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1 Samuel 17-18
New English Translation

David Kills Goliath

17 [a] The Philistines gathered their troops[b] for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelite army[c] assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against[d] the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites[e] on another hill, with the valley between them.

4 Then a champion[f] came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall.[g] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was 5,000 shekels.[h] 6 He had bronze shin guards[i] on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. 7 The shaft[j] of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels.[k] His shield bearer was walking before him.

8 Goliath[l] stood and called to Israel’s troops,[m] “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose[n] for yourselves a man so he may come down[o] to me! 9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight[p] each other!” 11 When Saul and all the Israelites[q] heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.

12 [r] Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years.[s] 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the[t] three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest; and Shammah, the third oldest. 14 Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, 15 David was going back and forth[u] from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. 17 Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly[v] to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer.[w] Find out how your brothers are doing[x] and bring back their pledge that they received the goods.[y] 19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army[z] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it.[aa] After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp[ab] as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer,[ac] he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did,[ad] and David heard it. 24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated[ae] from his presence and were very afraid.

25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so[af] to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”

26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation?[ag] For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 27 The soldiers[ah] told him what had been promised, saying,[ai] “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”

28 When David’s[aj] oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry[ak] with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the wilderness? I am familiar with your pride and deceit![al] You have come down here to watch the battle.”

29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?”[am] 30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question,[an] but they[ao] gave him the same answer as before. 31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him.[ap]

32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged.[aq] Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33 But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him. You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them,[ar] for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.”[as]

38 Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. 39 David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them.[at] David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 40 He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch[au] of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.

41 [av] The Philistine, with his shield bearer walking in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?”[aw] Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!”[ax]

45 But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied! 46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God, 47 and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”

48 The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine.[ay] 49 David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.

50 [az] David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.[ba] 51 David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s[bb] sword, drew it from its sheath,[bc] and after killing him, he cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away.

52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry.[bd] They chased the Philistines to the valley[be] and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp. 54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s[bf] weapons in his tent.

55 [bg] Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the general in command of the army, “Whose son is that young man, Abner?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.” 56 The king said, “Find out whose son this boy is.”

57 So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.”

Saul Comes to Fear David

18 When David[bh] had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship.[bi] Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.[bj] 2 Saul retained David[bk] on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.[bl] 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.

5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.[bm]

6 When the men[bn] arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.[bo] 7 The women who were playing the music sang,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”

8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought,[bp] “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.

10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied[bq] within his house. Now David was playing the lyre[br] as usual. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.

12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David[bs] from his presence and made him a commanding officer.[bt] David led the army out to battle and back.[bu] 14 Now David achieved success in all he did,[bv] for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.

17 [bw] Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior[bx] for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”

18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father[by] in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.

20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it[bz] pleased him. 21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and so the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.”[ca]

22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately to[cb] David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly esteemed man!”

24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except 100 Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his[cc] enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)

