1 Samuel 17:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

NIV: He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

NASB: So the Philistine said to David, 'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?' And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

CSB: He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.

NLT: Am I a dog,' he roared at David, 'that you come at me with a stick?' And he cursed David by the names of his gods.

KJV: And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

NKJV: So the Philistine said to David, “ Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

The Israelites and Philistines have been gathered for war (1 Samuel 17:1–3). A Philistine giant, Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4–7), has challenged Israel to champion warfare (1 Samuel 17:8–10). Hand-to-hand combat between one man from each nation would determine the victor. For forty days (1 Samuel 17:16), Israel has stood at the battlefield but responded to the threats with fear (1 Samuel 17:11, 20–24).

Now, David has come to the Valley of Elah at the behest of his father to check on his brothers (1 Samuel 17:12–18). Having heard the Philistine's threats (1 Samuel 17:23), David volunteered to remove the reproach from Israel (1 Samuel 17:31–32). He was only a youth and not a warrior, but David was an experienced shepherd (1 Samuel 17:34–36). He recognized that the Philistine was defying the armies of the living God, and that God would provide the victory (1 Samuel 17:37). King Saul agreed to let David represent the nation and attempted to arm him (1 Samuel 17:38–39).

But Saul's armor did not fit David, so he opted to enter battle as a shepherd (1 Samuel 17:34–35, 40). The Philistine champion is insulted (1 Samuel 17:41–42). From his perspective, David seems to be a handsome boy completely ill equipped for battle. Goliath, towering over anyone else on the field (1 Samuel 17:4), asks if David thinks he is only an angry dog that can be chased off or beaten down with a stick.

It was normal in pre-battle confrontations during this era for warriors to hurl insults and curses at each other. Such curses went beyond name-calling. All warfare at this time was religious warfare, with gods thought to battle against each other through the weapons of those who worshiped them. The primary gods of the Philistines were Dagon (1 Samuel 5:2) and Ashtaroth (1 Samuel 31:10). These may have been the gods that Goliath called on to do bad things to David and the Israelites.

First Samuel 17:41–54 describes a world-renowned fight. Goliath is a Philistine giant armed with massive weapons. David is a teenager armed only with his shepherd's sling: a long leather strap used to throw hand-sized stones at deadly speed. Goliath mocks David, and the Lord. David replies by expressing faith and vowing to cut off Goliath's head. As the two approach each other, David slings a stone into Goliath's forehead, crushing the giant's skull. The Philistine falls, and David runs up to remove Goliath's sword, making good on his promise to behead the enemy. The Philistine army panics, flees, and the Israelite army follows to complete the victory.

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.