1 Samuel 17

ARC · Chapter 17/31

¹E os philisteos ajuntaram os seus arraiaes para a guerra e congregaram-se em Socoh, que está em Judah, e acamparam-se entre Socoh e Azeka, no termo de Dammim.

²Porém Saul e os homens de Israel se ajuntaram e acamparam no valle do carvalho, e ordenaram a batalha contra os philisteos.

³E os philisteos estavam n'um monte da banda d'além, e os israelitas estavam no outro monte da banda d'áquem; e o valle estava entre elles.

⁴Então saiu do arraial dos philisteos um homem guerreiro, cujo nome era Goliath, de Gath, que tinha de altura seis covados e um palmo.

⁵Trazia na cabeça um capacete de bronze, e vestia uma couraça de escamas; e era o peso da couraça de cinco mil siclos de bronze.

⁶E trazia grevas de bronze por cima de seus pés, e um escudo de bronze entre os seus hombros.

⁷E a haste da sua lança era como o orgão do tecelão, e o ferro da sua lança de seiscentos siclos de ferro, e diante d'elle ia o escudeiro.

⁸E parou, e clamou ás companhias d'Israel, e disse-lhes: Para que saireis a ordenar a batalha? não sou eu philisteo e vós servos de Saul? escolhei d'entre vós um homem que desça a mim.

⁹Se elle puder pelejar comigo, e me ferir, a vós seremos por servos; porém, se eu o vencer, e o ferir, então a nós sereis por servos, e nos servireis.

¹⁰Disse mais o philisteo: Hoje desafio as companhias de Israel, dizendo: Dae-me um homem, para que ambos pelejemos.

¹¹Ouvindo então Saul e todo o Israel estas palavras do philisteo, espantaram-se, e temeram muito.

¹²E David era filho de um homem, ephrateo, de Beth-lehem de Judah, cujo nome era Jessé, que tinha oito filhos: e nos dias de Saul era este homem já velho e adiantado na edade entre os homens.

¹³Foram-se os tres filhos mais velhos de Jessé, e seguiram a Saul á guerra: e eram os nomes de seus tres filhos, que se foram á guerra, Eliab, o primogenito, e o segundo Abinadab, e o terceiro Samma.

¹⁴E David era o menor; e os tres maiores seguiram a Saul.

¹⁵David porém foi-se e voltou de Saul, para apascentar as ovelhas de seu pae em Beth-lehem.

¹⁶Chegava-se pois o philisteo pela manhã e á tarde; e apresentou-se por quarenta dias.

¹⁷E disse Jessé a David, seu filho: Toma, peço-te, para teus irmãos um epha d'este grão tostado e estes dez pães, e corre a leval-os ao arraial, a teus irmãos.

¹⁸Porém estes dez queijos de leite leva ao chefe de mil; e visitarás a teus irmãos, a ver se lhes vae bem; e tomarás o seu penhor.

¹⁹E estavam Saul, e elles, e todos os homens d'Israel no valle do carvalho, pelejando com os philisteos.

²⁰David então de madrugada se levantou pela manhã, e deixou as ovelhas a um guarda, e carregou-se, e partiu, como Jessé lhe ordenara: e chegou ao logar dos carros, quando já o arraial sahia em ordem de batalha, e a gritos chamavam á peleja.

²¹E os israelitas e philisteos se pozeram em ordem, fileira contra fileira.

²²E David deixou a carga que trouxera na mão do guarda da bagagem, e correu á batalha; e, chegando, perguntou a seus irmãos se estavam bem.

²³E, estando elle ainda fallando com elles, eis que vinha subindo do exercito dos philisteos o homem guerreiro, cujo nome era Goliath, o philisteo de Gath e fallou conforme áquellas palavras, e David as ouviu.

²⁴Porém todos os homens em Israel, vendo aquelle homem, fugiam de diante d'elle e temiam grandemente.

²⁵E diziam os homens de Israel: Vistes aquelle homem que subiu? pois subiu para affrontar a Israel: ha de ser pois que o homem que o ferir o rei o enriquecerá de grandes riquezas, e lhe dará a sua filha, e fará franca a casa de seu pae em Israel.