26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed[cd] to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired[ce] 27 when David, along with his men, went out[cf] and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so that he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28 When Saul realized[cg] that the Lord was with David and that his[ch] daughter Michal loved David,[ci] 29 Saul became even more afraid of him.[cj] Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on.[ck] 30 [cl] The leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 17:1 tc The content of 1 Sam 17-18, which includes the David and Goliath story, differs considerably in the LXX as compared to the MT, suggesting that this story circulated in ancient times in more than one form. The LXX for chs. 17-18 is much shorter than the MT, lacking almost half of the material (39 of a total of 88 verses). Many scholars (e.g., McCarter, Klein) think that the shorter text of the LXX is preferable to the MT, which in their view has been expanded by incorporation of later material. Other scholars (e.g., Wellhausen, Driver) conclude that the shorter Greek text (or the Hebrew text that underlies it) reflects an attempt to harmonize certain alleged inconsistencies that appear in the longer version of the story. Given the translation characteristics of the LXX elsewhere in this section, it does not seem likely that these differences are due to deliberate omission of these verses on the part of the translator. It seems more likely that the Greek translator has faithfully rendered here a Hebrew text that itself was much shorter than the MT in these chapters. Whether or not the shorter text represented by the LXX is to be preferred over the MT in 1 Sam 17-18 is a matter over which textual scholars are divided. For a helpful discussion of the major textual issues in this unit see D. Barthélemy, D. W. Gooding, J. Lust, and E. Tov, The Story of David and Goliath (OBO). Overall it seems preferable to stay with the MT, at least for the most part. However, the major textual differences between the LXX and the MT will be mentioned in the notes that accompany the translation so that the reader may be alert to the major problem passages.
  2. 1 Samuel 17:1 tn Heb “camps.”
  3. 1 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “the men of Israel” (so KJV, NASB); NAB, NIV, NRSV “the Israelites.”
  4. 1 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “to meet.”
  5. 1 Samuel 17:3 tn Heb “Israel.”
  6. 1 Samuel 17:4 tn Heb “the man of the space between the two [armies].” See v. 23.
  7. 1 Samuel 17:4 tc Heb “his height was six cubits and a span.” The LXX, a Qumran manuscript of 1 Samuel, and Josephus read “four cubits and a span.” A cubit was approximately 17.5 inches, a span half that. So the Masoretic text places Goliath at about 9½ feet tall (cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “over nine feet”; NCV “nine feet, four inches”; TEV “nearly 3 metres” while the other textual witnesses place him at about 6 feet, 7 inches (cf. NAB “six and a half feet”). Note, too, that the cubit was adjusted through history, also attested in Babylon (NIDOTTE 421-424 s.v. אַמָּה). If the cubits measuring Goliath were reckoned as the cubit of Moses, his height at 6 cubits and a span would be approximately 7 feet 9 inches tall. This is one of many places in Samuel where the LXX and Qumran evidence seems superior to the Masoretic text. It is possible that the scribe’s eye skipped briefly to the number 6 a few lines below in a similar environment of letters. The average Israelite male of the time was about 5 feet 3 inches, so a man 6 feet 7 inches would be a very impressive height. Saul, being head and shoulder above most Israelites, would have been nearly 6 feet tall. That is still shorter than Goliath, even at “four cubits and a span,” and makes a sharper contrast between David and Saul. There would have been a greater expectation that a 6 foot tall Saul would confront a 6 feet 7 inches Goliath, placing Saul in a bad light while still positioning David as a hero of faith, which is fitting to the context.
  8. 1 Samuel 17:5 sn Although the exact weight of Goliath’s defensive body armor is difficult to estimate in terms of modern equivalency, it was obviously quite heavy. Driver, following Kennedy, suggests a modern equivalent of about 220 pounds (100 kg); see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 139. Klein, taking the shekel to be equal to .403 ounces, arrives at a somewhat smaller weight of about 126 pounds (57 kg); see R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 175. But by any estimate it is clear that Goliath presented himself as a formidable foe indeed.
  9. 1 Samuel 17:6 sn Or “greaves.” These were coverings (probably lined for comfort) that extended from about the knee to the ankle, affording protection for the shins of a warrior.
  10. 1 Samuel 17:7 tn The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading “wood,” rather than the “arrow” (the reading of the Kethib).
  11. 1 Samuel 17:7 sn That is, about fifteen or sixteen pounds.
  12. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to them.”
  14. 1 Samuel 17:8 tc The translation follows the ancient versions in reading “choose,” (from the root בָּחַר, bakhar), rather than the MT. The verb in MT (בָּרָה, barah) elsewhere means “to eat food”; the sense of “to choose,” required here by the context, is not attested for this root. The MT apparently reflects an early scribal error.
  15. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (either an imperfect or jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result here.
  16. 1 Samuel 17:10 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative verbal form indicates purpose/result here.
  17. 1 Samuel 17:11 tn Heb “all Israel.”
  18. 1 Samuel 17:12 tc Some mss of the LXX lack vv. 12-31.
  19. 1 Samuel 17:12 tc The translation follows the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “in years,” rather than MT “among men.”
  20. 1 Samuel 17:13 tn Heb “his.”
  21. 1 Samuel 17:15 tn Heb “was going and returning.”
  22. 1 Samuel 17:17 tn Heb “run.”
  23. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “officer of the thousand.”
  24. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “and your brothers, observe with respect to welfare.”
  25. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “and their pledge take.” This probably refers to some type of confirmation that the goods arrived safely. See R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 177. Cf. NIV “bring back some assurance”; NCV “some proof to show me they are all right”; NLT “bring me back a letter from them.”
