1 Samuel 17 Study Notes: David and Goliath
The Philistine champion Goliath taunts Israel for forty days while Saul and his army cower in fear. David, sent with food for his brothers, volunteers to fight in the LORD's name, fells the giant with a single sling stone, and the Philistines flee; Saul then learns that David is Jesse's son.
General
What did David say all those gathered at the battle would learn (1 Samuel 17:47)?
Answer: That God needs no sword or spear to save, since the battle is His
David told Goliath that the LORD would hand him over, so that the entire earth would learn that Israel has a God (17:46). He added that everyone gathered there would learn that God needs no sword or spear to save, because the battle belongs to the LORD, and He would give the Philistines into Israel’s hands (17:47). The victory would show who God is, not how strong David was. The same truth was later proclaimed to Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:15), and Proverbs says that a horse may be ready for battle, but victory comes from the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””David says the LORD saves not by sword or spear and the battle is His.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 (BSB)“And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.”God later told Jehoshaphat the battle belonged not to Judah but to God.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Preparations for battle are made, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Joshua 4:24 (BSB)“He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.””God acts for His people so that all the peoples of the earth may know His power.
Theological
What lesson did David say the assembled armies would learn from the outcome (1 Samuel 17:47)?
Answer: That God needs no sword or spear to save, since the battle is His
David names a double purpose for the coming victory: that all the earth will learn Israel has a God (17:46), and that the assembly will learn the LORD needs no sword or spear to save, since the battle belongs to Him (17:47). The victory is meant to display God’s glory rather than David’s prowess, as God’s mighty acts were meant to teach all peoples His power (Joshua 4:24). The same confession recurs at Jehoshaphat’s crisis (2 Chronicles 20:15) and in Proverbs 21:31.
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””David says the LORD saves not by sword or spear and the battle is His.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 (BSB)“And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.”God later told Jehoshaphat the battle belonged not to Judah but to God.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Preparations for battle are made, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Joshua 4:24 (BSB)“He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.””God acts for His people so that all the peoples of the earth may know His power.
General
When David heard Goliath, what did his questions to the soldiers show concerned him most (1 Samuel 17:26)?
Answer: That a pagan Philistine was taunting the living God’s army
David did ask about the reward (17:25-27), but his deeper concern came out in his next question: who is this Philistine, outside God’s covenant, to taunt the living God’s army (17:26)? Uncircumcised here means outside the covenant God made with Abraham, whose sign was circumcision (Genesis 17:10-11). David saw Goliath’s insults as an attack on the LORD Himself, the living God, not merely on Israel’s soldiers. Centuries later Hezekiah spoke the same way when the Assyrians mocked Israel’s God (2 Kings 19:4).
- 1 Samuel 17:26 (BSB)“David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?””David asks who this uncircumcised Philistine is to defy the armies of the living God.
- Genesis 17:10-11 (BSB)“This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant, so an uncircumcised man stood outside that covenant.
- 2 Kings 19:4 (BSB)“Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.””Hezekiah likewise saw an enemy’s taunts as defiance of the living God Himself.
- Joshua 3:10 (BSB)“He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.”Israel had been taught that the living God was among them to drive out their enemies.
Theological
What does David’s question in 1 Samuel 17:26 reveal about how he viewed Goliath’s taunts?
Answer: That a pagan Philistine was taunting the living God’s army
David inquires about the king’s reward (17:25-27), but his framing question is theological: what right has an uncircumcised Philistine, a man outside the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:10-11), to taunt the living God’s army (17:26)? Where Israel saw a giant, David saw a blasphemer whose taunts were aimed at the LORD Himself. Hezekiah would later read the Rabshakeh’s taunts the same way, as defiance of the God who lives (2 Kings 19:4).
- 1 Samuel 17:26 (BSB)“David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?””David asks who this uncircumcised Philistine is to defy the armies of the living God.
- Genesis 17:10-11 (BSB)“This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant, so an uncircumcised man stood outside that covenant.
