This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. This dayThe phrase "This day" signifies immediacy and certainty. In the Hebrew context, "this day" (הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, hayyom hazeh) emphasizes the present moment as a divine appointment. It reflects David's confidence in God's timing and sovereignty. Historically, this was a pivotal moment for Israel, as it marked a turning point in their battle against the Philistines. David's declaration underscores the belief that God acts decisively in history. the LORD will deliver you into my hand
"The LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness and power. "Will deliver" (יִסְגְּרְךָ, yisgerkha) implies a divine handing over, suggesting that God is actively involved in the battle. This phrase highlights the theological conviction that victory comes not by human might but by divine intervention. David's faith contrasts with the fear of the Israelite army, showcasing a reliance on God's promises. and I will strike you down and cut off your head
"I will strike you down" (וְהִכִּיתִךָ, vehikkitkha) and "cut off your head" (וְהִסַּרְתִּי אֶת־רֹאשְׁךָ, vehisarti et-roshkha) are vivid expressions of total victory. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, beheading an enemy symbolized complete defeat and humiliation. David's confidence in achieving this reflects his trust in God's power to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. It also foreshadows the ultimate defeat of evil through God's anointed. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine camp
"Today" reiterates the immediacy of God's action. "I will give the carcasses" (וְנָתַתִּי פִּגְרֵי, venatati pigrei) indicates a divine judgment upon the Philistines. The "Philistine camp" represents the collective threat against Israel. This phrase underscores the theme of divine justice, where the enemies of God's people face the consequences of their defiance. to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth
This imagery of leaving bodies for "the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth" (לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְחַיַּת הָאָרֶץ, le'oph hashamayim ulehayyat ha'aretz) is a common motif in ancient texts, symbolizing utter defeat and disgrace. It serves as a warning to those who oppose God's purposes. Theologically, it reflects the belief that God is the ultimate judge who upholds righteousness. so that all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel
"So that all the earth will know" (וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל־הָאָרֶץ, veyed'u kol-ha'aretz) emphasizes the universal scope of God's revelation. "That there is a God in Israel" (כִּי יֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, ki yesh Elohim leYisrael) highlights the central theme of God's presence and power among His people. This phrase encapsulates the missional aspect of Israel's identity—to be a witness to the nations of God's reality and sovereignty. David's victory is not just for Israel's sake but for the glory of God to be known worldwide. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidA young shepherd boy, anointed by God to be the future king of Israel. He demonstrates faith and courage in confronting Goliath. 2. GoliathA giant Philistine warrior who defies the armies of Israel and challenges them to send a champion to fight him. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who David acknowledges as the source of his strength and victory. 4. The PhilistinesA group of people who were enemies of Israel, often in conflict with them during this period. 5. The Valley of ElahThe location where the battle between David and Goliath takes place. Teaching Points Faith in God's DeliveranceDavid's confidence is rooted in his faith that God will deliver him. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's power and promises in their own battles. God's Glory RevealedDavid's victory is not for his own glory but to demonstrate that there is a God in Israel. Our actions should point others to God and His greatness. Courage in the Face of AdversityDavid's courage comes from his faith, not his own strength. Christians are called to face challenges with courage, relying on God's strength. God Uses the HumbleDavid, a young shepherd, is chosen by God to defeat a giant. God often uses those who are humble and seemingly insignificant to accomplish His purposes. Spiritual WarfareThe battle between David and Goliath symbolizes the spiritual battles believers face. Victory comes through faith and reliance on God. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's faith in God influence his approach to facing Goliath, and how can we apply this faith in our own challenges? 2. In what ways does David's victory over Goliath demonstrate God's power and sovereignty? How can we ensure our victories point others to God? 3. What can we learn from David's courage and reliance on God when facing our own "giants" or difficult situations? 4. How does the account of David and Goliath illustrate the principle that God uses the humble and unlikely to achieve His purposes? 5. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant challenge. How did your faith in God impact the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 14:13-14Just as God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, David trusts that God will deliver him from Goliath. Psalm 23David, the author of this Psalm, reflects on God's guidance and protection, which he experiences firsthand in his battle with Goliath. Hebrews 11:32-34David is mentioned among the heroes of faith, highlighting his trust in God to deliver him from his enemies. People Abinadab, Abner, David, Elah, Eliab, Ephah, Goliath, Israelites, Jesse, Saul, ShammahPlaces Azekah, Bethlehem, Ekron, Ephes-dammim, Gath, Jerusalem, Shaaraim, Socoh, Valley of ElahTopics Air, Animals, Army, Aside, Beast, Beasts, Birds, Bodies, Camp, Carcase, Carcases, Carcasses, Cut, Dead, Deliver, Fowl, Fowls, Hands, Heavens, Host, Overcome, Philistine, Philistines, Remove, Shut, Sky, Smite, Smitten, Strike, WildDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Samuel 17:46 4612 birds
