1 Samuel 17

BLIVRE · Chapter 17/31

¹E os filisteus juntaram seus exércitos para a guerra, e congregaram-se em Socó, que é de Judá, e assentaram o campo entre Socó e Azeca, em Efes-Damim.

²E também Saul e os homens de Israel se juntaram, e assentaram o acampamento no vale de Elá, e ordenaram a batalha contra os filisteus.

³E os filisteus estavam sobre o um monte da uma parte, e Israel estava sobre o outro monte da outra parte, e o vale entre eles:

⁴Saiu então um homem do acampamento dos filisteus que se pôs entre os dois campos, o qual se chamava Golias, de Gate, e tinha de altura seis côvados e um palmo.

⁵E trazia um capacete de bronze em sua cabeça, e ia vestido com couraças de placas: e era o peso da couraça cinco mil siclos de bronze:

⁶E sobre suas pernas trazia caneleiras de ferro, e escudo de bronze a seus ombros.

⁷A haste de sua lança era como um lançador de tear, e tinha o ferro de sua lança seiscentos siclos de ferro: e ia seu escudeiro diante dele.

⁸E parou-se, e deu vozes aos esquadrões de Israel, dizendo-lhes: Para que saís a dar batalha? não sou eu o filisteu, e vós os servos de Saul? Escolhei dentre vós um homem que venha contra mim:

⁹Se ele puder lutar comigo, e me vencer, nós seremos vossos servos: e se eu puder mais que ele, e o vencer, vós sereis nossos servos e nos servireis.

¹⁰E acrescentou o filisteu: Hoje eu desafiei o acampamento de Israel; dá-me um homem que lute comigo.

¹¹E ouvindo Saul e todo Israel estas palavras do filisteu, perturbaram-se, e tiveram grande medo.

¹²E Davi era filho daquele homem efrateu de Belém de Judá, cujo nome era Jessé, o qual tinha oito filhos; e era este homem no tempo de Saul, velho, e de grande idade entre os homens.

¹³E os três filhos mais velhos de Jessé haviam ido a perseguir a Saul na guerra. E os nomes de seus três filhos que haviam ido à guerra, eram, Eliabe o primogênito, o segundo Abinadabe, e o terceiro Samá.

¹⁴E Davi era o mais novo. Seguiram, pois, os três maiores a Saul.

¹⁵Porém Davi ia e voltava de perto de Saul, para apascentar as ovelhas de seu pai em Belém.

¹⁶Vinha, pois, aquele filisteu pela manhã e à tarde, e apresentou-se por quarenta dias.

¹⁷E disse Jessé a Davi seu filho: Toma agora para teus irmãos um efá deste grão tostado, e estes dez pães, e leva-o logo ao acampamento a teus irmãos.

¹⁸Levarás também estes dez queijos de leite ao capitão, e cuida de ver se teus irmãos estão bem, e toma garantias deles.

¹⁹E Saul e eles e todos os de Israel, estavam no vale de Elá, lutando com os filisteus.

²⁰Levantou-se, pois, Davi de manhã, e deixando as ovelhas ao cuidado de um guarda, foi-se com sua carga, como Jessé lhe havia mandado; e chegou ao entrincheiramento do exército, o qual havia saído em ordem de batalha, e tocava alarme para a luta.

²¹Porque tanto os israelitas como os filisteus estavam em ordem de batalha, esquadrão contra esquadrão.

²²E Davi deixou de sobre si a carga em mão do que guardava a bagagem, e correu ao esquadrão; e chegado que houve, perguntava por seus irmãos, se estavam bem.

²³E estando ele falando com eles, eis que aquele homem que se punha em meio dos dois acampamentos, que se chamava Golias, o filisteu de Gate, saiu dos esquadrões dos filisteus, e falou as mesmas palavras; as quais ouviu Davi.

²⁴E todos os homens de Israel que viam aquele homem, fugiam de sua presença, e tinham grande temor.

²⁵E cada um dos de Israel dizia: Não vistes aquele homem que saiu? Ele se adianta para provocar a Israel. Ao que lhe vencer, o rei lhe enriquecerá com grandes riquezas, e lhe dará sua filha, e fará livre de tributos a casa de seu pai em Israel.

²⁶Então falou Davi aos que junto a ele estavam, dizendo: Que farão ao homem que vencer a este filisteu, e tirar a humilhação de Israel? Porque quem é este filisteu incircunciso, para que provoque aos esquadrões do Deus vivente?

²⁷E o povo lhe respondeu as mesmas palavras, dizendo: Assim se fará ao homem que o vencer.

²⁸E ouvindo-lhe falar Eliabe seu irmão mais velho com aqueles homens, Eliabe se acendeu em ira contra Davi, e disse: Para que hás descido aqui? e a quem deixaste aquelas poucas ovelhas no deserto? Eu conheço tua soberba e a malícia de teu coração, que vieste para ver a batalha.

²⁹E Davi respondeu: Que fiz eu agora? Não são estas apenas palavras?

