1 Samuel 17:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd 's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

NIV: Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

NASB: Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

CSB: Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

NLT: He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

KJV: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

NKJV: Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

David has offered to fight the imposing giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1–10) on Israel's behalf, confident that God will bring the victory (1 Samuel 17:31–37). King Saul has agreed and has offered his armor (1 Samuel 17:38). But David has not trained with the armor and chooses against wearing it (1 Samuel 17:39). Instead, David goes to battle as a shepherd. Staff in hand, David gathers ammunition for his weapon—a sling.

Despite how David's sling is often portrayed, this was not a "slingshot" or a small piece of cloth used to fling pebbles. Though sometimes called a shepherd's weapon, it was also well-accepted as a weapon of war (Judges 20:16; 1 Chronicles 12:2). Men armed with slings were depicted in ancient battle murals.

The sling consisted of a leather pouch in the middle of a long cord. Stones were placed in the pouch, and both ends of the cord were held so the stone could be swung with great force. Releasing one end of the cord—the other usually tied to the wrist—would release the rock. Firing a sling with power could produce a sharp cracking sound, exactly like that of a bullwhip. These projectiles were usually the size of a large coin but could be as big as a man's fist. In the right hands, these weapons were accurate and deadly to a hundred yards or ninety meters.

David approaches the battlefield where Goliath has been calling out his challenges in defiance of the armies of Israel (1 Samuel 17:16, 23). He stops on the way to pick up five smooth stones for his sling from the bed of the brook that runs through the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:1–3). These would have been the best for accuracy. David approaches Goliath, without protective gear armed with only a loaded sling. Saul, who already knows David (1 Samuel 16:18–22), is impressed enough to ask for more details about the young man (1 Samuel 17:55)

First Samuel 17:31–40 sets the stage for a famous battle. The enormous Philistine champion, Goliath, has been taunting the Israelite army. David, though likely only in his early teenaged years, insists that the Philistine can be defeated. As a shepherd, David has killed bears and lions who attacked the flock. More importantly, David believes that God will punish the Philistine's defiance. King Saul agrees to let David try; he declines to use Saul's armor (1 Samuel 16:21) because he has no experience with it. Instead, he carefully selects stones for his sling and heads out to fight.

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.