What reason does David give for facing Goliath, and how does he defeat him?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David says the Lord who delivered him from the lion and bear will deliver him from the Philistine, and that the battle belongs to the Lord. He strikes Goliath’s forehead with a slung stone, then uses Goliath’s own sword to kill him and cut off his head; the Philistines flee when they see their champion dead.

Chapter breakdown

The Philistines assemble at Socho of Juda and camp between Socho and Azeca in Dommim’s borders. Saul and Israel gather in the valley of Terebinth and arrange for battle. The armies stand on opposite mountains with a valley between. Goliath of Geth comes from the Philistine camp, described as baseborn and six cubits and a span tall. He has a brass helmet, a scaled coat of mail weighing five thousand sicles of brass, brass greaves and a brass buckler over his shoulders. His spear shaft is like a weaver’s beam; its head weighs six hundred sicles of iron. His armourbearer goes before him. Goliath asks why Israel comes prepared to fight, calls himself a Philistine and them Saul’s servants, and demands one man for hand-to-hand combat. If that man kills him, the Philistines will serve Israel; if Goliath prevails and kills him, Israel will serve the Philistines. He says he has defied Israel’s bands that day and repeats the demand. Saul and all Israel hear and are dismayed and greatly afraid.

David’s father is the Ephrathite Isai of Bethlehem Juda, an old man of great age in Saul’s days with eight sons. His three eldest follow Saul to battle: firstborn Eliab, second Abinadab and third Samma. David is youngest and goes and returns from Saul to feed his father’s flock in Bethlehem. Goliath presents himself morning and evening for forty days. Isai tells David to take his brothers an ephi of frumenty and ten loaves and run to their camp. He must carry ten little cheeses to the tribune, see whether his brothers are well and learn with whom they are placed. Saul, the brothers and Israel are fighting in Terebinth’s valley. David rises in the morning, leaves the flock with a keeper and takes his load as commanded. He reaches Magala and the army as it goes out to fight with a battle shout. Both sides are prepared. Leaving his vessels with the baggage keeper, he runs to the battle place and asks after his brothers. As they talk, the baseborn Goliath of Geth comes up and repeats his words, which David hears. Seeing him, all Israel’s men flee in great fear.

Someone of Israel says Goliath has come to defy them and that the king will give his slayer great riches and his daughter and free his father’s house from tribute in Israel. David asks nearby men what will be given to the killer who removes Israel’s reproach, and who this uncircumcised Philistine is to defy the living God’s armies. The people repeat the reward. Eliab hears and becomes angry, asking why David came and left the few sheep in the desert; he accuses David of pride, a wicked heart and coming to see battle. These are Eliab’s accusations. David asks what he has done and whether there is cause to speak, then turns slightly to another and repeats his question, receiving the same answer. His words are heard and reported before Saul. Brought to Saul, David tells him not to let anyone’s heart be dismayed: he, Saul’s servant, will fight the Philistine. Saul says David cannot withstand him because David is a boy and the other has been a warrior from youth.

David tells Saul that while he kept his father’s sheep, a lion or bear took a ram from the flock. He pursued, struck them and rescued it from their mouth; when they rose against him, he caught them by the throat, strangled and killed them. He says he has killed both a lion and bear and that the uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them. He will go and remove the people’s reproach, asking who this Philistine is who dared curse the living God’s army. David says the Lord who delivered him from the lion’s and bear’s paws will deliver him from the Philistine’s hand. Saul tells him to go, and may the Lord be with him.

Saul clothes David in his garments, adds a brass helmet and coat of mail. David girds his sword over the armour and tries walking because he is not accustomed to it. He tells Saul he cannot go so, because he is not used to it, and takes it off. He takes the staff always in his hands, selects five smooth stones from the brook and puts them in his shepherd’s scrip. With sling in hand he goes against the Philistine. Goliath approaches with the armourbearer before him, sees the young, ruddy, comely David and despises him. He asks whether he is a dog that David comes with a staff, curses David by his gods and tells him to come so he can give his flesh to birds and beasts. David answers that Goliath comes with sword, spear and shield, but he comes in the name of the Lord of hosts, God of Israel’s armies, whom Goliath defied. He says the Lord will deliver Goliath into his hand that day; he will kill him, take his head and give the Philistine army’s carcasses that day to birds and beasts so all the earth knows there is a God in Israel. The whole assembly will know the Lord does not save with sword and spear, because the battle is his and he will deliver them into Israel’s hands.