- 2 Kings 19:4 (BSB)“Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.””Hezekiah likewise saw an enemy’s taunts as defiance of the living God Himself.
- Joshua 3:10 (BSB)“He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.”Israel had been taught that the living God was among them to drive out their enemies.
General
Goliath came with sword, spear and javelin. How did David describe the way he was coming against Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45)?
Answer: In the LORD’s name, the God whom Goliath had defied
David answered Goliath’s taunts by contrasting their sources of strength. Goliath came armed with sword, spear and javelin, while David came in the LORD’s own name, the LORD of Hosts, God over Israel’s armies, the very God Goliath had defied (17:45). That title speaks of the LORD who commands the armies of heaven and earth. To come in His name is to come trusting in His power and acting for His honor. David’s psalm speaks the same way: others rely on chariots and horses, but God’s people rely on His name (Psalm 20:7).
- 1 Samuel 17:45 (BSB)“But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”David says he comes against Goliath in the name of the LORD of Hosts.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in the name of the LORD rather than in military strength.
- 2 Chronicles 32:8 (BSB)“With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah likewise contrasted the enemy’s mere human strength with the LORD who fights for His people.
Theological
In 1 Samuel 17:45, how does David say he comes against Goliath, in contrast to Goliath’s weapons?
Answer: In the LORD’s name, the God whom Goliath had defied
David sets Goliath’s threefold armament against the LORD’s own name, God of Israel’s armies, the very God Goliath has defied (17:45). He comes as the representative of the LORD’s honor, trusting His power rather than weapons. The same confession appears in Psalm 20:7, where reliance on the LORD’s name replaces reliance on chariots and horses, and in Hezekiah’s words that the enemy has only human strength while the LORD fights for His people (2 Chronicles 32:8).
- 1 Samuel 17:45 (BSB)“But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”David says he comes against Goliath in the name of the LORD of Hosts.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in the name of the LORD rather than in military strength.
- 2 Chronicles 32:8 (BSB)“With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah likewise contrasted the enemy’s mere human strength with the LORD who fights for His people.
General
Why was David at the battle camp when Goliath came out (1 Samuel 17:17-20)?
Answer: His father sent him with food for his brothers and their commander
David was not at the front as a soldier. His three oldest brothers had followed Saul to war, while David, the youngest, divided his time between Saul and the family flock (17:13-15). Jesse sent him with grain, bread and cheese for his brothers and their commander, and asked him to bring back news of them (17:17-18). So David left the sheep in someone else’s care and went (17:20). In God’s providence an ordinary family errand brought the young man Samuel had already anointed (16:13) to the very place where he would hear Goliath (17:23). Proverbs teaches that people make their plans while the LORD directs where they actually go (Proverbs 16:9).
- 1 Samuel 17:17-18 (BSB)“One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.”Jesse sends David with provisions and asks him to check on his brothers.
- 1 Samuel 17:20 (BSB)“So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.”David leaves the flock with a keeper and sets out as his father told him.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”The LORD determines a person’s steps, including the ordinary errand that brings David to the battle.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”David had already been anointed by Samuel before this errand.
Theological
What brought David to Saul’s camp on the day he heard Goliath (1 Samuel 17:17-20)?
Answer: His father sent him with food for his brothers and their commander
David comes to the camp on a domestic errand, not as a recruit: Jesse sends provisions for his three oldest sons and their commander and asks for news of them (17:17-18), and David, the youngest, entrusts the sheep to another and sets out (17:14-15, 20). Providence works through the ordinary, as an errand brings the already anointed shepherd (16:13) within earshot of Goliath (17:23). People plan their way, but the LORD directs their actual path (Proverbs 16:9).
- 1 Samuel 17:17-18 (BSB)“One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.”Jesse sends David with provisions and asks him to check on his brothers.
- 1 Samuel 17:20 (BSB)“So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.”David leaves the flock with a keeper and sets out as his father told him.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”The LORD determines a person’s steps, including the ordinary errand that brings David to the battle.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”David had already been anointed by Samuel before this errand.