²⁶Então fallou David aos homens que estavam com elle, dizendo: Que farão áquelle homem que ferir a este philisteo, e tirar a affronta de sobre Israel? quem é pois este incircumciso philisteo, para affrontar os exercitos do Deus vivo?

²⁷E o povo lhe tornou a fallar conforme áquella palavra dizendo: Assim farão ao homem que o ferir.

²⁸E, ouvindo Eliab, seu irmão mais velho, fallar áquelles homens, accendeu-se a ira d'Eliab contra David, e disse: Porque desceste aqui? e a quem deixaste aquellas poucas ovelhas no deserto? bem conheço a tua presumpção, e a maldade do teu coração, que desceste para ver a peleja

²⁹Então disse David: Que fiz eu agora? porventura não ha razão para isso?

³⁰E desviou-se d'elle para outro, e fallou conforme áquella palavra: e o povo lhe tornou a responder conforme ás primeiras palavras.

³¹E, ouvidas as palavras que David havia fallado, as annunciaram a Saul, e mandou em busca d'elle.

³²E David disse a Saul: Não desfalleça o coração de ninguem por causa d'elle: teu servo irá, e pelejará contra este philisteo.

³³Porém Saul disse a David: Contra este philisteo não poderás ir para pelejar com elle: pois tu ainda és moço, e elle homem de guerra desde a sua mocidade.

³⁴Então disse David a Saul: Teu servo apascentava as ovelhas de seu pae; e vinha um leão e um urso, e tomava uma ovelha do rebanho;

³⁵E eu sahi após elle, e o feri, e livrei-a da sua bocca: e, levantando-se elle contra mim, lancei-lhe mão da barba, e o feri, e o matei.

³⁶Assim feriu o teu servo o leão, como o urso: assim será este incircumciso philisteo como um d'elles; porquanto affrontou os exercitos do Deus vivo.

³⁷Disse mais David: O Senhor me livrou da mão do leão, e da do urso; elle me livrará da mão d'este philisteo. Então disse Saul a David: Vae-te embora, e o Senhor seja comtigo.

³⁸E Saul vestiu a David dos seus vestidos, e poz-lhe sobre a cabeça um capacete de bronze: e o vestiu de uma couraça.

³⁹E David cingiu a espada sobre os seus vestidos, e começou a andar; porém nunca o havia experimentado: então disse David a Saul: Não posso andar com isto, pois nunca o experimentei. E David tirou aquillo de sobre si.

⁴⁰E tomou o seu cajado na mão, e escolheu para si cinco seixos do ribeiro, e pôl-os no alforge de pastor, que trazia, a saber, no surrão, e lançou mão da sua funda: e foi-se chegando ao philisteo.

⁴¹O philisteo tambem veiu e se vinha chegando a David: e o que lhe levava o escudo ia diante d'elle.

⁴²E, olhando o philisteo, e vendo a David, o desprezou, porquanto era mancebo, ruivo, e de gentil aspecto.

⁴³Disse pois o philisteo a David: Sou eu algum cão, para tu vires a mim com paus? E o philisteo amaldiçoou a David pelos seus deuses.

⁴⁴Disse mais o philisteo a David: Vem a mim, e darei a tua carne ás aves do céu e ás bestas do campo.

⁴⁵David porém disse ao philisteo: Tu vens a mim com espada, e com lança, e com escudo; porém eu venho a ti em nome do Senhor dos exercitos, o Deus dos exercitos de Israel, a quem tens affrontado.

⁴⁶Hoje mesmo o Senhor te entregará na minha mão, e ferir-te-hei, e te tirarei a cabeça, e os corpos do arraial dos philisteos darei hoje mesmo ás aves do céu e ás bestas da terra: e toda a terra saberá que ha Deus em Israel

⁴⁷E saberá toda esta congregação que o Senhor salva, não com espada, nem com lança; porque do Senhor é a guerra, e elle vos entregará na nossa mão.

⁴⁸E succedeu que, levantando-se o philisteo, e indo encontrar-se com David, apressou-se David, e correu ao combate, a encontrar-se com o philisteo.

⁴⁹E David metteu a mão no alforge, e tomou d'ali uma pedra e com a funda lh'a atirou, e feriu o philisteo na testa, e a pedra se lhe encravou na testa, e caiu sobre o seu rosto em terra.