As Goliath rises and draws near, David hurries and runs to meet him. He reaches into his scrip, takes a stone and swings and casts it with the sling, striking the forehead. The stone fixes there and Goliath falls face down. The account says David prevails with sling and stone, striking and slaying the Philistine, with no sword in his hand. David then runs and stands over him, takes Goliath’s sword, draws it from its sheath, slays him and cuts off his head. Seeing their champion dead, the Philistines flee. Israel and Juda rise with a shout and pursue to the valley and Accaron’s gates. Many wounded Philistines fall along Saraim’s way and as far as Geth and Accaron. Returning from pursuit, Israel falls upon the Philistine camp. David brings the head to Jerusalem and puts the armour in his tent.

The account returns to Saul seeing David go out against the Philistines: he asks Abner, army captain, what family the young man descends from. Abner swears by the king’s living soul that he does not know. Saul tells him to inquire whose son he is. When David returns after the Philistine is slain, Abner brings him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. Saul asks his family, and David answers that he is the son of Saul’s servant Isai the Bethlehemite.

The story inside

The opposing armies hear Goliath’s two-sided challenge and are afraid. David’s family errand brings him to Magala after leaving the flock in another’s charge. He hears the challenge, asks about the reward and responds to Eliab’s accusations before his words are reported to Saul. Saul questions his ability; David answers with the ram’s rescue, the lion and bear and the Lord’s deliverance. After permission, David tries and removes unfamiliar armour, chooses five stones and faces the Philistine. Their exchange names opposing weapons and David’s reason for confidence. The stone strikes the forehead; David then takes the enemy’s sword and head. The champion’s death causes flight and pursuit, followed by the camp, head and armour actions. The closing inquiry returns to Saul’s earlier question about David’s family and David’s later answer.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The errand has named duties. Grain and ten loaves go to the brothers, ten little cheeses to the tribune, and David must learn both their welfare and placement. He leaves the sheep and vessels with keepers before entering the battle place.
2
David gives reasons in his own speech. He recalls the rescued ram and the Lord’s past deliverance, then says this battle belongs to the Lord. Eliab’s accusation and Goliath’s curses remain their speakers’ words, without assumed envy or an invented tactical explanation.
3
The victory includes a sequence and a wider response. David first uses sling and stone, then Goliath’s sword, and the Philistines flee when they see their champion dead. The pursuit, wounded, camp, head, armour and family inquiry are all retained rather than ending at the sling strike.