5157 head
8135 knowing God, nature of 1 Samuel 17:20-51 5658 boys 1 Samuel 17:32-47 8024 faith, and blessings 1 Samuel 17:32-54 5086 David, rise of 1 Samuel 17:34-50 8202 boldness 1 Samuel 17:34-51 5088 David, character 1 Samuel 17:38-50 4366 stones
5597 victory, act of God 1 Samuel 17:45-47 1235 God, the LORD
5545 spear
8220 courage, facing enemies
8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah 1 Samuel 17:46-47 5029 knowledge, of God Library The victory of Unarmed Faith
'And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; 35. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureApril the Thirtieth the Test of victory
"David behaveth himself wisely." --1 SAMUEL xvii. 55--xviii. 5. The hour of victory is a more severe moral test than the hour of defeat. Many a man can brave the perils of adversity who succumbs to the seductions of prosperity. He can stand the cold better than the heat! He is enriched by failure, but "spoilt by success." To test the real quality of a man, let us regard him just when he has slain Goliath! "David behaved himself wisely"! He was not "eaten up with pride." He developed no "side." …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year April the Twenty-Ninth the Mood of Triumph
"I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts." --1 SAMUEL xvii. 38-54. The man who comes up to his foes with this assurance will fight and win. Reasonable confidence is one of the most important weapons in the warrior's armoury. Fear is always wasteful. The man who calmly expects to win has already begun to conquer. Our mood has so much to do with our might. And therefore does the Word of God counsel us to attend to our dispositions, lest, having carefully collected our material implements, …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year The Call of David.
"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone."--1 Samuel xvii. 50. These words, which are taken from the chapter which you heard read just now in the course of the Service[1], declare the victory which David, the man after God's own heart, gained over Goliath, who came out of the army of the Philistines to defy the Living God; and they declare the manner of his gaining it. He gained it with a sling and with a stone; that is, by means, which to man might seem weak and …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII How David Prevailed.
"So David prevailed over the Philistine!"--1 SAMUEL xvii. 50. Yes, he did, but he would not have done so if he had remained as quiet as the other Israelites. David was one of those who could not be easy so long as the enemies of his country were in the ascendant. To see a Philistine strutting about, defying the armies of the living God, was more than he could bear. Is not this the spirit which should animate Christians to-day? It is not one GOLIATH merely, there are many. DRUNKENNESS, PROFANITY, …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ
John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, was born at Giffordgate, four miles from Haddington, Scotland, in 1505. He first made his appearance as a preacher in Edinburgh, where he thundered against popery, but was imprisoned and sent to the galleys in 1546. In 1547 Edward VI secured his release and made him a royal chaplain, when he acquired the friendship of Cranmer and other reformers. On the accession of Mary (1553) he took refuge on the Continent. In 1556 he accepted the charge of a church in Geneva, …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume I Hwochow Women's Bible Training School
COURSE OF STUDY FIRST TERM Book of Genesis. Gospel according to St. Luke or St. Mark. Acts of the Apostles, chapters i. to ix. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible." Reading Lessons, with necessary Explanation and Writing of Chinese Character. Arithmetic. Singing and Memorisation of Hymns. SECOND TERM Book of Exodus, Numbers, and 1 Samuel i. to xvi. The Gospel according to St. John. The Epistle of St James. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible"--(continued). Reading …
A. Mildred Cable—The Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi's He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh The Shepherd-King
'And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt them mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel! fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons. 2. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Temporal Advantages.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."--1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Every age has its own special sins and temptations. Impatience with their lot, murmuring, grudging, unthankfulness, discontent, are sins common to men at all times, but I suppose one of those sins which belongs to our age more than to another, is desire of a greater portion of worldly goods than God has given us,--ambition and covetousness …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Samuel 17:46 NIV1 Samuel 17:46 NLT1 Samuel 17:46 ESV1 Samuel 17:46 NASB1 Samuel 17:46 KJV
1 Samuel 17:46 Commentaries
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