General
Why did David take off the armor Saul put on him (1 Samuel 17:38-40)?
Answer: He was not used to it and could not walk in it
Saul put his own tunic, a bronze helmet and armor on David, and David fastened on a sword. But when he tried to walk, he found he was not used to them, told Saul he could not move in them, and took them off (17:38-39). Instead he took his staff, five stones he chose from the stream, which he put in his bag, and his sling (17:40). He went out with the ordinary tools of a shepherd, not a soldier’s equipment, which fits David’s confession that God needs no sword or spear to save (17:47; Psalm 44:6-7).
- 1 Samuel 17:39 (BSB)“David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.”David cannot walk in Saul’s armor because he is not used to it, so he takes it off.
- 1 Samuel 17:40 (BSB)“And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.”David takes his staff, five stones and his sling and goes toward the Philistine.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”The psalmist does not trust in his bow or sword but in God, who saves His people.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in His name rather than in military strength.
Theological
What reason does the text give for David laying aside the armor Saul gave him (1 Samuel 17:38-40)?
Answer: He was not used to it and could not walk in it
The royal tunic, helmet and armor prove unusable because David is unaccustomed to them (17:38-39), so he goes out with staff, sling and five stones in his pouch (17:40). The narrator sets the shepherd’s gear against the elaborate description of Goliath’s armament (17:5-7), preparing for David’s own confession that the LORD needs no sword or spear to save (17:47), the same confession found in Psalm 44:6-7 and Psalm 20:7.
- 1 Samuel 17:39 (BSB)“David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.”David cannot walk in Saul’s armor because he is not used to it, so he takes it off.
- 1 Samuel 17:40 (BSB)“And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.”David takes his staff, five stones and his sling and goes toward the Philistine.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”The psalmist does not trust in his bow or sword but in God, who saves His people.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in His name rather than in military strength.
General
True or False: David told Saul that no one should lose heart because of the Philistine, since David himself would go out against him.
Answer: True
This is true. Once David’s questions were reported to Saul, David told the king that no one should lose courage over Goliath, and that he, Saul’s servant, would go out against him (17:31-32). While the army trembled (17:11, 24), David spoke with the courage that God had commanded Israel to have in battle, since the LORD goes with His people to fight for them (Deuteronomy 20:3-4). His boldness rested on the LORD, as the following verses make clear (17:37), and David’s own psalm says the same (Psalm 27:1).
- 1 Samuel 17:32 (BSB)“And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!””David urges Saul that no one lose heart and offers to fight Goliath himself.
- Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (BSB)“saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””God told Israel not to be afraid in battle because the LORD would go with them and fight for them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David’s own psalm grounds fearlessness in the LORD as his light and salvation.
Theological
True or False: David offered himself to Saul as Israel’s fighter, urging that no one lose courage over Goliath.
Answer: True
This is true. Summoned by Saul, David urges that no one lose courage and volunteers himself (17:31-32). Against the backdrop of Israel’s fear (17:11, 24), he embodies the courage the law required of Israel’s warriors, grounded not in their strength but in the LORD who goes with them to fight (Deuteronomy 20:3-4). David’s confidence is explicitly God-centered, as 17:37 shows and as his own psalm confesses (Psalm 27:1).
- 1 Samuel 17:32 (BSB)“And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!””David urges Saul that no one lose heart and offers to fight Goliath himself.
- Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (BSB)“saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””God told Israel not to be afraid in battle because the LORD would go with them and fight for them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David’s own psalm grounds fearlessness in the LORD as his light and salvation.
General
How did Eliab, David’s oldest brother, react when he heard David asking questions (1 Samuel 17:28)?
Answer: He grew angry and accused David of pride and an evil heart
Eliab became angry with David. He mocked him for abandoning a handful of sheep out in the countryside and accused him of pride and an evil heart, saying he had only come to watch the battle (17:28). David answered briefly, asking whether he had not simply asked a question, and turned to someone else (17:29-30). The accusation is ironic: Eliab was the brother the LORD had passed over, because the LORD looks at the heart, not at outward appearance (16:6-7). Eliab claimed to know David’s heart, but God had already judged both of theirs and chosen the youngest (16:12).
