1
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were
gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between
Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the
valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood
on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
The Philistines and Israelites gathered their armies on mountain tops, separated by a valley
between them.
4
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
Goliath, the Philistine champion, was ten feet tall. [1]
5
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat
of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between
his shoulders.
7
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head
weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before
him.
He had a brass helmet, and a coat of mail that weighed 150 pounds and spear head that weighed 19 pounds.
[2]
8
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why
are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye
servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
Goliath cried out to the armies of Israel, saying,
Choose a man to fight me.
9
If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your
servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our
servants, and serve us.
10
And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a
man, that we may fight together.
If he kills me, we will be your servants.
But if I kill him, you will be our servants.
11
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were
dismayed, and greatly afraid.
When Saul and the Israelites heard Goliath's challenge, they were afraid.
12
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was
Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in
the days of Saul.
13
And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle:
and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the
firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14
And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
15
But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at
Bethlehem.
(Jesse had eight sons. [
3]
The youngest was David, who was tending his father's sheep.)
16
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself
forty days.
Goliath challenged the Israelites every day, morning and evening, for
forty days.
17
And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of
this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy
brethren;
18
And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look
how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
Jesse said to David
Take some corn, bread, and cheese to your older brothers who are fighting the Philistines in the valley of Elah.
19
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah,
fighting with the Philistines.
Saul was in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20
And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper,
and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench,
as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21
For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against
army.
22
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and
ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines,
and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
When David arrived at the valley of Elah, he met with his brothers.
Then Goliath showed up.
24
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were
sore afraid.
25
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely
to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him,
the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter,
and make his father's house free in Israel.
All the Israelites were afraid of Goliath and ran away.
26
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done
to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from
Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the
armies of the living God?
David asked the Israelite soldiers,
What will the guy who kills this uncircumcised Philistine get for a reward?
27
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done
to the man that killeth him.
The soldiers said,
The king will give him lots of money and his daughter for a wife.
28
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's
anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither?
and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy
pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou
mightest see the battle.
Eliab, David's oldest brother said to David:
Why did you come here anyway? Why'd you leave your sheep?
I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart.
29
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner:
and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31
And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them
before Saul: and he sent for him.
When Saul heard about this, he sent for David.
32
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy
servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
When David arrived, he said to Saul,
Don't be afraid. I'll fight the Philistine.
33
And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to
fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his
youth.
Saul said to David,
You can't fight this Philistine. You're just a kid. [4]
He's been a man of war since his youth.
34
And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there
came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his
mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote
him, and slew him.
36
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the
living God.
David replied,
When I was watching sheep, a lion and a bear took a lamb out of the flock.
And I chased after him (them?), grabbed him by his beard, and killed him.
I killed the lion and the bear; I can do the same to this uncircumcised
Philistine.
37
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the
lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of
this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
Saul said,
OK then. Go with God.
38
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon
his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he
had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I
have not proved them. And David put them off him.
Saul put his own helmet and armor on David, but David said,
I can't use these. I'm not used to them.
40
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of
the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip;
and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
David took his staff, a sling, and five smooth stones that he found in the brook and headed off to meet Goliath.
41
And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare
the shield went before him.
42
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for
he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
Goliath was surprised to see that the Israelites sent David to fight him, since David was just a good-looking kid.
43
And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me
with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh
unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
Goliath said to David,
I'll feed your flesh to the birds and beasts.
45
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD
of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of
the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts
of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and
spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.
David replied:
You come at me with a sword, spear, and shield, but I come in the name of the Lord.
God will deliver you to my hand, I will smite you, and cut off your head. Then I'll give your carcass to the birds
and beasts, so that the earth will know there's a God in Israel.
And everyone will know that God saves not with a sword or spear, because the battle is God's and he'll give you
into our hands.
48
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the
Philistine.
49
And David put his hand
in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine
in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his
face to the earth.
50
So David prevailed
over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine,
and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51
Therefore David ran,
and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of
the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut
off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion
was dead, they fled.
When Goliath came near, David killed him with a sling and stone.
Then he took Goliath's sword and cut off his head. [5]
52
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the
Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And
the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto
Gath, and unto Ekron.
53
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines,
and they spoiled their tents.
When the Philistines saw that Goliath was dead, they all ran away.
The Israelites chased after them, smiting them along the way.
54
And David took the
head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his
armour in his tent.
Meanwhile, David brought Goliath's head to Jerusalem.
55
And when Saul saw
David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain
of the host, Abner, whose
son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot
tell.
When David left to fight Goliath, Saul said to his captain, Abner,
Who is this young man?
Abner replied,
I don't know.
56
And the king said,
Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
Saul told Abner to find out.
57
And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took
him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his
hand.
So when David returned after killing Goliath, Abner brought him to see Saul. (David was still carrying Goliath's head.)
58
And Saul said to him,
Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of
thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
Saul asked David,
Who are you? [6]
David answered,
I am the son of Jesse.
Notes
- Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. (v.4)
"Six cubits and a span, about ten feet." (Oxford Annotated Bible note for v.4)
What the Bible says about giants.
Giants: Goliath
- The weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass ... and his spear's
head weighed six hundred shekels of iron (vv.5,7)
Five thousand shekels, about one hundred and fifty lbs. (Oxford Annotated Bible note for v.5)
Six hundren shekels, about nineteen lbs. (Oxford Annotated Bible note for v.7)
- Jesse ... had eight sons. (v.12)
How man sons did Jesse have?
- Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him:
for thou art but a youth. (v.33)
Was David a man of war?
- David ... slew him, and cut off his head. (v.51)
What the Bible says about decapitation
DWB: 69. In the valley of Elah: Goliath
How did David kill Goliath?
Who killed Goliath?
- Whose son art thou, thou young man? (v.58)
In this passage Saul can't even recognize David, yet according to 16:21-22 and
17:32-39, Saul knows David very well indeed.
When did Saul meet David?
- Dwindling in Unbelief
- Saul has killed his thousands and
David his tens of thousands (1 Samuel 17:4)
- David, a man after God's own
heart (WWDD?) (17:51)
- Did God help David kill Goliath?
- Slate Blogs the Bible by David Plotz
- Why Do Saul's Son and David Kiss So Much?
- Christian Response
Annotated Skeptic's Annotated Bible
- A Bethlehemite slew Goliath the Gitite (1 Sam 17)
- SAB Author Answered