1 Samuel 17:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army.

NIV: Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.

NASB: Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army.

CSB: Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other.

NLT: Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.

KJV: For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

NKJV: For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

The Philistines are camped across a valley from Israel (1 Samuel 17:1–3). Through Goliath, the Philistines have proposed champion warfare: one man from each side would serve as a representative in a duel. The survivor's people would be the victors, and the other nation would become their servants (1 Samuel 17:8–10). The Philistine champion, enormous and heavily armored, taunts the Israelites for forty days (1 Samuel 17:16). Even so, each morning the troops gather and line up for war. Battles during this time often began in an orderly fashion, with two armies forming long lines within full view of the enemy, who did the same. In this way, they could easily assess each other's strengths and weakness and adjust before attacking or defending.

David's three eldest brothers are with the Israelite camp. Jesse, David's father, has sent his youngest son with food for his brothers and their division (1 Samuel 17:17–18). Samuel anointed David to serve as Israel's next king (1 Samuel 16:1–13), though he may not yet be fully aware of the specific reason for the anointing. It would be at least ten years before David assumed the political throne, but the Spirit of the Lord is clearly with him. God has also provided a means by which David is exposed to the duties of kingship through his service to King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14–23). David is apparently too young to be part of the Israelite army; he remains his family's shepherd in addition to serving at Saul's palace as armor-bearer and musician (1 Samuel 17:15).

On this day, David arrives at the Israelite military camp just as his brothers and the army are forming their battle line, shouting war cries. War cries were meant to be aggressive. They would serve to intimidate the enemy and encourage the troops. The war cries should show the Israelites' courage and readiness for the battle. That posture of courage will quickly vanish when the Philistine champion Goliath steps into the space between the two armies to make his daily challenge to any man who would fight him (1 Samuel 7:4–11).

First Samuel 17:12–23 re-introduces David (1 Samuel 16:11–13), who travels between shepherding and playing music for King Saul. This chapter seems to add detail to the earlier description of David in Saul's service (1 Samuel 16:18–21). David's father sends the young man on an errand to his three oldest brothers, camped with the rest of Israel's army in a faceoff with the Philistines. While there, David hears one of the daily challenges from Goliath, the enormous Philistine champion.

David, delivering food to his brothers at the Israelite army camp, hears the Philistine Goliath's defiant challenge. Single man combat could decide the battle, but no Israelite wanted to face the massive warrior. David is appalled that a Philistine would defy the armies of the living God. He volunteers to fight, and King Saul agrees. Before the battle, David declares that the Lord will give victory and thereby show the world that there is a God in Israel. David quickly kills and beheads Goliath. The Israelites chase the Philistines back to their own territory and plunder their camp. David brings Goliath's head to Saul.

Saul was made king of Israel (1 Samuel 9—10) and had many early successes (1 Samuel 11—14). However, his disobedience resulted in God's plan for a different king (1 Samuel 15). The prophet Samuel anointed David as this future monarch (1 Samuel 16:11–13). David has been serving as a musician for Saul (1 Samuel 16:18–21) and comes visit his brothers during a standoff between Israelite and Philistine forces. This leads to the famous story of David and Goliath. David's victory publicly triggers his rise to power, paralleled by Saul's collapse. In the end, Saul will die in disgrace (1 Samuel 31:4–7) and David will be appointed the new king of Israel (1 Samuel 2:45:1–3).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.