- 1 Samuel 17:28 (BSB)“Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!””Eliab angrily accuses David of pride and wickedness of heart.
- 1 Samuel 17:29 (BSB)““What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?””David answers briefly and does not quarrel with his brother.
- 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (BSB)“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””The LORD had rejected Eliab, explaining that He sees the heart and not the outward appearance.
- 1 Samuel 16:12 (BSB)“So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.””The LORD chose David, the youngest son, instead of his older brothers.
Theological
What charge did Eliab bring against David at the battle line (1 Samuel 17:28)?
Answer: He grew angry and accused David of pride and an evil heart
Eliab’s anger burns and he charges David with pride and an evil heart, dismissing him as a spectator (17:28). David does not retaliate; he deflects and carries on asking (17:29-30). The charge is ironic in light of 16:6-7: Eliab, impressive in appearance, was rejected because the LORD looks on the heart, and the youngest son was chosen (16:12). The one who presumes to read David’s heart is the one whose heart God had already weighed and passed over.
- 1 Samuel 17:28 (BSB)“Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!””Eliab angrily accuses David of pride and wickedness of heart.
- 1 Samuel 17:29 (BSB)““What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?””David answers briefly and does not quarrel with his brother.
- 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (BSB)“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””The LORD had rejected Eliab, explaining that He sees the heart and not the outward appearance.
- 1 Samuel 16:12 (BSB)“So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.””The LORD chose David, the youngest son, instead of his older brothers.
General
Why did Goliath despise David when he saw him coming (1 Samuel 17:42-43)?
Answer: He saw that David was only a youth with a staff in hand
When Goliath saw David, he held him in contempt as a mere youth, ruddy and good-looking (17:42). He mocked David for coming at him with sticks as though he were a dog, cursed him by his gods, and boasted about what he would do to him (17:43-44). Goliath judged by outward appearance and boasted in his own strength. Scripture warns that pride leads to ruin (Proverbs 16:18), and Hannah had sung that the LORD weighs actions, so the arrogant should not boast (2:3).
- 1 Samuel 17:42 (BSB)“When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.”Goliath despises David because he is only a youth.
- 1 Samuel 17:43 (BSB)““Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”Goliath mocks David’s sticks and curses him by his gods.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride goes before destruction, as Goliath’s fall will show.
- 1 Samuel 2:3 (BSB)“Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.”Hannah’s song warned against arrogant boasting, since the LORD weighs every action.
Theological
What prompted Goliath’s contempt for David as he approached (1 Samuel 17:42-43)?
Answer: He saw that David was only a youth with a staff in hand
Goliath despises David as a mere youth, ruddy and handsome (17:42), mocks the stick he carries, and curses him by his gods (17:43-44). His contempt rests on appearance, and he calls on his gods against David. The book’s opening song had already announced the LORD’s verdict on such boasting (2:3), and Proverbs 16:18 states the principle: pride precedes destruction. The contest is now explicitly between Goliath’s gods and the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 17:42 (BSB)“When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.”Goliath despises David because he is only a youth.
- 1 Samuel 17:43 (BSB)““Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”Goliath mocks David’s sticks and curses him by his gods.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride goes before destruction, as Goliath’s fall will show.
- 1 Samuel 2:3 (BSB)“Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.”Hannah’s song warned against arrogant boasting, since the LORD weighs every action.
General
What did Goliath propose to the army of Israel (1 Samuel 17:8-9)?
Answer: That one Israelite fight him, and the losing nation serve the other
Goliath, a champion from the Philistine city of Gath, stepped forward from his own army and proposed a duel: Israel should pick one man to fight him, and whichever nation lost would become the servants of the other (17:8-9). He then taunted Israel’s ranks openly (17:10). The Philistines were Israel’s powerful neighbors and enemies, and earlier in Saul’s reign they had kept Israel from making its own weapons, so that at one battle only Saul and Jonathan carried real weapons (13:19, 22). Humanly speaking, Israel was badly outmatched.
