1 Samuel — Chapter 17

📖 1 Samuel — Chapter 17 (KJV)

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Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.

1 Samuel 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in ^TEphesdammim.

1 Samuel 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by ^Rthe valley of Elah, and ^Tset the battle in array against the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

1 Samuel 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named ^RGoliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

1 Samuel 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was ^Tarmed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

1 Samuel 17:6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a ^RTtarget of brass between his shoulders.

1 Samuel 17:7 And ^Rthe staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

1 Samuel 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye ^Rservants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

1 Samuel 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, ^Rand serve us.

1 Samuel 17:10 And the Philistine said, ^RI defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

1 Samuel 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were ^Rdismayed, and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:12 Now ^RDavid was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

1 Samuel 17:13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and ^Rthe names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

1 Samuel 17:14 And David was ^Rthe youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

1 Samuel 17:15 But David went and ^Rreturned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself ^Rforty days.

1 Samuel 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his son, ^RTake now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren;

1 Samuel 17:18 And ^Rcarry these ten ^Tcheeses unto the captain ^Tof their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

1 Samuel 17:19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:20 And David rose up early in the morning, and ^Rleft the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the ^Ttrench, as the host was going forth to the ^Tfight, and shouted for the battle.

1 Samuel 17:21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

1 Samuel 17:22 And David left ^RThis carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and ^Tsaluted his brethren.

1 Samuel 17:23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

1 Samuel 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled ^Tfrom ^Rhim, and were sore afraid.

1 Samuel 17:25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, ^Rthe king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.

1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the ^Rreproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1 Samuel 17:27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? ^RI know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

1 Samuel 17:29 ^RAnd David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

1 Samuel 17:30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the ^Tsame manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

1 Samuel 17:31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he ^RTsent for him.

1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, ^RLet no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, ^RThou 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.

1 Samuel 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a ^Tlamb out of the flock:

1 Samuel 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

1 Samuel 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and ^Rthis uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

1 Samuel 17:38 And Saul ^Tarmed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

1 Samuel 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David ^Rput them off him.

1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his ^Rstaff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the ^Tbrook, and put them in a shepherd’s ^Tbag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he ^Rdisdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine ^Rcursed David by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, ^RCome to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, ^RThou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

1 Samuel 17:46 This day ^Rwill the LORD ^Tdeliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

1 Samuel 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD ^Rsaveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

1 Samuel 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and ^Rsmote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1 Samuel 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; ^Rbut there was no sword in the hand of David.

1 Samuel 17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took ^Rhis sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

1 Samuel 17:52 And ^Rthe men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

1 Samuel 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and ^Rthey spoiled their tents.

1 Samuel 17:54 And David ^Rtook the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

1 Samuel 17:55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, ^Rwhose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

1 Samuel 17:56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

1 Samuel 17:57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

1 Samuel 17:58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, ^RI am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

📚 Study This Chapter

📖 What We’re Reading

1 Samuel 17:1–30 — Goliath's challenge and David's arrival

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Goliath's challenge frightens Israel for forty days. David arrives with food for his brothers and hears the defiance. He identifies the issue as reproach against the armies of the living God, while Eliab accuses him of pride.

Key Truth: David frames the challenge in relation to the living God rather than only the champion's size.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

1 Samuel 17:31–47 — David's confidence and chosen equipment

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

David recalls the LORD's deliverance from lion and bear, declines untested armor, and takes stones and a sling. His declaration to Goliath names the LORD of hosts and says the battle belongs to the LORD. The account is about this deliverance, not a guarantee that personal confidence wins every conflict.

Key Truth: David's stated confidence rests in the LORD's power to deliver.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

1 Samuel 17:48–58 — The champion falls and David is presented

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

David's stone strikes Goliath's forehead; he then uses the champion's sword. Israel pursues the fleeing Philistines. Saul asks about David's family, and David identifies himself as Jesse's son. The victory fulfills David's claim that the LORD can save without sword and spear.

Key Truth: The narrative's outcome is read through David's declaration about the LORD.

Check What You Remember

Related Scripture (KJV)

1 Samuel 14:6 — Jonathan had also declared that the LORD is not limited by human strength or numbers.

1 Samuel 14:6 (KJV) And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.

Reflect and Apply

What does David explicitly say the assembly should learn from the battle? Use verses 45–47 to guide the lesson.

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