  26. 1 Samuel 17:19 tn Heb “all the men of Israel.”
  27. 1 Samuel 17:20 tn Heb “to a guard”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “with a keeper”; NIV “with a shepherd.” Since in contemporary English “guard” sounds like someone at a military installation or a prison, the present translation uses “to someone else who would watch over it.”
  28. 1 Samuel 17:20 tn Or “entrenchment.”
  29. 1 Samuel 17:22 tn Heb “the guard of the equipment.”
  30. 1 Samuel 17:23 tn Heb “according to these words.”
  31. 1 Samuel 17:24 tn Or “fled.”
  32. 1 Samuel 17:25 tn Heb “he is coming up.”
  33. 1 Samuel 17:26 tn Heb “and turns aside humiliation from upon Israel.”
  34. 1 Samuel 17:27 tn Heb “people.”
  35. 1 Samuel 17:27 tn Heb “according to this word, saying.”
  36. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”
  38. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”
  39. 1 Samuel 17:29 tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”
  40. 1 Samuel 17:30 tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”
  41. 1 Samuel 17:30 tn Heb “the people.”
  42. 1 Samuel 17:31 tn Heb “he took him.”
  43. 1 Samuel 17:32 tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”
  44. 1 Samuel 17:36 tc The LXX includes here the following words not found in the MT: “Should I not go and smite him, and remove today reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?”
  45. 1 Samuel 17:37 tn Or “Go, and may the Lord be with you” (so NASB, NCV, NRSV).
  46. 1 Samuel 17:39 tn Heb “he had not tested.”
  47. 1 Samuel 17:40 tn This Hebrew word occurs only here and its exact meaning is not entirely clear. It refers to a receptacle of some sort and apparently was a common part of a shepherd’s equipment. Here it serves as a depository for the stones that David will use in his sling.
  48. 1 Samuel 17:41 tc Most LXX mss lack v. 41.
  49. 1 Samuel 17:43 sn Sticks is a pejorative reference to David’s staff (v. 40); the same Hebrew word (מַקֵּל, maqqel) is used for both.
  50. 1 Samuel 17:44 tc Many medieval Hebrew mss have “the earth” here, instead of the MT’s “the field.”
  51. 1 Samuel 17:48 tc Most LXX mss lack the second half of v. 48.
  52. 1 Samuel 17:50 tc Most LXX mss lack v. 50.
  53. 1 Samuel 17:50 tn Verse 50 is a summary statement; v. 51 gives a more detailed account of how David killed the Philistine.
  54. 1 Samuel 17:51 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  55. 1 Samuel 17:51 tc Most LXX mss lack the words “drew it from its sheath.”
  56. 1 Samuel 17:52 tn Heb “arose and cried out.”
  57. 1 Samuel 17:52 tc Most of the LXX ms tradition has here “Gath.”
  58. 1 Samuel 17:54 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  59. 1 Samuel 17:55 tc Most LXX mss lack 17:55-18:5.
  60. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  61. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
  62. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”sn On the nature of Jonathan’s love for David, see J. A. Thompson, “The Significance of the Verb Love in the David-Jonathan Narratives in 1 Samuel,” VT 24 (1974): 334-38.
  63. 1 Samuel 18:2 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  64. 1 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
  65. 1 Samuel 18:5 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
  66. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
  67. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
  68. 1 Samuel 18:8 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
  69. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn Or “he raved.” This same construction appears in 1 Sam 10:10 “the spirit of God rushed upon him and then he prophesied in their midst.” It is important to consider the agent affecting Saul, the verb describing his actions, and the broader cultural background. The phrase רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (ruakh ʾelohim) could mean “a divine wind/spirit,” “a spirit from God,” or “the spirit of God.” Unlike 1 Sam 10:10, this case involves a harmful, or evil, spirit. The range of meaning of רָעָה (raʿah) can mean either harm or evil, and here indicates that this spirit’s purpose is to afflict Saul. The verb וַיִּתְנַבֵּא (vayyitnabbeʾ) is a Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ) which means “to prophesy” in both the Niphal and the Hitpael. The difference may well be that the Niphal refers primarily to acting as a spokesman, while the Hitpael reflects an accompanying ecstatic experience on the part of the prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10:6; 19:24). 1 Kgs 18:29 also describes the antics of the prophets of Baal with the Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ). Ecstatic experiences or expressions were sometimes associated with prophecy in the broader West Semitic culture as well as in the Israel. Some translations focus on the presumed outward effects of the afflicting spirit on Saul and render the verb “he raged” or “he raved” (NASB, ESV, NLT, NRSV). Although most biblical references to Israel’s prophets do not involve ecstatic experiences, the original audience would probably not have made a distinction here, that is, “raving” and “prophesying” would not have been considered alternatives.
  70. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
  71. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  72. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
  73. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
  74. 1 Samuel 18:14 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
  75. 1 Samuel 18:17 tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19.
  76. 1 Samuel 18:17 tn Heb “son of valor.”
  77. 1 Samuel 18:18 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
  78. 1 Samuel 18:20 tn Heb “the matter.”
  79. 1 Samuel 18:21 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.
  80. 1 Samuel 18:23 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
  81. 1 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “the king’s.”
  82. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
  83. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
  84. 1 Samuel 18:27 tn Heb “arose and went.”
  85. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
  86. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  87. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  88. 1 Samuel 18:29 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  89. 1 Samuel 18:29 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX mss.tn Heb “all the days.”
  90. 1 Samuel 18:30 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX mss.
Listen to 1 Samuel 17-18
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1 Samuel 17-18
New King James Version