- 1 Samuel 17:8-9 (BSB)“And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and work for us.””Goliath calls for one Israelite to fight him, with the losing side serving the winners.
- 1 Samuel 17:10 (BSB)“Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!””Goliath openly defies the ranks of Israel.
- 1 Samuel 13:19 (BSB)“And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.””The Philistines had prevented Israel from making swords or spears.
- 1 Samuel 13:22 (BSB)“So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.”On an earlier battle day only Saul and Jonathan in Israel’s army had weapons.
Theological
What terms did the Philistine champion set out for Israel (1 Samuel 17:8-9)?
Answer: That one Israelite fight him, and the losing nation serve the other
Goliath of Gath offers representative combat: one Israelite against him, with the defeated nation becoming servants of the victor (17:8-9), followed by open defiance of Israel’s ranks (17:10). The narrator has already shown Israel’s military weakness under Philistine pressure, with the Philistines forbidding Israelite smiths so that only Saul and Jonathan were armed at Michmash (13:19, 22). The scene is set for a contest Israel cannot win by its own strength.
- 1 Samuel 17:8-9 (BSB)“And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and work for us.””Goliath calls for one Israelite to fight him, with the losing side serving the winners.
- 1 Samuel 17:10 (BSB)“Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!””Goliath openly defies the ranks of Israel.
- 1 Samuel 13:19 (BSB)“And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.””The Philistines had prevented Israel from making swords or spears.
- 1 Samuel 13:22 (BSB)“So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.”On an earlier battle day only Saul and Jonathan in Israel’s army had weapons.
General
According to the soldiers, what had King Saul promised whoever killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25)?
Answer: Wealth, the king’s daughter, and tax relief for his family
The Israelite soldiers said that the king would make the man who killed Goliath very rich, let him marry the king’s daughter, and free his father’s family from taxes in Israel (17:25). David asked about it more than once and heard the same answer each time (17:26-27, 30). The promise of the king’s daughter matters for what follows: in the next chapter Saul offers first his daughter Merab and then Michal to David, but with hidden motives (18:17, 21).
- 1 Samuel 17:25 (BSB)“Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.””The soldiers describe the king’s promised reward for killing Goliath.
- 1 Samuel 18:17 (BSB)“Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.””Saul later offers his daughter Merab to David while secretly hoping the Philistines will kill him.
- 1 Samuel 18:21 (BSB)““I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.””Saul then offers Michal so that she might be a snare to David.
Theological
What reward was being reported in the camp for whoever killed the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:25)?
Answer: Wealth, the king’s daughter, and tax relief for his family
The reported royal reward is riches, marriage to the king’s daughter, and tax exemption for the victor’s family (17:25); David hears it confirmed twice (17:27, 30). The detail sets up chapter 18, where Saul offers Merab and then Michal, but now as instruments of his hostility rather than as gratitude (18:17, 21).
- 1 Samuel 17:25 (BSB)“Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.””The soldiers describe the king’s promised reward for killing Goliath.
- 1 Samuel 18:17 (BSB)“Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.””Saul later offers his daughter Merab to David while secretly hoping the Philistines will kill him.
- 1 Samuel 18:21 (BSB)““I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.””Saul then offers Michal so that she might be a snare to David.
General
When David told Saul about rescuing lambs from a lion and a bear, whom did he credit for those rescues (1 Samuel 17:37)?
Answer: The LORD, who would also deliver him from the Philistine
David told Saul how, as a shepherd, he had gone after lions and bears that carried off lambs and killed them (17:34-36). But he did not boast in his own strength. He said that the LORD had rescued him from those wild animals, and the LORD would deliver him from this Philistine too (17:37). David’s confidence came from God’s past faithfulness. Paul reasoned the same way: the God who has delivered us will deliver us again (2 Corinthians 1:10). Hebrews lists David among those who through faith were made strong out of weakness (Hebrews 11:32-34).
