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1 Samuel 17:44
ESV 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."
NIV "Come here," he said, "and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!"
NASB The Philistine also said to David, 'Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals.'
CSB "Come here," the Philistine called to David, "and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!"
NLT Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!' Goliath yelled.
KJV And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
NKJV And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

What does 1 Samuel 17:44 mean?

A Philistine champion has been taunting the armies of Israel for forty days (1 Samuel 17:4–10, 16, 23). Given the imposing nature of the giant, Goliath, no Israelite has accepted the challenge to champion warfare (1 Samuel 17:11, 24). But David, still responsible for his family's sheep as well as serving King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14–23; 17:15), has come the battlefield. He is there to deliver food and check on his brothers (1 Samuel 17:17–18). When he hears the Philistine's threats, he recognizes Israel's shame. He is confident that the Philistine has no standing before God and that God will bring victory. He volunteers to represent Israel (1 Samuel 17:31–37).

The Philistine champion is unimpressed—even insulted—by the handsome youth in his shepherd clothes (1 Samuel 17:38–42). He taunts and curses David (1 Samuel 17:43). Not only will he kill the much younger and smaller man, but he will also leave his corpse to rot on the field of battle for the birds and wild animals to feed on. For many peoples of this time, remaining unburied after death may have been thought to be worse than death itself. In ancient cultures, the ritual of burial was connected to the passage of a person's soul into the afterlife (see 1 Samuel 31:8–13 and 2 Samuel 21). Interestingly, the Lord's judgment on Israel's enemies often involves the same fate (Isaiah 34:2–3; Jeremiah 7:33).
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