⁵⁰Assim David prevaleceu contra o philisteo, com uma funda e com uma pedra, e feriu o philisteo, e o matou sem que David tivesse uma espada na mão.

⁵¹Pelo que correu David, e poz-se em pé sobre o philisteo, e tomou a sua espada, e tirou-a da bainha, e o matou, e lhe cortou com ella a cabeça: vendo então os philisteos, que o seu campeão era morto, fugiram.

⁵²Então os homens de Israel e Judah se levantaram, e jubilaram, e seguiram os philisteos, até chegar ao valle, e até ás portas d'Ekron: e cairam os feridos dos philisteos pelo caminho de Saaraim até Gath e até Ekron

⁵³Então voltaram os filhos de Israel de perseguirem os philisteos, e despojaram os seus arraiaes.

⁵⁴E David tomou a cabeça do philisteo, e a trouxe a Jerusalem: porém poz as armas d'elle na sua tenda.

⁵⁵Vendo porém Saul sair David a encontrar-se com o philisteo, disse a Abner, o chefe do exercito: De quem é filho este mancebo, Abner? E disse Abner: Vive a tua alma, ó rei, que o não sei

⁵⁶Disse então o rei: Pergunta, pois, de quem é filho este mancebo.

⁵⁷Voltando pois David de ferir o philisteo, Abner o tomou comsigo, e o trouxe á presença de Saul, trazendo elle na mão a cabeça do philisteo.

⁵⁸E disse-lhe Saul: De quem és filho, mancebo? E disse David: Filho de teu servo Jessé, beth-lehemita.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The Philistine giant Goliath defies Israel for forty days. Young David, visiting his brothers at the camp, accepts the challenge in faith in God, defeats him with a sling and a stone, and beheads him with his own sword.

Explanation

Goliath, standing over nine and a half feet tall and wearing extremely heavy armor, represented not only physical strength but a direct challenge to the honor and faith of Israel's entire army, which was paralyzed by fear before him for forty days. David's confidence did not come from naivety but from prior practical experience — he had already killed a lion and a bear while defending his flock, and he interpreted those episodes as proof that the same God who had delivered him from those dangers would deliver him from Goliath as well. His declaration that he came 'in the name of the Lord of hosts,' while Goliath trusted in physical weapons, establishes the central theme of the victory: it is not the size of the opponent or the sophistication of the weapons that determines the outcome, but the one on whom victory depends.

Fun facts

Goliath's height in the oldest Hebrew text (the Qumran manuscript and the Septuagint) is recorded as 'four cubits and a span' (about 6.5 feet), while the traditional Masoretic text gives 'six cubits and a span' (nearly 9.5 feet) — a difference scholars attribute to ancient textual variation.
The smooth river stone used by David, hurled from a shepherd's sling, could reach speeds comparable to a modern light firearm projectile in the hands of an experienced user, making the feat physically plausible and not merely miraculous.