³⁰E apartando-se dele até outros, falou o mesmo; e responderam-lhe os do povo como da primeira vez.

³¹E foram ouvidas as palavras que Davi havia dito, as quais quando referiram diante de Saul, ele o fez vir.

³²E disse Davi a Saul: Não desmaie ninguém por causa dele; teu servo irá e lutará com este filisteu.

³³E disse Saul a Davi: Não poderás tu ir contra aquele filisteu, para lutar com ele; porque tu és jovem, e ele um homem de guerra desde sua juventude.

³⁴E Davi respondeu a Saul: Teu servo era pastor das ovelhas de seu pai, e vinha um leão, ou um urso, e tomava algum cordeiro do rebanho,

³⁵E saía eu atrás dele, e feria-o, e livrava-lhe de sua boca: e se se levantava contra mim, eu o segurava pelo queixo, feria-o, e o matava.

³⁶Fosse leão, fosse urso, teu servo o matava; pois este filisteu incircunciso será como um deles, porque provocou ao exército do Deus vivente.

³⁷E acrescentou Davi: o SENHOR que me livrou das garras do leão e das garras do urso, ele também me livrará da mão deste filisteu. E disse Saul a Davi: Vai, e o SENHOR seja contigo.

³⁸E Saul revestiu a Davi de suas roupas, e pôs sobre sua cabeça um capacete de bronze, e armou-lhe de couraça.

³⁹E cingiu Davi sua espada sobre suas roupas, e provou a andar, porque nunca havia provado. E disse Davi a Saul: Eu não posso andar com isto, porque nunca o pratiquei. E lançando de si Davi aquelas coisas,

⁴⁰Tomou seu cajado em sua mão, e escolheu para si cinco pedras lisas do ribeiro, e as pôs no saco pastoril e na sacola que trazia, e com sua funda em sua mão foi até o filisteu.

⁴¹E o filisteu vinha andando e aproximando-se a Davi, e seu escudeiro diante dele.

⁴²E quando o filisteu olhou e viu a Davi, menosprezou-o; porque era rapaz, e ruivo, e de bela aparência.

⁴³E disse o filisteu a Davi: Sou eu cão para que venhas a mim com paus? E amaldiçoou a Davi por seus deuses.

⁴⁴Disse logo o filisteu a Davi: Vem a mim, e darei tua carne às aves do céu, e aos animais do campo.

⁴⁵Então disse Davi ao filisteu: Tu vens a mim com espada e lança e escudo; mas eu venho a ti no nome do SENHOR dos exércitos, o Deus dos esquadrões de Israel, que tu provocaste.

⁴⁶o SENHOR te entregará hoje em minha mão, e eu te vencerei, e tirarei tua cabeça de ti: e darei hoje os corpos dos filisteus às aves do céu e aos animais da terra: e saberá a terra toda que há Deus em Israel.

⁴⁷E saberá toda esta congregação que o SENHOR não salva com espada e lança; porque do SENHOR é la guerra, e ele vos entregará em nossas mãos.

⁴⁸E aconteceu que, quando o filisteu se levantou para ir e chegar-se contra Davi, Davi se deu pressa, e correu ao combate contra o filisteu.

⁴⁹E metendo Davi sua mão no saco, tomou dali uma pedra, e atirou-a com a funda, e feriu ao filisteu na testa: e a pedra ficou fincada na testa, e caiu em terra sobre seu rosto.

⁵⁰Assim venceu Davi ao filisteu com funda e pedra; e feriu ao filisteu e o matou, sem ter Davi espada em sua mão.

⁵¹Mas correu Davi e pôs-se sobre o filisteu, e tomando a espada dele, tirando-a de sua bainha, o matou, e cortou-lhe com ela a cabeça. E quando os filisteus viram seu gigante morto, fugiram.

⁵²E levantando-se os de Israel e de Judá, deram grito, e seguiram aos filisteus até chegar ao vale, e até as portas de Ecrom. E caíram feridos dos filisteus pelo caminho de Saaraim, até Gate e Ecrom.

⁵³Tornando logo os filhos de Israel de perseguir os filisteus, despojaram seu acampamento.

⁵⁴E Davi tomou a cabeça do filisteu, e trouxe-a a Jerusalém, mas pôs suas armas em sua tenda.

⁵⁵E quando Saul viu a Davi que saía a encontrar-se com o filisteu, disse a Abner general do exército: Abner, de quem é filho aquele rapaz? E Abner respondeu:

⁵⁶Vive tua alma, ó rei, que não o sei. E o rei disse: Pergunta, pois, de quem é filho aquele rapaz.

⁵⁷E quando Davi voltava de matar ao filisteu, Abner o tomou, e levou-o diante de Saul, tendo a cabeça do filisteu em sua mão.

⁵⁸E disse-lhe Saul: Rapaz, de quem és filho? E Davi respondeu: Eu sou filho de teu servo Jessé de Belém.

📖 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.