Test your recall

How does Isai’s errand bring David to hear the challenge, what answers does he give to Eliab and Saul, and how do the stone, sword and champion’s death lead to the pursuit and family inquiry?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 29928–29973
1 Kings Chapter 17 War with the Philistines. Goliath challengeth Israel. He is slain by David. 17:1. Now the Philistines gathering together their troops to battle, assembled at Socho of Juda: and camped between Socho and Azeca, in the borders of Dommim. 17:2. And Saul and the children of Israel being gathered together, came to the valley of Terebinth, and they set the army in array to fight against the Philistines. 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. 17:4. And there went out a man baseborn from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Geth, whose height was six cubits and a span: 17:5. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail with scales, and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass: 17:6. And he had greaves of brass on his legs, and a buckler of brass covered his shoulders. 17:7. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron: and his armourbearer went before him. 17:8. And standing, he cried out to the bands of Israel, and said to them: Why are you come out prepared to fight? am not I a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose out a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand. 17:9. If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us. 17:10. And the Philistine said: I have defied the bands of Israel this day: give me a man, and let him fight with me hand to hand. 17:11. And Saul and all the Israelites hearing these words of the Philistine, were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Lines 29975–30019
17:12. Now David was the son of that Ephrathite, of Bethlehem Juda, before mentioned, whose name was Isai, who had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul, and of great age among men. 17:13. And his three eldest sons followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle, were Eliab, the firstborn, and the second, Abinadab, and the third Samma: 17:14. But David was the youngest. So the three eldest having followed Saul, 17:15. David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 17:16. Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17:17. And Isai said to David, his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of frumenty, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren, 17:18. And carry these ten little cheeses to the tribune: and go see thy brethren, if they are well: and learn with whom they are placed. 17:19. But Saul, and they, and all the children of Israel, were in the valley of Terebinth, fighting against the Philistines. 17:20. David, therefore, arose in the morning, and gave the charge of the flock to the keeper: and went away loaded, as Isai had commanded him. And he came to the place of Magala, and to the army, which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle. 17:21. For Israel had put themselves in array, and the Philistines who stood against them were prepared. 17:22. And David leaving the vessels which he had brought, under the care of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the place of the battle, and asked if all things went well with his brethren. 17:23. And as he talked with them, that baseborn man, whose name was Goliath, the Philistine, of Geth, shewed himself coming up from the camp of the Philistines: and he spoke according to the same words, and David heard them, 17:24. And all the Israelites, when they saw the man, fled from his face, fearing him exceedingly.
Lines 30021–30054
17:25. And some one of Israel said: Have you seen this man that is come up, for he is come up to defy Israel. And the man that shall slay him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house free from tribute in Israel. 17:26. And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 17:27. And the people answered him the same words, saying: These things shall be given to the man that shall slay him. 17:28. Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said: Why camest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride, and the wickedness of thy heart: that thou art come down to see the battle. 17:29. And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak? 17:30. And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him as before. 17:31. And the words which David spoke were heard, and were rehearsed before Saul. 17:32. And when he was brought to Saul, he said to him. Let not any man’s heart be dismayed in him: I thy servant will go, and will fight against the Philistine. 17:33. And Saul said to David: Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him: for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior from his youth.
Lines 30056–30072
17:34. And David said to Saul: Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock: 17:35. And I pursued after them, and struck them, and delivered it out of their mouth: and they rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and I strangled, and killed them. 17:36. For I thy servant have killed both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be also as one of them. I will go now, and take away the reproach of the people: for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who hath dared to curse the army of the living God? 17:37. And David said: The Lord who 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 to David: Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Lines 30074–30112
17:38. And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and armed him with a coat of mail. 17:39. And David having girded his sword upon his armour, began to try if he could walk in armour: for he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: I cannot go thus, for I am not used to it. And he laid them off, 17:40. And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd’s scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine. 17:41. And the Philistine came on, and drew nigh against David, and his armourbearer went before him. 17:42. And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a young man, ruddy, and of a comely countenance. 17:43. And the Philistine said to David: Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44. 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. 17:45. And David said to the Philistine: Thou 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, which thou hast defied. 17:46. This day, and the Lord will deliver thee into my hand, and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from thee: and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 17:47. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for it is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands.
Lines 30114–30140
17:48. And when the Philistine arose, and was coming, and drew nigh to meet David, David made haste, and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine. 17:49. And he put his hand into his scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about, struck the Philistine in the forehead: and the stone was fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth. 17:50. And David prevailed over the Philistine, with a sling and a stone, and he struck, and slew the Philistine. And as David had no sword in his hand, 17:51. He ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines seeing that their champion was dead, fled away. 17:52. And the men of Israel and Juda rising up shouted, and pursued after the Philistines till they came to the valley and to the gates of Accaron, and there fell many wounded of the Philistines in the way of Saraim, and as far as Geth, and as far as Accaron. 17:53. And the children of Israel returning, after they had pursued the Philistines, fell upon their camp. 17:54. And David taking the head of the Philistine, brought it to Jerusalem: but his armour he put in his tent.
Lines 30142–30156
17:55. Now at the time that Saul saw David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner, the captain of the army: Of what family is this young man descended, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I know not. 17:56. And the king said: Inquire thou, whose son this young man is. 17:57. And when David was returned, after the Philistine was slain, Abner took him, and brought him in before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 17:58. And Saul said to him: Young man, of what family art thou? And David said: I am the son of thy servant Isai the Bethlehemite.