1 Samuel 17:44 - Printer Friendly

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!”

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).

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.