King David

Faith in God’s Provision

David is anointed by God.

David serves Saul during his time of need.

David finds favor with Saul and he becomes his armor bearer.

1 Samuel 17:8–11 ESV

8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not 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 serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks 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.

This happened for 40 days.

Goliath’s Stature

The Masoretic Text records Goliath’s height as “six cubits and a span”—which equals around 9.5 feet (Heiser, “Clash,” 33). However, the Septuagint gives his height as 4 cubits and a span—equal to about 6.5 feet (McCarter, 1 Samuel, 286). It is possible that the LXX preserves the older tradition and that the Masoretic Text reflects a later exaggeration of Goliath’s height. The Hebrew text found among the Dead Sea Scrolls also describes Goliath as 4 cubits tall. Either way, Goliath would have stood considerably taller than the average young Hebrew man, who is estimated to have stood at 5.5 feet (Heiser, “Clash,” 33). Heiser notes that Saul would have been more suited to fight Goliath, since he stood “taller than any of the people” (1 Sam 9:2; Heiser, “Clash,” 33).

Evans suggests that Goliath may have had gigantism, which was a common trait in Gath. This might also have caused Goliath to have a weakened forehead, which could explain why David was able to defeat him with a single rock (Evans, 1 and 2 Samuel, 85).

Goliath’s Equipment

In addition to noting Goliath’s height (1 Sam 17:4), the text offers a detailed description of his armor and weapons (1 Sam 17:4–7), which included:

• a bronze helmet (approx. 30 pounds; 1 Sam 17:5);

• a bronze coat of mail weighing 5,000 shekels (150 pounds; 1 Sam 17:5);

• bronze greaves (1 Sam 17:6);

• a bronze javelin (1 Sam 17:6);

• a spear shaft resembling a weaver’s beam (approx. 15 pounds; 1 Sam 17:7);

• a spear point weighing 600 shekels of iron (approx. 15 pounds; 1 Sam 17:7).

Beau Abernathy and Marten Krijgsman, “Goliath,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

1 Samuel 17:24–37 ESV

24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for 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?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

1 Samuel 17:43–47 ESV

43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 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.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”