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1 Samuel 17:23
ESV As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
NIV As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.
NASB As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard him.
CSB While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard.
NLT As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.
KJV 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.
NKJV Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.

What does 1 Samuel 17:23 mean?

The Philistines and Israelites are standing ready for war at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:1–3, 19). Israelite and Philistine armies form their ranks daily, outfitted with their shields and weapons. The Israelites shout out their war cries (1 Samuel 17:20). Both sides line up on the hill or ridge on their own side of the valley, forming a no-man's land between them where the fighting would take place if they charged toward each other.

Rather than the armies fighting, the Philistines proposed champion warfare. One representative from each side would fight the other. The people of the man who survived the fight would be the victor; the loser's people would become servants of the enemy nation. The Philistines' champion is Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17:4). He is nearly ten feet—or three meters—tall, covered in body armor, and equipped with a technologically-advanced spear (1 Samuel 17:5–7). Morning and night, for forty days, he taunts the Israelites (1 Samuel 17:16).

Goliath "comes up" out of the Philistine ranks, perhaps climbing a small hill or even walking part way up the hill upon which the Israelites are gathered. He is heard and understood by everyone as he shouts the same words every day (1 Samuel 17:8–10). Given his stature and equipment, Goliath is apparently unbeatable; his challenge amounted to invitation for someone to be killed and for Israel to surrender. The Israelite army responds in fear (1 Samuel 17:11, 24). But this time David is present to hear the Philistine challenge the people of the living God (1 Samuel 17:26, 45–47).
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