Verse-by-verse explanation

1 Samuel 17:1The battle site was in the Shephelah, a region of hills between the Philistine coast and the mountains of Judah — a strategic corridor the Philistines often used to try to push further inland.
1 Samuel 17:2Forming the battle line, to “set the battle in array,” was the formal first step before a clash — the two armies take up position, but still without actually fighting.
1 Samuel 17:3The geography of the valley between two hills naturally creates the setting for the duel: neither side wants to go down first and lose the advantage of the high ground.
1 Samuel 17:4Six cubits and a span makes Goliath nearly nine feet tall — a cubit measured about eighteen inches. Some ancient manuscripts (such as a Qumran scroll and the Greek translation) record four cubits and a span, a much more modest height; scholars disagree on which number is original.
1 Samuel 17:5Goliath’s scale armor weighed five thousand shekels of bronze — a shekel ran about 11 to 12 grams, which comes to roughly 125 to 130 pounds of chest armor alone, not counting the helmet, greaves, and spear.
1 Samuel 17:6The “greaves” were leg guards, covering from the shin to the knee — a rare piece of armor that underscores how thoroughly Goliath was armored from head to foot.
1 Samuel 17:7Comparing the spear’s shaft to a weaver’s beam suggests an unusual thickness — and the iron head alone weighed about 15 pounds, an enormous weight just for the blade.
1 Samuel 17:8Proposing a duel between champions, instead of all-out battle, was a known practice in the ancient world — it avoided total losses by deciding the war through a single representative one-on-one fight.
1 Samuel 17:9The stakes of the duel are crystal clear: the individual outcome would decide the subjugation of one whole people to the other, with no further battles.
1 Samuel 17:10The challenge repeating day after day, as verse 16 will reveal, shows how much Goliath kept it up without anyone accepting — a public, humiliating challenge that dragged on.
1 Samuel 17:11The general fear, including the king’s own, contrasts with the attitude David will show later on — no one in the whole army of Israel is willing to accept the challenge.
1 Samuel 17:12The text picks up the introduction of David’s family again, already told in similar form in chapter 16, a common device in biblical narrative of reintroducing characters when the scene shifts.
1 Samuel 17:13These are the same three brothers who passed before Samuel in chapter 16 without being chosen — now they appear serving in the army, a more conventional role for older sons.
1 Samuel 17:14Stressing that David “was the youngest” among his brothers sets up the dramatic contrast between his age and Goliath’s battle experience, mentioned right afterward.
1 Samuel 17:15Even though he was already the king’s armor-bearer in chapter 16, David still went back and forth between court service and shepherding duties at home — a back-and-forth that explains why he reappears tending sheep here.
1 Samuel 17:16Forty days of the challenge repeating twice a day show the psychological toll Goliath inflicted on the Israelite army before any fight even took place.
1 Samuel 17:17Sending food from home to sons at the front was a practical custom, since ancient armies depended on supplies brought from home, without any guaranteed central logistics.
1 Samuel 17:18Asking for a “pledge” (proof) that the brothers were well was common when the family had no other way of getting news from the battlefield.
1 Samuel 17:19This locational reminder places the reader back in the scene of the war right before David arrives at the camp.
1 Samuel 17:20David arrives just as the armies are already taking position for the day’s confrontation — timing that automatically places him in the middle of the tension of Goliath’s daily challenge.
1 Samuel 17:21The organized formation, rank against rank, shows both sides were still following formal battle protocol, even with no one actually advancing.
1 Samuel 17:22David first carries out his father’s errand before getting involved in anything else — his arrival at Goliath’s challenge begins as a coincidence of being there delivering food.
1 Samuel 17:23It is by chance, in the middle of an ordinary conversation with his brothers, that David witnesses for the first time the challenge that had already been repeating for forty days.
1 Samuel 17:24The widespread reaction of dread, with grown soldiers fleeing at the mere sight of Goliath approaching, contrasts even more with the calm response David will give next.
1 Samuel 17:25The reward offered by Saul — riches, marriage to his daughter, tax exemption for the family — shows how desperate he was for someone willing to accept the duel.
1 Samuel 17:26Calling someone “uncircumcised” was about the harshest insult an Israelite could use against a foreigner: circumcision marked the covenant with God, and lacking it placed the Philistine outside any sacred bond.
1 Samuel 17:27The reward promise being repeated, now directly to David, confirms he had not misheard — the prize was real and enormous.
1 Samuel 17:28The oldest brother’s hostile reaction, accusing David of arrogance just for asking questions, may reveal an old jealousy — Eliab was the one Samuel almost anointed king in the previous chapter, before being rejected.
1 Samuel 17:29David’s calm reply, without returning his brother’s hostility, shows remarkable emotional maturity for someone so young being unjustly accused.
