indiscriminately, and sent to fight, undisciplined and untrained to war. We have seen something of this in the wars in India, and more recently in Africa, with the Ashantees and Mantatees. The last five verses of this long chapter relate a conversation between Saul and Abner his uncle and general-in-chief, relative to David, when they saw him go forth to a combat, in which Abner himself seems to have had no idea of engaging. Supposing, however, that three or four years had elapsed between the time of David being engaged in Saul’s service as a minstrel, it is easy to conceive that the king, subject, as he was, to fits of temporary derangement, might have lost all recollection

of his person; and Abner, perhaps, had never before seen him. When David, in answer to Saul’s question, told him whose son he was, it is not improbable that this brought him fully into his recollection, for he asks him no more questions. This chapter is so full of practical instruction, that we must not pass by it without a remark or two, though we are always constrained to be concise. 1. We see in David the true portrait of a Christian hero; with all the courage and fortitude necessary to the latter character, and all the piety and devotion which constitute the former. He fights indeed; but it is to save his country: he triumphs, but gives to God a [heart]. Nor is the word ‘Christian’ improperly applied to David, who not only possessed the Christian virtues, but was himself an eminent type of the [Messiah]. 2. We remark the mysterious course of Providence in this deliverance of Israel.

Another giant is not raised up to contend with Goliath: nor is Abner, the experienced general, and the hero of the Israelites, sent to fight with him; but a shepherd lad, at this time perhaps little more than twenty, volunteers to meet the enemy. Thus God often raises up instruments for the deliverance of his church and people, to all appearance the most incompetent; and yet, it afterwards is found that they were endowed with those talents really best adapted: and loved him as his own [son]. * And Saul took him that day, and would * And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe | p74. | from Saul. to the work. The stone of David’s sling reached, where the sword of Abner must have failed.

Thus, “the foolishness of God (so considered) is wiser than men: and the weakness of God stronger than men.” ((1 Corinthians 1:25).) Chap. XVIII. Ver. 1—9. Jonathan forms with David a covenant of friendship, but Saul envies him.—We have here the formation of a friendship the most lovely and disinterested on record—that between Jonathan and David. The pious bravery and modest simplicity of David had won the heart of Jonathan, who was probably about the same age, “so that the soul of Jonathan (as it is most beautifully expressed) was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul;” and expressed his affection in the manner of the ancients, by clothing him with his own military costume, regarding him as the instrument of God for the deliverance of his country.

Saul also, at first, seemed not insensible to his merits as a hero, but gave him military command, while the spread of his renown rendered him popular throughout the country. A circumstance, however, happened about this time, which excited Saul’s envy, and set him against David. After the return of David, it should seem that a public procession took place in honour of this victory, in which Saul, as king, occupied a prominent situation; and the women, who on these occasions hailed the conqueror in an ode, performed their part with great zeal, and with an evident leaning of partiality towards David, who was the hero of the day; and this was the burden, or chorus of their song, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands;” which was not intended as implying that David had slain a greater number of the enemy than Saul had on former occasions; but he had slain their champion, who was a man of ten thousand; and therefore David’s was the more splendid victory. But Saul was displeased at this and added, “‘and what can he have more but the kingdom,” or, in our English idiom, “the next thing that they ascribe to him will be the kingdom.” ‘And Saul eyed him,” that is, watched him with a jealous eye from that day forward; for he had undoubtedly learned by this time that David was to be his successor; and probably feared that he might be set up against him in his lifetime.

It is a sad thing when the intimations of the divine displeasure, instead of humbling us “under the mighty hand of God,” excite in us murmuring, discontent, and envy against others; when, instead of [praying] for mercy, we vent our evil tempers in raving against God, or railing against [men]. Ver. 10—30. Saul relapses into his former melancholy, and by various means seeks the life of David.—In this place Bishop Warburton, as already hinted, would introduce ten verses (from 14 to 23) from the 16th chapter of this book; and though we are cautious of listening to dislocations of the sacred history, this transposition has been supported with so much ingenuity by another, Dr. Horsley, that we feel it a duty to pay it farther attention.

‘These learned men suppose that David’s

Notes on the verses

Chap. XVII. Ver. 4. A champion.—The English word, in its derivation, means one who fights in the open field; but the Hebrew rather imports, ‘a man between two,” or a middle man, who undertakes, by his own prowess, to settle disputes between contending nations.—Dr. Clarke. —Whose height was six cubits and a half.—According to Bp. Cumberland’s calculation, the height of Goliath was about eleven feet ten inches; but Parkhurst, estimating the ordinary cubit at seventeen inches and a half, calculates that he was nine feet six inches high. Few instances can be produced of men who can be compared with him. Pliny says, “The tallest man that hath been seen in our days was one named Gabara, who in the days of Claudius, the late emperor, was brought out of Arabia: he was nine feet nine inches.” Josephus mentions a Jew, named Eleazar, whom Vitellius sent to Rome, who was seven cubits, or ten feet two inches high.