David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at (A)Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named (B)Goliath, from (C)Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was [a]armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. 8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the (D)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 and (E)serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I (F)defy the armies 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 (G)the son of that (H)Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had (I)eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The (J)names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. 15 But David occasionally went and returned from Saul (K)to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and (L)see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. 22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke (M)according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, (N)will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away (O)the reproach from Israel? For who is this (P)uncircumcised Philistine, that he should (Q)defy the armies of (R)the living God?”

27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, (S)“So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s (T)anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

29 And David said, “What have I done now? (U)Is[b] there not a cause?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another and (V)said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, (W)“Let no man’s heart fail because of him; (X)your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33 And Saul said to David, (Y)“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a (Z)lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, (AA)“The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, (AB)“Go, and the Lord be with you!”

38 So Saul clothed David with his [c]armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he (AC)disdained[d] him; for he was only a youth, (AD)ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine (AE)said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine (AF)said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. (AG)But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have (AH)defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give (AI)the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, (AJ)that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord (AK)does not save with sword and spear; for (AL)the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and (AM)ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a (AN)sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his (AO)sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, (AP)they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of [e]the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to (AQ)Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to (AR)Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, (AS)whose son is this youth?”

And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

56 So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

57 Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul (AT)with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, (AU)“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Saul Resents David

18 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, (AV)the [f]soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, (AW)and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, (AX)and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a (AY)covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and [g]behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the [h]Philistine, that (AZ)the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. 7 So the women (BA)sang as they danced, and said:

(BB)“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”

8 Then Saul was very angry, and the saying (BC)displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but (BD)the kingdom?” 9 So Saul [i]eyed David from that day forward.

10 And it happened on the next day that (BE)the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, (BF)and he prophesied inside the house. So David (BG)played music with his hand, as at other times; (BH)but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11 And Saul (BI)cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

12 Now Saul was (BJ)afraid of David, because (BK)the Lord was with him, but had (BL)departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from [j]his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and (BM)he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and (BN)the Lord was with him. 15 Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16 But (BO)all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; (BP)I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight (BQ)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, (BR)“Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

18 So David said to Saul, (BS)“Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to (BT)Adriel the (BU)Meholathite as a wife.

20 (BV)Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may [k]be a snare to him, and that (BW)the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, (BX)“You shall be my son-in-law today.”

22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

23 So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, [l]“In this manner David spoke.”

25 Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any (BY)dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take (BZ)vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul (CA)thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now (CB)the days had not expired; 27 therefore David arose and went, he and (CC)his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And (CD)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

28 Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; 29 and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy [m]continually. 30 Then the princes of the Philistines (CE)went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David (CF)behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 17:5 clothed with scaled body armor
  2. 1 Samuel 17:29 Lit. Is it not a word? or matter?
  3. 1 Samuel 17:38 Lit. clothes
  4. 1 Samuel 17:42 belittled
  5. 1 Samuel 17:52 So with MT, Syr., Tg., Vg.; LXX Gath
  6. 1 Samuel 18:1 life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of
  7. 1 Samuel 18:5 Or prospered
  8. 1 Samuel 18:6 Philistines
  9. 1 Samuel 18:9 Viewed with suspicion
  10. 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit. himself
  11. 1 Samuel 18:21 be bait for
  12. 1 Samuel 18:24 Lit. According to these words
  13. 1 Samuel 18:29 all the days
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