- 1 Samuel 17:34-36 (BSB)“David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.””David describes rescuing lambs from lions and bears while tending sheep.
- 1 Samuel 17:37 (BSB)“David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.””David credits the LORD with past deliverance and trusts Him for deliverance from Goliath.
- 2 Corinthians 1:10 (BSB)“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,”Paul likewise reasons from God’s past deliverance to confidence in future deliverance.
- Hebrews 11:32-34 (BSB)“And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.”Hebrews names David among those who through faith gained strength from weakness.
Theological
In David’s answer to Saul, who is the true deliverer behind his victories over wild animals (1 Samuel 17:37)?
Answer: The LORD, who would also deliver him from the Philistine
David’s testimony moves from his own deeds (17:34-36) to their true source: the LORD delivered him from lion and bear and will deliver him from the Philistine (17:37). His confidence is faith reasoning from God’s past faithfulness to His future help, the same logic Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 1:10. Hebrews 11:32-34 names David among those who through faith gained strength out of weakness and routed enemy forces.
- 1 Samuel 17:34-36 (BSB)“David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.””David describes rescuing lambs from lions and bears while tending sheep.
- 1 Samuel 17:37 (BSB)“David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.””David credits the LORD with past deliverance and trusts Him for deliverance from Goliath.
- 2 Corinthians 1:10 (BSB)“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,”Paul likewise reasons from God’s past deliverance to confidence in future deliverance.
- Hebrews 11:32-34 (BSB)“And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.”Hebrews names David among those who through faith gained strength from weakness.
General
True or False: When Goliath fell, the Philistines kept his terms and surrendered to serve Israel.
Answer: False
This is false. Goliath had promised that if Israel’s man won, the Philistines would become Israel’s servants (17:9). But once the Philistines saw their champion had fallen, they fled (17:51). Israel’s soldiers, who had been fleeing in fear (17:24), now charged with a battle cry and chased them as far as Gath and Ekron, then plundered their camps (17:52-53). The LORD gave the Philistines into Israel’s hands, just as David had said He would (17:47), for victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- 1 Samuel 17:9 (BSB)“If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and work for us.””Goliath had promised that the losing side would serve the winners.
- 1 Samuel 17:52 (BSB)“Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.”Israel and Judah pursue the fleeing Philistines to Gath and Ekron.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Victory belongs to the LORD, as the rout of the Philistines shows.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”God saves His people from their enemies and puts those who hate them to shame.
Theological
True or False: After their champion’s death, the Philistines honored Goliath’s terms and submitted to Israel.
Answer: False
This is false. The Philistines abandon Goliath’s terms (17:9) and flee once their champion is dead (17:51). Israel, formerly paralyzed by fear (17:24), now pursues all the way to the Philistine cities and plunders the camps (17:52-53). David’s word that the LORD would give the Philistines into Israel’s hands (17:47) is fulfilled, and the whole army enters into the victory won by one man, as God saves His people and shames their enemies (Psalm 44:6-7).
- 1 Samuel 17:9 (BSB)“If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and work for us.””Goliath had promised that the losing side would serve the winners.
- 1 Samuel 17:52 (BSB)“Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.”Israel and Judah pursue the fleeing Philistines to Gath and Ekron.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Victory belongs to the LORD, as the rout of the Philistines shows.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”God saves His people from their enemies and puts those who hate them to shame.
General
True or False: When Goliath first issued his challenge, Saul stepped forward to fight him on Israel’s behalf.
Answer: False
This is false. When Saul and the Israelites heard Goliath, they were shaken and terrified (17:11), and when the army saw him they ran from him (17:24). This is striking, because Israel had asked for a king who would lead them out and fight for them (8:20), and Saul himself was taller than any other man in Israel (9:2). The tallest man in Israel did not go out against the giant; the LORD’s answer would come through a shepherd boy.
- 1 Samuel 17:11 (BSB)“On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.”Saul and all Israel respond to Goliath with dismay and fear.
