1 Samuel 17:44
New International Version
“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

New Living Translation
“Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

English Standard Version
The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

King James Bible
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

New King James Version
And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

New American Standard Bible
The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals.”

NASB 1995
The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

NASB 1977
The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

Legacy Standard Bible
The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

Amplified Bible
The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

Christian Standard Bible
“Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!”

American Standard Version
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.

Contemporary English Version
and shouted, "Come on! When I'm finished with you, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals!"

English Revised Version
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Come on," the Philistine told David, "and I'll give your body to the birds."

Good News Translation
"Come on," he challenged David, "and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat."

International Standard Version
told David, "Come to me! I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field."

Majority Standard Bible
“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

NET Bible
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!"

New Heart English Bible
The 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."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

World English Bible
The 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.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the Philistine says to David, “Come to me, and I give your flesh to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.”

Young's Literal Translation
and the Philistine saith unto David, 'Come unto me, and I give thy flesh to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he of the rovers will say to David, Come to me and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the cattle of the field.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.”

New American Bible
and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will feed your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”

New Revised Standard Version
The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistine said to David: “Come to me and I shall give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Philistine said to David: 'Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Slays Goliath
43“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.…

Cross References
Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Isaiah 37:36
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Ezekiel 39:17-20
And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. / You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan. / At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk. ...

Jeremiah 34:20
I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

2 Kings 19:35
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Psalm 79:2-3
They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. / They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

Deuteronomy 28:26
Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.

2 Samuel 21:10
And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

Isaiah 14:19
But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot.

Jeremiah 7:33
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.

Matthew 24:28
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Ezekiel 29:5
I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and will not be taken away or gathered for burial. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.

Ezekiel 32:4-5
I will abandon you on the land and hurl you into the open field. I will cause all the birds of the air to settle upon you, and all the beasts of the earth to eat their fill of you. / I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

Jeremiah 16:4
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

Jeremiah 15:3
I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.


Treasury of Scripture

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

come to me

1 Kings 20:10,11
And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me…

Proverbs 18:12
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

Ecclesiastes 9:11,12
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all…

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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














Come here
This phrase is a direct challenge from Goliath to David. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "לְכָה" (lekah), which is an imperative form, indicating a command or an invitation. Goliath's use of this phrase is not just a call to approach but a taunt, reflecting his confidence and disdain for David. Historically, this reflects the common practice of psychological warfare in ancient battles, where opponents would attempt to intimidate each other with words before engaging in physical combat.

he called to David
The act of calling out to David signifies Goliath's attempt to assert dominance. The Hebrew verb "קָרָא" (qara) implies a loud proclamation, often used in contexts where authority or power is being asserted. This highlights Goliath's arrogance and his underestimation of David, a young shepherd. In the broader scriptural context, this moment sets the stage for the classic underdog narrative, where God often uses the seemingly weak to overcome the mighty.

and I will give your flesh
This phrase is a vivid threat, typical of ancient Near Eastern battle rhetoric. The Hebrew word for "flesh" is "בָּשָׂר" (basar), which can refer to the physical body or, metaphorically, to human frailty. Goliath's threat underscores his belief in his own physical superiority and his intention to utterly defeat and humiliate David. This reflects the brutal reality of ancient warfare, where the bodies of the defeated were often left unburied, a fate considered dishonorable.

to the birds of the air
The imagery of birds consuming flesh is a common motif in the Bible, symbolizing complete destruction and disgrace. In the Hebrew text, "עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם" (oph hashamayim) literally means "birds of the heavens," emphasizing the natural order where scavengers clean up after death. This phrase is used elsewhere in Scripture to depict divine judgment or the total defeat of enemies (e.g., Jeremiah 7:33). It serves as a stark contrast to the honor of a proper burial, which was highly valued in ancient Israelite culture.

and the beasts of the field
This part of the threat extends the imagery of desecration and defeat. The Hebrew "חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה" (chayat hasadeh) refers to wild animals, emphasizing the idea that David's body would be left to the mercy of nature, unprotected and unburied. This reflects the ultimate humiliation in the ancient world, where one's body being consumed by animals was seen as a sign of divine disfavor or curse. In the biblical narrative, this threat heightens the tension and sets the stage for God's deliverance through David.

(44) Come to me.--In similar terms Hector addresses Ajax--

"And thou imperious! if thy madness wait

The lance of Hector, thou shalt meet thy fate.

That giant corse, extended on the shore.

Shall largely feed the fowls with fat and gore."--

Iliad, xiii. 1053.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Come
לְכָ֣ה (lə·ḵāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

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

he called
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

David,
דָּוִ֑ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

“and I will give
וְאֶתְּנָה֙ (wə·’et·tə·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

your flesh
בְּשָׂ֣רְךָ֔ (bə·śā·rə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

to the birds
לְע֥וֹף (lə·‘ō·wp̄)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

of the air
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and the beasts
וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת (ū·lə·ḇe·hĕ·maṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

of the field!”
הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land


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OT History: 1 Samuel 17:44 The Philistine said to David Come (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 17:43
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