Becanus saw a man near ten feet, and a woman that was full ten feet. And to mention no more, a man of the name of John Middleton, born at Hale, near Warrington, in Lancashire, in the reign of James the first, was more than nine feet high. Dr. Plott, in his History of Staffordshire says, that “his hand, from the carpus to the end of the middle finger, was seventeen inches, his palms eight inches and a half broad, and his whole height was nine feet three inches; wanting but six inches of the height of Goliath of Gath.” —Bagster. —Goliath of Gath.—When Joshua subdued the Anakims, a few escaped, and took refuge in Gath, from whom, doubtless, this Goliath was descended. See (Joshua 11:22), and note.

Ver. 5. The weight of the coat five thousand shekels of brass.—This, according to Bp. Cumberland’s Tables, amounted to one hundred and fifty-six pounds, avoirdupois; and his spear head exceeded nine pounds. The manner in which the ancient armour was formed, resembled the scales of a fish, and consisted of thin plates, (or lamina,) overlapping each other. Plutarch informs us that the usual weight of a soldier’s armour was sixty pounds, but mentions one twice that weight.—Dr. Clarke. Ver. 6. Target of brass.—Margin, “Gorget;” a kind of shield, or buckler; beside which he had Ver. 7. One bearing a shield.—Shield-bearers were common among the ancients; Alexander the Great had the shield taken out of the temple of Trojan Pallas carried before him in all his battles.—Orient. Lit. No. 446. Ver. 9. If ye be able, &c.—In Plautus, Soria thus describes a battle between the Thebans and Teleboans. The troops being drawn up in military array on both sides, “Both generals then advanced before the ranks, In the mid space, and there conferred together: It was agreed, which ever should be vanquished if the engagement wins, gave up; Their city, lands, gods, houses, and themselves.” Orient. Lit. No. 447. Ver. 10. I defy the armies of Israel.—“From the Dhunoor vedu shastru it appears, that among the Hindoos it was common before the commencement of an engagement to challenge the enemy, by throwing out some terms of abuse, very similar to those used by Goliath.” —Ward’s Hindoos, Ver.

15. David went and returned.—The writer begs here to suggest a slight alteration in the translation of this verse, which might render the narrative more perspicuous and consistent. He would read it, “But David had been and returned;” i.e. he had been to play before Saul, and had been appointed an armour-bearer; but being disgusted both with his master and with a military life, he had returned to keep his father’s sheep. The want of the pluperfect tense in Hebrew, is to be regretted. See note on (Genesis 1:2). Ver. 18. Ten cheeses.—The Vulgate illustrates this passage by translating the Hebrew words, “ten little baskets of cheese,” or, ten cheeses made in such baskets. To this day, in Barbary, “after turning the milk with flowers of the great headed thistle, or wild [species], they put the curds into small baskets made with rushes, or with the dwarf-palm, and bind them up close, and press them.”—Shaw’s Travels.

Ver. 19. Valley of Elah.—Dr. Richardson says, that in about 20 minutes, in an easterly direction, from the cave of St. John, (which is about two hours, or six miles, in a westerly direction from Jerusalem,) they came to the valley of Elah; which position seems to agree with that of Shocoh and Azekah. He describes it as “a small valley, and the place of their encampment is pointed out where it narrows into a broad, deep ravine: part of it was in crop, and part of it was under the plough, which was drawn by a couple of oxen. A small stream, which had shrunk almost under its stony bed passes through it from east to west, from which, we are informed, that David chose out five smooth stones, and hasted and ran to meet the haughty champion of Gath.

A well of water under the bank, with a few olive trees above, on the north side of the valley, are said to mark the spot of the shepherd’s triumph, over his boasting antagonist. Saul and his men probably occupied the side of the valley which is nearest to Jerusalem, on which the ground is higher and more rugged than on the other side.” —Bagster. Fighting with the Philistines.—That is, skirmishing in the valley, between the two hills mentioned ver. 3, as they appeared to have done daily, till the champion of the Philistine came forth, and with gigantic strides and vain boasting, terrified the Israelites. Ver. 20. Came to the trench.—Margin, “Place of the carriages,” where all the baggage-wagons, &c.