- 1 Samuel 17:24 (BSB)“When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.”The men of Israel run from Goliath in fear.
- 1 Samuel 8:20 (BSB)“Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.””Israel had wanted a king who would go out before them and fight their battles.
- 1 Samuel 9:2 (BSB)“And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”Saul was a head taller than anyone in Israel, yet he did not go out against Goliath.
Theological
True or False: Saul, as Israel’s king, answered Goliath’s challenge by accepting it himself.
Answer: False
This is false. Saul and all Israel were shaken and terrified (17:11), and the troops fled at the sight of Goliath (17:24). The irony is pointed: the people had demanded a king to lead them in war and fight for them (8:20), and Saul was physically the most imposing man in Israel (9:2). The king they wanted fails at the very task they wanted him for, setting the stage for the king of the LORD’s choosing.
- 1 Samuel 17:11 (BSB)“On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.”Saul and all Israel respond to Goliath with dismay and fear.
- 1 Samuel 17:24 (BSB)“When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.”The men of Israel run from Goliath in fear.
- 1 Samuel 8:20 (BSB)“Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.””Israel had wanted a king who would go out before them and fight their battles.
- 1 Samuel 9:2 (BSB)“And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”Saul was a head taller than anyone in Israel, yet he did not go out against Goliath.
General
True or False: After hearing David’s answer, Saul let him go and asked for the LORD’s presence with him.
Answer: True
This is true. After David said the LORD would deliver him, Saul told him to go and asked for the LORD’s presence with him (17:37). The words are more significant than Saul knew. One of Saul’s own servants had already described David as a man who had the LORD’s presence (16:18), and the next chapter says plainly that the LORD stood by David while He had left Saul (18:12, 14). Saul’s blessing names the very thing that would later make him afraid of David.
- 1 Samuel 17:37 (BSB)“David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.””Saul sends David out, asking that the LORD be with him.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 (BSB)“One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.””Saul’s servant had already described David as one with whom the LORD was.
- 1 Samuel 18:12 (BSB)“So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.”Saul later feared David because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered in all he did because the LORD was with him.
Theological
True or False: Saul sent David out against Goliath with a blessing invoking the LORD’s presence.
Answer: True
This is true. Saul dismisses David with a blessing invoking the LORD’s presence (17:37). The phrase becomes a key theme: David had already been described as one with whom the LORD is (16:18), and chapter 18 explains Saul’s fear on exactly this ground, since the LORD stood by David and had left Saul (18:12, 14). Saul unknowingly blesses the very reality that will set him against David.
- 1 Samuel 17:37 (BSB)“David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.””Saul sends David out, asking that the LORD be with him.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 (BSB)“One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.””Saul’s servant had already described David as one with whom the LORD was.
- 1 Samuel 18:12 (BSB)“So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.”Saul later feared David because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered in all he did because the LORD was with him.
General
What reason did Saul give for saying David could not fight Goliath (1 Samuel 17:33)?
Answer: David was only a youth, while Goliath had fought since his own youth
Saul judged by what he could see. He told David he could not fight the Philistine, because David was only a youth and Goliath had been a warrior since his youth (17:33). By human measures Saul was right. But God had just told Samuel that He does not judge the way people do (16:7), and the rest of the chapter shows that the outcome did not depend on David’s age or training. As Jonathan had said in an earlier battle, the LORD can save with a large force or a small one, and nothing can hinder Him (14:6).
- 1 Samuel 17:33 (BSB)“But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.””Saul tells David he is too young to fight a lifelong warrior.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””The LORD does not judge by outward appearance as people do.
- 1 Samuel 14:6 (BSB)“Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.””Jonathan had confessed that nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.
Theological
On what grounds did Saul first refuse David’s offer to fight (1 Samuel 17:33)?
Answer: David was only a youth, while Goliath had fought since his own youth
Saul’s objection is purely military: a youth against a lifelong warrior (17:33). Measured by sight, the assessment is correct, but the narrative has just established that God’s judgment is not bound to human sight (16:7). Jonathan had already confessed the principle at Michmash: the LORD is not hindered from saving, whatever the size of the force (14:6). The contest will be decided on those terms, not Saul’s.
