1 Samuel 17

1Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.Cross-references: Josh 10:10 · Josh 15:35 · Judg 3:3 · 1Sam 7:7 · 1Sam 13:5 · 1Sam 14:46 · +5 more

2Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:19 · 1Sam 21:9

3The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.Cross-references: Deut 3:11 · Josh 11:22 · 1Sam 17:23 · 1Sam 21:9 · 1Sam 27:4 · 2Sam 21:16 · +3 more

5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:45 · 1Ki 10:16 · 2Chr 9:15

7The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:41 · 2Sam 21:19 · 1Chr 11:23 · 1Chr 20:5

8He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.Cross-references: 1Sam 8:17 · 1Sam 17:26 · 2Sam 11:11 · 1Chr 21:3

9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”Cross-references: 1Sam 11:1

10The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”Cross-references: Num 23:7 · 1Sam 17:25 · 1Sam 17:36 · 1Sam 17:45 · 2Sam 21:21 · 2Sam 23:9 · +6 more

11When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.Cross-references: Deut 31:8 · Josh 1:9 · Ps 27:1 · Prov 28:1 · Isa 51:12 · Isa 57:11

12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul.Cross-references: Gen 35:19 · Ruth 4:22 · 1Sam 16:1 · 1Sam 16:10 · 1Sam 16:18 · 1Sam 17:58 · +7 more

13The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.Cross-references: 1Sam 16:6 · 1Sam 17:28 · 2Sam 13:3 · 2Sam 13:32 · 2Sam 21:21 · 1Chr 2:13

14David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul.Cross-references: Gen 25:23 · 1Sam 16:11

15Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.Cross-references: 1Sam 16:11 · 1Sam 16:19

16The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.Cross-references: Matt 4:2 · Luke 4:2

17Jesse said to David his son, “Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers;Cross-references: Ruth 2:14 · 1Sam 25:18 · 2Sam 17:28 · Matt 7:11 · Luke 11:13

18and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand; and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”Cross-references: Gen 37:14 · 1Sam 16:20 · 2Sam 17:29 · Job 10:10 · Acts 15:36 · 1Thess 3:5

19Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:28 · 1Sam 26:5 · 1Sam 26:7 · Luke 19:43 · Eph 6:1

21Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.

22David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.Cross-references: Gen 37:14 · Judg 18:15 · Isa 10:28 · Matt 10:12 · Luke 10:5

23As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:8

24All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were terrified.Cross-references: Lev 26:36 · Num 13:33 · Deut 32:30 · 1Sam 13:6 · 1Sam 17:11 · Isa 7:2 · +1 more

25The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.”Cross-references: Josh 15:16 · 1Sam 18:17 · Ezra 7:24 · Matt 17:26 · Rev 2:7 · Rev 2:17 · +3 more

26David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to 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?”Cross-references: Deut 5:26 · Josh 7:8 · 1Sam 11:2 · 1Sam 14:6 · 1Sam 17:10 · 1Sam 17:36 · +10 more

27The people answered him in this way, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”Cross-references: 1Sam 17:25

28Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”Cross-references: Gen 37:4 · Gen 37:8 · Gen 37:11 · 1Sam 16:7 · 1Sam 16:13 · Ps 35:11 · +7 more

29David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”Cross-references: Prov 15:1 · Acts 11:2 · 1Cor 2:15 · 1Pet 3:9

30He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:26

31When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.Cross-references: Prov 22:29

32David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”Cross-references: Num 13:30 · Num 14:9 · Deut 20:1 · Josh 14:12 · 1Sam 14:6 · 1Sam 16:18 · +4 more

33Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”Cross-references: Num 13:31 · Deut 9:2 · 1Sam 17:42 · 1Sam 17:56 · Ps 11:1 · Rev 13:4

34David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

35I went out after him, struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, struck him, and killed him.Cross-references: Judg 14:5 · 2Sam 23:20 · Ps 91:13 · Dan 6:22 · Amos 3:12 · Acts 28:4 · +1 more

36Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”Cross-references: 1Sam 17:10 · 1Sam 17:26 · Isa 10:15 · Isa 36:8 · Isa 36:15 · Isa 36:18 · +11 more

37David said, “Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go! Yahweh will be with you.”Cross-references: 1Sam 7:12 · 1Sam 20:13 · 1Sam 24:19 · 1Sam 26:25 · 2Sam 10:12 · 1Chr 22:11 · +9 more

38Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

39David strapped his sword on his clothing and he tried to move, for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, “I can’t go with these, for I have not tested them.” Then David took them off.Cross-references: Hos 1:7 · Zech 4:6 · 2Cor 10:4

40He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His sling was in his hand; and he came near to the Philistine.Cross-references: Judg 3:31 · Judg 7:16 · Judg 15:15 · Judg 20:16 · Matt 10:10 · 1Cor 1:27

41The Philistine walked and came near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.

42When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and had a good looking face.Cross-references: 1Sam 16:12 · 1Sam 17:33 · 1Ki 20:18 · 2Ki 18:23 · Neh 4:2 · Ps 123:3 · +2 more

43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.Cross-references: Gen 27:29 · Num 22:6 · Num 22:11 · Judg 9:27 · 1Sam 24:14 · 2Sam 3:8 · +4 more

44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the field.”Cross-references: 1Sam 17:46 · 1Ki 20:10 · Prov 18:12 · Eccl 9:11 · Jer 9:23 · Ezek 28:2 · +2 more

45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:10 · 1Sam 17:26 · 1Sam 17:36 · 2Sam 22:33 · 2Chr 32:8 · Ps 3:8 · +12 more

46Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines today to the birds of the sky and to the wild animals of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,Cross-references: Ex 9:16 · Ex 15:14 · Deut 7:2 · Deut 7:23 · Deut 9:2 · Deut 28:26 · +16 more

47and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn’t save with sword and spear; for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into our hand.”Cross-references: 1Sam 14:6 · 2Chr 14:11 · 2Chr 20:15 · Ps 33:16 · Ps 44:6 · Ps 46:11 · +6 more

48When the Philistine arose, and walked and came near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.Cross-references: Ps 27:1 · Prov 28:1

49David put his hand in his bag, took a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.Cross-references: 1Ki 22:34 · 2Ki 9:24 · 1Cor 1:27

50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand.Cross-references: Judg 3:31 · Judg 15:15 · 1Sam 13:22 · 1Sam 17:39 · 1Sam 21:9 · 1Sam 23:21

51Then David ran, stood over the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.Cross-references: 1Sam 21:9 · 2Sam 23:21 · Esth 7:10 · Ps 7:15 · Heb 2:14 · Heb 11:34

52The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gai and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and to Ekron.Cross-references: Josh 15:11 · Josh 15:33 · Josh 15:45 · Judg 7:23 · 1Sam 14:21 · 2Sam 23:10

53The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.Cross-references: 2Ki 7:7 · Jer 4:20 · Jer 30:16

54David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.Cross-references: Ex 16:33 · Josh 4:7 · 1Sam 21:9

55When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell.”Cross-references: 1Sam 16:21 · 1Sam 17:58

56The king said, “Inquire whose son the young man is!”

57As 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.Cross-references: 1Sam 17:54

58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”Cross-references: 1Sam 16:18 · 1Sam 17:12