were deposited. See (1 Samuel 26:5).—“And shouted for the battle.”—The ancients usually did so, to animate their soldiers and terrify the enemy. Alala, the war-cry shout of the Greeks, was originally an [O] 450. cry of their gods, like that of the Turks, Allah, Allah.—Orient. Lit. Ver. 22. Left his carriage.—Heb. “The vessels upon him;” i.e. the baskets of cream-cheese, the loaves, &c. It is probable David might take an ass with him to carry these. Ver. 26. That taketh away the reproach.—The word rendered defy, both in this and the preceding verses, means literally to strip of all honour, to reproach, and is the same that is here used: “‘What shall be done to the man that taketh away the reproach from Israel?

for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy,” or reproach, rather, “the armies of the living God.” Ver. 31. And when the words were heard, &c.—The preceding twenty verses, from the 12th to the 31st inclusive, the 41st, and from the 54th to the end of this chapter, with the five first verses and the 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of ch. xviii. are all wanting in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint; and they are supposed by Dr. Kennicott, Pilkington, and others, to be an interpolation. But as Bp. Horsley observes, it appears from many circumstances of the story, that David’s combat with Goliath was many years prior to Saul’s madness, and David’s introduction to him as a musician.

In the first place, David was quite a youth when he engaged with Goliath, (ver. 33, 42:) when introduced to Saul, he was of full age, (ch. xvi. 18.) Again, this combat was his first appearance in public life, and his first military exploit; (ver. 56, 38, 39:) when introduced as a musician, he was a man of established character, and a man of war, (ch. xvi. 18.) Now the just conclusion is that the last ten verses of (1 Samuel 16)have been misplaced; their true place being between the ninth and tenth verses of ch. xviii. Let them be removed there, and the whole apparent disorder and inconsistency will be removed. —Bagster. Ver. 34. A lion and a bear.—Not at the same time, for they never go in company; but at different times. Ver.

35. Caught him by his beard.—This seems to refer particularly to the lion. Homer speaks of “a well-bearded lion.” The lions of Judea were not, we know, so formidable as those of Africa, nor their bears like those of Russia. ‘To slay a lion, however, and that with no other weapon, probably than a shepherd’s staff, was no mean exploit… Ver. 38. Saul armed David with his armour:—Heb. “‘Clothed David with his clothes;”’ i.e. in the military dress worn by his servants; a helmet, coat of mail, &c. Ver. 40. Stones out of the brook.—Margin, “Valley.” We have before remarked, that many brooks in Judea in the dry season became valleys, and many valleys were, in the rainy season, turned into brooks.

Such places were therefore alternately brooks and valleys.—In a shepherd’s bag.—These words afford clear evidence that David had not remained all his time in the army, as some suppose; nor is such a circumstance at all reconcileable with ver. 15. Ver. 44. Flesh to the fowls.—The conspirators against the emperor Maximinus, having slain him, his son, and several of his best friends, threw out their bodies to be devoured by dogs and the fowls of the air. This appears to have been a common threat; and, however shocking to human feelings, was often carried into effect.—Bagster. Ver. 50. So David prevailed.—The tradition of the combat between David and Goliath, in which the latter was killed, is preserved among the Arabs; for he is mentioned in the Koran, where he is called Galut, or Jalut.

The Arabs also call the dynasty of the Philistine kings, who reigned in Palestine, when the Hebrews came there, Galutiah, or Jalutiah. Achmed al Fassi, in his book called Ketab al Jamman, says, “those [men] were as well known by the name of Jalawt, as the ancient kings of Egypt by that of Pharaoh. David killed the Jalawt, who reigned in his time, and entirely rooted out the Philistines, the rest of whom fled into Africa, and from them descended the Berbers or Berbers who inhabit the coast of Barbary. It is remarkable that the Berbers themselves should acknowledge their descent from the Philistines. “The name Goliath, which they pronounce Sghialuwd, is very common among the Berbers, and the history of the champion of the Philistines is very well known to the Moors.

When children quarrel, and the bigger one challenges the smaller to fight, the latter answers, ‘Who will fight with you? (Enta men ulid Sgialud.) You are of the race of Goliath.’ The Jews who dwell among them, on the mountains, all call them Philistines.” —Host’s Account of Morocco and Fez. —Bagster. Ver. 54, And brought it (Goliath’s head) to Jerusalem.—This we may suppose, was not immediately, for it was first presented to the king, but probably when the women met him with their triumphal song, as in the next chapter. In the mean time Saul, having taken him into his military service, no doubt furnished him with a suitable tent, and in that he deposited the giant’s armour. But see (1 Samuel 21:9). Ver. 58. Whose son art thou?—(To account for the apparent inconsistency of Saul not knowing David, see the note ver. 31.) —Bagster.