David and Goliath

Click here to read I Samuel 17.

Chapter 17 tells the Story of David and Goliath. Again the Philistines muster for battle. They had camped near Azekah which was in the western part of Judah. This was brought about by some good news that they had heard about Saul. First, he was no longer in the "good graces" of Samuel, thus, no longer in the "good graces" of God, the two people they feared most. Second, he was having what they presumed to be mental problems. They showed their disdain for him by assembling in Judah.

The Armies of Israel assembled on a hill opposite the Philistine Armies. The Philistines still remembered the defeat they had taken from the Israelis under Samuel so they were not too sure of themselves. They really did not want to do battle with the forces of Israel. They wanted to decide the outcome of the battle upon a single combat between one of their men and one of the Israeli men.

Their man was Goliath, a giant of a man, believed to have been over 9 foot tall. He was probably a descendant of Anakin and the other giants that the spies saw at Kadish-Barnea. Resent excavations in that area have indeed uncovered skeletons of that size. One commentary gives his height as over 11 feet based on a revised calculation of the length of a cubit at 27 inches. The Hebrew lists his height as 6 cubits 1 span. Using a 17 inch cubit it calculates 9 feet 6 inches.

His armor was in proportion to his size: A brass helmet, a brass coat of arms made of plates laid over one another like fish scales, he wore brass boots that covered most of his legs because they were the part of his body that was most vulnerable to an ordinary man and he wore a large brass neck brace. It was said that his coat alone weighed 5,000 shekels, 125 pounds. ( 1 shekel = 2/5 oz.) Some believe that the 5,000 shekels was the worth of his coat, not the weight, but $6,000 would seem a bit high.

Notice his weapons: His spear was the size of a "weavers beam", estimated at 3 inches diameter by 8 feet long. An ordinary man could barely lift it, let alone, throw it. His shield was probably the lightest part of his armor as his squire carried it for him.

Notice how haughty he was: He marched down into the valley between the two armies and yelled a challenge to the Israeli, "Choose you a man and let him come down to me. If I win, you will be our servants, if he wins, we will be your servants."

Now enters David into the story. David, the son of Jesse, from the Tribe of Judah, had 7 older brothers. Three of the oldest were already in Saul's army. David spent his time between Gibeah, where Saul lived and Bethlehem, where his father, Jesse, lived. One of his choirs for the family was taking food to his brothers who were in the army, checking on them while he was there and bringing back letters from them. He also usually took a gift of food for the boy's captain. One day when David had gone to do this, a trip of about 18 miles one way, he arrived just after the Israeli Army had left to face the Philistines. He left his baggage at the camp and hurried out to find his brothers. As he stood talking to them, Goliath, as had been his custom for 40 days now, stepped out and shouted his challenge to the Israeli. The Israeli soldiers were frightened and started to run in all directions. One of the soldiers asked David if he had seen the giant and told him of a reward that Saul had offered to anyone who would fight him. Saul had offered one of his daughters for a wife and tax-exempt statue for life for that person and his family. David continued to ask questions and his brothers told him to shut up and go home and tend his sheep.

Now word got back to Saul that David had been asking questions about Goliath so he sent for David and told him to forget it but David told him not to worry that he would take care of the Philistine. But Saul was doubtful. "How can a boy like you fight a man like Goliath who had been in the army since his youth?" But David insisted that he had fought lions and bears with a club to protect his sheep and that the Lord, who had saved him from the animals, would save him from Goliath. Finally Saul agreed to let David try. He offered David his own armor but it was to heavy for David to carry.

David then left for the front and took with him his slingshot and his staff. On the way he picked up 5 smooth stones and put them into his shepherd's bag. When he arrived where the two armies were camped, he started across to where Goliath was standing. When Goliath saw this "nice little red cheeked" boy coming toward him, he sneered in contempt. "What am I, a dog that you come at me with a stick?" (Goliath saw only David's staff) "Come over here and I will give your flesh to the wild animals." But David said, "You come at me with a sword and a spear, but I come at you in the name of the Lord." "Today the Lord will conquer and I will kill you and cut off your head and give the dead bodies of your men to the wild animals." "The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel."

The two warriors approached each other and David took out his slingshot, placed one of the stones in it and hit Goliath in the center of his forehead. Goliath fell face forward and since David had no sword, he took Goliath's sword and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw the Goliath was dead, they turned and ran.

Then Abner, the Commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took David to Saul with Goliath's head and when Saul saw it, he was confused and amazed. Who was this shepherd boy named David? He questioned Abner about David, but Abner knew nothing. Then Saul questioned David and David told him that his fathers name was Jesse and his home was in Bethlehem.

Some differences in the Bible concerning the death of Goliath:

Most Bible scholars believe that II Samuel 21:19 should read as I Chron. 20:5.


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