- 1 Samuel 17:33 (BSB)“But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.””Saul tells David he is too young to fight a lifelong warrior.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””The LORD does not judge by outward appearance as people do.
- 1 Samuel 14:6 (BSB)“Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.””Jonathan had confessed that nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.
General
How does the narrator emphasize the way David defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:50)?
Answer: He won with just a sling and one stone, carrying no sword
As Goliath moved to attack, David ran toward him and slung a stone that hit Goliath in the head and brought him down face first (17:48-49). The narrator then sums up: David won with nothing but a sling and one stone, and he had no sword at all (17:50). Only afterward did David use Goliath’s own sword to finish him (17:51). God used weak, ordinary means so that the glory would be His, as Paul says God uses what the world counts weak to put the strong to shame (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Many Christians have seen in this scene a picture of Christ, the greater Son of David, defeating His people’s enemy on their behalf.
- 1 Samuel 17:50 (BSB)“Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”The narrator stresses that David won with a sling and a stone and no sword.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (BSB)“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.”God chooses weak things to shame the strong so that no one may boast before Him.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came by God’s power, not by their own sword.
Theological
What does the narrator stress in summarizing David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17:50)?
Answer: He won with just a sling and one stone, carrying no sword
The narrator’s summary is pointed: David won with sling and stone alone, carrying no sword (17:50), and only then used Goliath’s own sword to complete the victory (17:51). The means fit David’s confession that God needs no sword or spear to save (17:47), and they display the pattern Paul names in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, where God chooses what is weak to put the mighty to shame so that nobody can boast before Him. Many Christians have seen here a foreshadowing of Christ, David’s greater Son, conquering as His people’s representative.
- 1 Samuel 17:50 (BSB)“Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”The narrator stresses that David won with a sling and a stone and no sword.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (BSB)“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.”God chooses weak things to shame the strong so that no one may boast before Him.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came by God’s power, not by their own sword.
General
As David went out to fight, what did Saul ask Abner, who led his army (1 Samuel 17:55)?
Answer: Whose son the young man going out to fight was
Watching David go out, Saul asked Abner whose son the young man was, and Abner did not know (17:55). Saul told him to find out, and when David came back, Abner took him to Saul, and David answered that his father was Jesse, Saul’s servant from Bethlehem (17:56-58). The answer points back to the LORD’s word to Samuel: He had chosen a king for Himself from among Jesse’s sons in Bethlehem (16:1). Paul later quotes God’s testimony that Jesse’s son David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
- 1 Samuel 17:55 (BSB)“As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.””Saul asks Abner whose son the young man is, and Abner does not know.
- 1 Samuel 17:58 (BSB)““Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.”David tells Saul he is the son of Jesse of Bethlehem.
- 1 Samuel 16:1 (BSB)“Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.””The LORD had chosen a king for Himself from among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem.
- Acts 13:22 (BSB)“After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”Paul cites God’s testimony that David son of Jesse was a man after His own heart.
Theological
What question did Saul put to Abner as David went out to face the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:55)?
Answer: Whose son the young man going out to fight was
Saul asks Abner whose son the young man is (17:55), pursues the question (17:56), and David names his father as Jesse the Bethlehemite (17:58). The identification ties the victory back to the LORD’s sovereign choice of a king from among Jesse’s sons (16:1). Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:22 cites God’s testimony to Jesse’s son as the man after His own heart who would do all His will.
- 1 Samuel 17:55 (BSB)“As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.””Saul asks Abner whose son the young man is, and Abner does not know.
- 1 Samuel 17:58 (BSB)““Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.”David tells Saul he is the son of Jesse of Bethlehem.
- 1 Samuel 16:1 (BSB)“Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.””The LORD had chosen a king for Himself from among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem.
- Acts 13:22 (BSB)“After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”Paul cites God’s testimony that David son of Jesse was a man after His own heart.