1 Samuel 17

David and Goliath

1 Now the Philistines v gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at w Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and x Azekah, in y Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in z the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named a Goliath of b Gath, whose height was six 1 cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels 2 of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a c javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. d And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and e are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants f and serve us." 10 And the Philistine said, g "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together." 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was h the son of an i Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, j named Jesse, k who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. 3 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And l the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 m David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul n to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

17 And Jesse said to David his son, "Take for your brothers an ephah 4 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 o Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. p See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them."

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to q the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the r things in charge of the keeper of the r baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, s the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke t the same words as before. And David heard him.

24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to u defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches v and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away w the reproach from Israel? For who is this x uncircumcised Philistine, that he should u defy the armies of y the living God?" 27 And the people answered him in the same way, z "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."

28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle." 29 And David said, "What have I done now? Was it not but a word?" 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke b in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, c "Let no man's heart fail because of him. d Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." 33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth." 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, e for he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 And David said, f "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, g and the Lord be with you!"

38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, h with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, i ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, "Am I j a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh k to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field." 45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with l a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, e whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. m And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day n to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, o that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that p the Lord saves not with sword and spear. q For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand."

48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine r and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, s they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath 5 and the gates of t Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from u Shaaraim as far as v Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took w the head of the Philistine x and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, y the commander of the army, "Abner, z whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, a "As your soul lives, O king, I do not know." 56 And the king said, "Inquire whose son the boy is." 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul b with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, c "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:5
    And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 15:35
    Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 10:10
    And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
    Nehemiah 11:30
    Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 11:13
    He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:19
    Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
    1 Samuel 21:9
    And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me.
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 21:19
    And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
    1 Chronicles 20:4
    And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 21:10
    And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.
    Joshua 11:22
    There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
    Joshua 13:3
    (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:45
    Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:41
    And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 8:17
    He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
  11. Cross References
    1 Samuel 11:1
    Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:25 - 26
    And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.
    1 Samuel 17:36
    Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.
    1 Samuel 17:45
    Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
    2 Samuel 21:21
    And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down.
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:58
    And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
    1 Samuel 16:1
    The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.
    1 Samuel 16:18
    One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.
    Ruth 4:22
    Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 35:19
    So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:58
    And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
    1 Samuel 16:1
    The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.
    1 Samuel 16:18
    One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:10 - 11
    And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these.
    1 Chronicles 2:13 - 15
    Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:6
    When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord 's anointed is before him.
    1 Samuel 16:8 - 9
    Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one.
    1 Chronicles 2:13
    Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third.
  18. Cross References
    1 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." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.
  19. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:19
    Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:20
    And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 37:14
    So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 26:5
    Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
    1 Samuel 26:7
    So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him.
  23. Cross References
    Isaiah 10:28
    He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage.
    Acts 21:15
    After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 10:28
    He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage.
    Acts 21:15
    After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.
  25. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:4
    And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
  26. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:8
    He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
  27. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:10
    And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.
    1 Samuel 17:36
    Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.
    1 Samuel 17:45
    Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
  28. Cross References
    Joshua 15:16
    And Caleb said, "Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.
  29. Cross References
    1 Samuel 11:2
    But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.
  30. Cross References
    Judges 14:3
    But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.
  31. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:25
    And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.
  32. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 5:26
    For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived?
    Joshua 3:10
    And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
  33. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:25
    And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.
  34. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:26 - 27
    And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
  35. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 20:3
    And shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them.
  36. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:18
    One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.
  37. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:10
    And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.
    1 Samuel 17:26
    And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
  38. Cross References
    2 Timothy 4:17
    But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
  39. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:13
    But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father.
    1 Chronicles 22:11
    Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
    1 Chronicles 22:16
    Gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!
  40. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:7
    The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.
  41. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:12
    And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he.
  42. Cross References
    1 Samuel 24:14
    After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
    2 Samuel 3:8
    Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman.
    2 Samuel 9:8
    And he paid homage and said, "What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?
    2 Samuel 16:9
    Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
    2 Kings 8:13
    And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.
  43. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:46
    This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
  44. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:6
    And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
  45. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:36
    Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.
  46. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:26
    And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.
  47. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:44
    The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.
  48. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:36
    And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
    Joshua 4:24
    So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.
  49. Cross References
    Hosea 1:7
    But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.
    Psalms 44:6 - 7
    For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.
    Zechariah 4:6
    Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
  50. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:15
    And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
  51. Cross References
    1 Samuel 21:9
    And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me.
    2 Samuel 23:21
    And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.
  52. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:34
    Quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
  53. Cross References
    Joshua 15:11
    The boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea.
  54. Cross References
    Joshua 15:36
    Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages.
  55. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:4
    And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
  56. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:57
    And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
  57. Cross References
    2 Samuel 5:6 - 7
    And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off" - thinking, "David cannot come in here.
  58. Cross References
    2 Samuel 2:8
    But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
  59. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:21 - 22
    And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
  60. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:26
    And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.
  61. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:54
    And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
  62. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:12
    Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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