Why did David want Goliath’s "head"? (1 Samuel 17:54)
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. 54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
1 Samuel 17:48
ESV - 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
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Asked November 17 2019
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
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Tim Maas
Supporter
Perhaps David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem as a combination of it being a "trophy of war" (similar to the manner in which the Philistines subsequently cut off Saul's head after having killed him in battle (1 Samuel 31:9)); as a visible evidence or reminder of God's care and protection of him; and also as a warning to the Jebusites in Jerusalem (which Israel had not yet conquered) of their coming subjugation to the Israelites (2 Samuel 5:6-10).
Danny Hickman
Supporter
Why did David want Goliath's head? I don't think he did; there was nothing he could do with it. He wasn't going to have it mounted and hung on his living room wall. I think a better question is, 'Why did he behead the giant man?' He was dead; why cut his head off? I think it was to show that he was only a man; a very large man, but still just a man! After the encounter, Saul interviewed David. David had the giant's head in his hand when he was brought to King Saul (1 Samuel 17:57). (I think David is a shrewd character. This is his first act as a warrior. Up until now, we've thought of David as a shepherd boy. Now, this "shepherd boy" has killed the Philistines' champion fighter, and is being questioned about his heritage by the reigning king of Israel, while holding in his hand the head of the top soldier of the Philistine army! (vs 57).. I call that a shrewd move!) There's no doubt in my mind that King Saul was highly intimidated by David! David was no empty-headed teenager. He was a king in waiting. AND HE KNEW IT! Samuel had been sent earlier to David's father Jesse's house by God, to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be a replacement for Saul, and David was it. Samuel anointed David to be the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). None of this was above David's pay grade. But here's part B of verse 13: "Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on." We shudder at the thought of a man of David's spiritual stature cutting off another man's head. God has blessed us with delicate sensibilities. That's a good thing. But there's more to it than that. We need to understand the whole nature of the things of God. God uses His servants to give us a better understanding of life. There was nothing personal going on between David and Goliath. David volunteered to fight the giant on God's behalf. He asked, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he defies the battle lines of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26) David, from start to finish of this narrative, is representing Yahweh. Yes, even when he beheaded the giant! And yes, even when he retained the head for future reference... The sword in scripture represents the judgment of God. Job said it to his friends, and I believe it explains a lot. He said, "Be afraid for yourselves because of the sword, for wrath brings punishment by the sword, so that you may know that there is a judgment" (Job 19:29). I think David, along with others who wielded the sword in a way that upsets our sense of moral dignity, was being used to show us a side of the God of Israel for which we need to be aware. God's judgment! (It has always bothered me that the prophet Elijah represented God in his victory on Mount Carmel by taking the prophets of Baal down to the Brook Kishon and hacking them up with a sword (1 Kings 18:40).. My delicate sensibilities shudder. But I think there's a profound reason for it. God's judgment needed to be put on full display! That's my take on it.)
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