1 Samuel 17:30David simply ignores Eliab’s provocation and keeps investigating the matter with other people — he does not let himself be distracted from what he really wanted to know.
1 Samuel 17:31David’s persistent questions about the reward end up drawing enough attention to reach the king’s own ears — a young shepherd unintentionally landing a royal audience.
1 Samuel 17:32David’s offer to face Goliath alone, right after being summoned into the king’s presence, shows an immediate willingness that contrasts with the collective fear of the rest of the army.
1 Samuel 17:33Saul’s objection is entirely reasonable from a military standpoint — comparing a young shepherd to a professional warrior trained his whole life seemed like obvious madness.
1 Samuel 17:34David answers Saul’s military objection not with bravado, but with real experience: he had already faced life-or-death danger protecting his own flock.
1 Samuel 17:35Grabbing a predator by the beard, its jaw, to strike it up close is an account of extreme physical courage — David already had real hand-to-hand combat experience before he ever picked up a sword.
1 Samuel 17:36David reframes the problem: to him, Goliath is not an invincible warrior, just another predator who dared to defy the God of Israel Himself.
1 Samuel 17:37David’s confidence does not come from personal arrogance, but from a concrete track record of God rescuing him — Saul finally gives in, persuaded more by the faith shown than by any military guarantee.
1 Samuel 17:38Offering his own armor was a genuine gesture of support from Saul — but it also shows he was still thinking in terms of conventional weaponry, the very logic he had just admitted would not work.
1 Samuel 17:39David acknowledges with practical humility that borrowed, untested equipment would hinder more than help — he prefers to trust what he already knew how to use well.
1 Samuel 17:40Five stones, not just one, suggests David was prepared for more than one attempt, or even to face Goliath’s brothers, mentioned later in 2 Samuel 21, if he needed to.
1 Samuel 17:41Having a personal shield-bearer just to carry his shield shows Goliath’s elite status — the complete opposite of David, who comes alone with no assistant at all.
1 Samuel 17:42Goliath’s contempt, based only on David’s youthful, pleasant appearance, repeats the same error of judgment Samuel was corrected of in chapter 16 — underestimating someone by their looks.
1 Samuel 17:43Goliath takes David’s shepherd’s staff as an insult, comparing himself to a dog chased off with a stick — without realizing the hidden sling would be the weapon actually used.
1 Samuel 17:44The threat of leaving a body unburied, exposed to birds and animals, was considered one of the worst possible dishonors in the ancient world — even more serious than death itself.
1 Samuel 17:45David directly contrasts Goliath’s physical arsenal with his own real weapon: not the sling, but the name and reputation of the God Goliath had publicly insulted.
1 Samuel 17:46David promises to use against Goliath the same threat of public disgrace Goliath had made against him — but he also turns the duel into a demonstration for “all the earth,” not just the two armies present.
1 Samuel 17:47David publicly declares the real point of the duel: to prove that victories come from God, not from the size or military equipment of the winner.
1 Samuel 17:48Running toward the giant, instead of waiting for the attack, was calculated strategy: David needed to be moving and at the right distance to use the sling before Goliath could close in with his spear.
1 Samuel 17:49The only exposed spot in Goliath’s full armor was his face — David aims exactly there, and one well-thrown stone is enough to bring down a giant warrior before any hand-to-hand combat.
1 Samuel 17:50The narrator deliberately highlights that the victory came without any sword at all — visually reinforcing the message of verse 47 that the battle belongs to the LORD, not to conventional weapons.
1 Samuel 17:51Using Goliath’s own sword to behead him is a detail loaded with irony: the giant is defeated with his own most impressive weapon, wielded by the very man he had just despised.
1 Samuel 17:52The death of the Philistine champion completely turns the tide: the same army that had been paralyzed with fear now chases the fleeing enemies over a long stretch of territory.
1 Samuel 17:53Plundering the camp abandoned by the retreating Philistines was the natural material reward after such a complete victory.
1 Samuel 17:54Bringing Goliath’s head to Jerusalem is a curious detail, since the city would only be conquered by David much later, in 2 Samuel — a sign the account may gather traditions recorded out of strict chronological order.
1 Samuel 17:55Saul’s question about David’s identity sounds strange, since chapter 16 had already told us David was the king’s personal armor-bearer — one sign that chapters 16 and 17 may come from slightly different traditions about how the two men met.
1 Samuel 17:56Saul’s insistence on finding out David’s genealogy is probably tied to the reward promised in verse 25: exempting “his father’s house” required knowing exactly which family would benefit.
1 Samuel 17:57Bringing Goliath’s head as physical proof of the victory ruled out any doubt about who had really killed the giant.
1 Samuel 17:58David’s simple answer closes the chapter by formally confirming his identity — a moment that, in the next chapter, will immediately spark his friendship with Jonathan.