1 Samuel 17:16
New International Version
For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

New Living Translation
For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.

English Standard Version
For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

Berean Standard Bible
For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.

King James Bible
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

New King James Version
And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

New American Standard Bible
And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

NASB 1995
The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.

NASB 1977
And the Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days, and took his stand.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the Philistine approached, morning and evening, for forty days and took his stand.

Amplified Bible
The Philistine [Goliath] came out morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

Christian Standard Bible
Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

American Standard Version
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Contemporary English Version
Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for 40 days.

English Revised Version
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Each morning and evening for 40 days, the Philistine came forward and made his challenge.

Good News Translation
Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.

International Standard Version
For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position.

Majority Standard Bible
For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.

NET Bible
Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position.

New Heart English Bible
The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

World English Bible
The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Philistine draws near, morning and evening, and stations himself [for] forty days.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Philistine draweth nigh, morning and evening, and stationeth himself forty days.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he of the rovers will draw near, the morning and the evening, and he will take a stand forty days.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Truly, the Philistine advanced morning and evening, and he stood forth, for forty days.

New American Bible
Meanwhile the Philistine came forward and took his stand morning and evening for forty days.

New Revised Standard Version
For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself for forty days.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistine came early and when it became dark, and he remained forty days
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Accepts the Challenge
15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. 16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand. 17One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.…

Cross References
Numbers 14:34
In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.

Judges 6:1
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

1 Kings 18:36
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar 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 have done all these things at Your command.

Exodus 16:35
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

Joshua 6:3-4
March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. / Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

2 Kings 19:9-10
Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So Sennacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, / “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Nehemiah 4:1-3
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews / before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” / Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

Psalm 27:1-3
Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread? / When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. / Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.

Psalm 46:1-3
For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. / Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, / though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

Isaiah 37:23-24
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! / Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest heights, the densest of its forests.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. / But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. / After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Mark 1:13
and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.


Treasury of Scripture

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

forty days

Matthew 4:2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Luke 4:2
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Jump to Previous
Draweth Drew Evening Morning Nigh Philistine Presented Stand Stationeth
Jump to Next
Draweth Drew Evening Morning Nigh Philistine Presented Stand Stationeth
1 Samuel 17
1. The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4. Goliath challenges a combat
12. David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28. Eliab chides him
30. He is brought to Saul
32. shows the reason of his confidence
38. and slays the giant
55. Saul takes notice of David














For forty days
The number forty in the Bible often symbolizes a period of testing, trial, or probation. This is seen in other biblical narratives, such as the forty days and nights of rain during the flood (Genesis 7:12), the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert (Numbers 14:33), and Jesus' forty days of fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). In this context, the forty days of Goliath's challenge represent a time of testing for Israel, a period during which their faith and courage were being tried. The repetition of this number underscores the completeness of the trial and the patience required to endure it.

the Philistine
This refers to Goliath, the giant warrior from Gath, who was a champion of the Philistines. The Philistines were a significant adversarial group to the Israelites during this period. Historically, they were known as a sea people who settled in the coastal regions of Canaan. Their presence and military prowess posed a constant threat to Israel. Goliath, as a Philistine, embodies the physical and spiritual opposition to God's people, challenging not only their military strength but also their faith in God.

came forward
This phrase indicates Goliath's boldness and confidence. He did not wait for the Israelites to attack but took the initiative to confront them. This action symbolizes the aggressive nature of evil and opposition in the world, which often confronts believers with intimidation and fear. Goliath's coming forward daily is a reminder of the persistent nature of challenges that believers face, requiring steadfast faith and reliance on God.

every morning and evening
The twice-daily appearance of Goliath highlights the relentless nature of the threat. Morning and evening are significant times in Jewish tradition, often associated with prayer and sacrifice (Exodus 29:39). The timing of Goliath's challenge could be seen as a direct affront to the spiritual practices of Israel, attempting to disrupt their daily rhythm of worship and devotion. This persistent challenge serves as a metaphor for the constant spiritual warfare believers face, requiring vigilance and perseverance in faith.

to take his stand
This phrase indicates Goliath's determination and defiance. In Hebrew, the word for "stand" (יָצַב, yatsab) can imply taking a position or making a firm stance. Goliath's stand is not just physical but also symbolic of his challenge to the God of Israel. His defiance is a direct challenge to the authority and power of God, setting the stage for a confrontation that is not merely physical but spiritual. This highlights the theme of spiritual warfare, where believers are called to stand firm in their faith against the forces of darkness, trusting in God's deliverance and power.

(16) And presented himself forty days.--Wordsworth, following Augustine, sees here a reference to the temptation of the true David, who "was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of the devil." "In David is Christ . . . do not, therefore, read this history of David as if it did not concern you who are members of Christ." (Aug. in Psalms 143).

Verses 16-19. - The Philistine .... presented himself. I.e. took his stand (see on 1 Samuel 10:23; 12:7, 16). This verse takes up the narrative, disturbed by the inserted explanation about David's family relations. The extraordinary formation of the ground, as described in ver. 3, shows how it was possible for this challenge to go on for forty days without either army advancing or retiring. During this long time it seems to have been the business of the friends at home to supply the combatants with food, and so Jesse sends David with an ephah, about three pecks, of parched corn - as the word is spelt in the Hebrew it means "parched pease." Also ten loaves, and, for the captain of their thousand, ten cheeses - rather, "ten slices of fresh curd." David was also to take their pledge. Apparently neither Eliab nor his brethren could write, and therefore they would send back to their father some token previously agreed upon to show that they were in good health, and had received the supplies sent them. Now Saul, etc. This is a part of Jesse's speech, telling David where he would find his brethren. For were, the right translation is, "They are in the terebinth valley, fighting with the Philistines."

CHAPTER 17:20-58

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For forty
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים (’ar·bā·‘îm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 705: Forty

days
יֽוֹם׃ (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

the Philistine
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖י (hap·pə·liš·tî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

came forward
וַיִּגַּ֥שׁ (way·yig·gaš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

every morning
הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם (haš·kêm)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7925: To load up, to start early in the morning

and evening
וְהַעֲרֵ֑ב (wə·ha·‘ă·rêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6150: To become evening, grow dark

to take his stand.
וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֖ב (way·yiṯ·yaṣ·ṣêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3320: To set or station oneself, take one's stand


Links
1 Samuel 17:16 NIV
1 Samuel 17:16 NLT
1 Samuel 17:16 ESV
1 Samuel 17:16 NASB
1 Samuel 17:16 KJV

1 Samuel 17:16 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 17:16 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 17:16 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 17:16 French Bible
1 Samuel 17:16 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 17:16 The Philistine drew near morning and evening (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 17:15
Top of Page
Top of Page