David and Goliath

Push and Shove

The familiar story of David and Goliath is one example of push and shove peppered with insults. Goliath is nine feet nine inches tall (1 Sam. 17:4), quite extraordinary for that time according to physical anthropologists. He hurls a challenge at the Israelite army to select a warrior to do battle with him, one on one (17:8). He adds insult to underscore the challenge (17:10).

David pleads with King Saul to send him to battle. Saul points out the obvious: David is too young to battle with a seasoned warrior. He is not an equal to Goliath, and only equals can play the game of push and shove. Furthermore, David is a shepherd, and this is a despised occupation in the culture. It would be insulting to send him up against a warrior. Moreover, David doesn’t even come close to Goliath’s height. David defends himself as very powerful and up to the task. He recounts how he killed lions and bears in defending his flocks. Besides, he argues, God is on his side. It is important to remember God’s place in the honor scheme of the Israelites. God’s reputation as kin-God of the Israelites is always at stake when enemies come to do battle. If Israel loses, God is shamed. The gods of the enemy are perceived to be superior to Israel’s kin-God.

Pilch, J. J. (2012). A Cultural Handbook to the Bible (p. 159). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.

Goliath Insults

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Narrative Significance

Goliath insults the Israelites on three levels (Ealy, Rethinking):

• Theologically: He threatens that the people of Israel will become servants to the Philistines and their gods (1 Sam 17:9).

• Socially: He demoralizes their leader, Saul, and forces the Israelites to flee (1 Sam 17:11, 23–24).

• Militarily: He reduces the conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines to single combat (1 Sam 17:8–10).

A Cultural Handbook to the Bible David and Goliath

So Goliath does the equivalent of trying to flick away a pesky mosquito. “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” (17:43), he asks, and he curses David by his gods. Goliath’s words can be seen as a dismissal of David, or a foolhardy person (like David in Goliath’s eyes) can interpret them as a challenge and move the game forward.

Human Inability

A Cultural Handbook to the Bible David and Goliath

Saul offers his armor to David, but it doesn’t fit. David is weighed down by equipment to which he is unaccustomed. He approaches Goliath in his shepherd garb, taking five smooth stones in his pouch and holding his sling in his hand. Compared to Goliath with his uniform and equipment (17:5–7), David looks naked. Moreover, he is too young and inexperienced to play in this game. His good looks similarly testify that he is not battle scarred. No wonder Goliath disdained David (17:42). He shouldn’t be playing the game. Were it not that Goliath perceives that David is not his equal, Goliath would be insulted. But an inferior cannot insult a superior.

A Cultural Handbook to the Bible David and Goliath

David’s eloquent response (17:44–47) makes Goliath’s blunt challenge look tame by comparison. David is clearly a master of words. Indeed, he has already been described as such (16:18). He taunts Goliath (“come to me”) and tells him that his weapons will not spare his life, for David intends to make of Goliath food for the birds of the air and beasts of the field. Already David has bested his opponent in one dimension of manliness.