---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  1 Samuel 17"
description: "CHAPTER 17   :-. THE ISRAELITES
AND PHILISTINES
BEING READY
TO BATTLE. 1. the Philistines gathered together
their armies—twenty-seven years after their ov"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-samuel/17"
---

CHAPTER 17

. THE ISRAELITES
AND PHILISTINES
BEING READY
TO BATTLE.

**1. the Philistines gathered together
their armies**—twenty-seven years after their overthrow at
Michmash. Having now recovered their spirits and strength, they
sought an opportunity of wiping out the infamy of that national
disaster, as well as to regain their lost ascendency over Israel.
**Shocoh**—now Shuweikeh, a
town in the western plains of Judah (), nine Roman miles from Eleutheropolis, toward Jerusalem
[ROBINSON].
**Azekah**—a small place in
the neighborhood.
**Ephes-dammim**—or,
"Pas-dammim" (), "the portion" or "effusion of blood,"
situated between the other two.

**2. valley of Elah**—that is,
"the Terebinth," now Wady Er-Sumt [ROBINSON].
Another valley somewhat to the north, now called Wady Beit Hanina,
has been fixed on by the tradition of ages.
. GOLIATH
CHALLENGES A COMBAT.

**4-11. a champion**—*Hebrew,*
a "man between two"; that is, a person who, on the part of
his own people, undertook to determine the national quarrel by
engaging in single combat with a chosen warrior in the hostile army.

**5. helmet of brass**—The
Philistine helmet had the appearance of a row of feathers set in a
tiara, or metal band, to which were attached scales of the same
material, for the defense of the neck and the sides of the face
[OSBORN].
**a coat of mail**—a kind
of corslet, quilted with leather or plates of metal, reaching only to
the chest, and supported by shoulder straps, leaving the shoulders
and arms at full liberty.

**6. greaves of brass**—boots,
terminating at the ankle, made in one plate of metal, but round to
the shape of the leg, and often lined with felt or sponge. They were
useful in guarding the legs, not only against the spikes of the
enemy, but in making way among thorns and briers.
**a target of brass**—a
circular frame, carried at the back, suspended by a long belt which
crossed the breast from the shoulders to the loins.

**7. staff of his spear**—rather
under five feet long, and capable of being used as a javelin (). It had an iron head.
**one bearing a shield**—In
consequence of their great size and weight, the Oriental warrior had
a trusty and skilful friend, whose office it was to bear the large
shield behind which he avoided the missile weapons of the enemy. He
was covered, cap-a-pie, with defensive armor, while he had only two
offensive weapons—a sword by his side and a spear in his hand.

**8-11. I defy the armies of Israel .
. .; give me a man, that we may fight together**—In cases of
single combat, a warrior used to go out in front of his party, and
advancing towards the opposite ranks, challenge someone to fight with
him. If his formidable appearance, or great reputation for physical
strength and heroism, deterred any from accepting the challenge, he
used to parade himself within hearing of the enemy's lines, specify
in a loud, boastful, bravado style, defying them, and pouring out
torrents of abuse and insolence to provoke their resentment.
. DAVID
ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE,
AND SLAYS HIM.

**17. Take now for thy brethren an
ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves**—In those times
campaigns seldom lasted above a few days at a time. The soldiers were
volunteers or militia, who were supplied with provisions from time to
time by their friends at home.

**18. carry these ten cheeses to the
captain**—to enlist his kind attention. Oriental cheeses are very
small; and although they are frequently made of so soft a consistence
as to resemble curds, those which David carried seem to have been
fully formed, pressed, and sufficiently dried to admit of their being
carried.
**take their pledge**—Tokens
of the soldiers' health and safety were sent home in the convenient
form of a lock of their hair, or piece of their nail, or such like.

**20. David left the sheep with a
keeper**—This is the only instance in which the hired shepherd is
distinguished from the master or one of his family.
**trench**—some feeble
attempt at a rampart. It appears (see *Margin*) to have been
formed by a line of carts or chariots, which, from the earliest
times, was the practice of nomad people.

**22. left his carriage in the hand of
the keeper of the carriage**—to make his way to the standard of
Judah.

**25. make his father's house free in
Israel**—His family should be exempted from the impositions and
services to which the general body of the Israelites were subjected.

**34-36. a lion, and a bear**—There
were two different rencontres, for those animals prowl alone. The
bear must have been a Syrian bear, which is believed to be a distinct
species, or perhaps a variety, of the brown bear. The beard applies
to the lion alone. Those feats seem to have been performed with no
weapons more effective than the rude staves and stones of the field,
or his shepherd's crook.

**37. The Lord that delivered me**—It
would have been natural for a youth, and especially an Oriental
youth, to make a parade of his gallantry. But David's piety sank all
consideration of his own prowess and ascribed the success of those
achievements to the divine aid, which he felt assured would not be
withheld from him in a cause which so intimately concerned the safety
and honor of His people.
**Saul said unto David, Go, and
the Lord be with thee**—The pious language of the modest but
valiant youth impressed the monarch's heart. He felt that it
indicated the true military confidence for Israel, and, therefore,
made up his mind, without any demur, to sanction a combat on which
the fate of his kingdom depended, and with a champion supporting his
interests apparently so unequal to the task.

**38, 39. Saul armed David with his
armour**—The ancient Hebrews were particularly attentive to the
personal safety of their warriors, and hence Saul equipped the
youthful champion with his own defensive accoutrements, which would
be of the best style. It is probable that Saul's coat of mail, or
corslet, was a loose shirt, otherwise it could not have fitted both a
stripling and a man of the colossal stature of the king.

**40. brook**—wady.
**bag**—or scrip for
containing his daily food.
**sling**—The sling
consisted of a double rope with a thong, probably of leather, to
receive the stone. The slinger held a second stone in his left hand.
David chose five stones, as a reserve, in case the first should fail.
Shepherds in the East carry a sling and stones still, for the purpose
of driving away, or killing, the enemies that prowl about the flock.

**42-47. the Philistine said . . .
said David to the Philistine**—When the two champions met, they
generally made each of them a speech, and sometimes recited some
verses, filled with allusions and epithets of the most opprobrious
kind, hurling contempt and defiance at one another. This kind of
abusive dialogue is common among the Arab combatants still. David's
speech, however, presents a striking contrast to the usual strain of
these invectives. It was full of pious trust, and to God he ascribed
all the glory of the triumph he anticipated.

**49. smote the Philistine in his
forehead**—At the opening for the eyes—that was the only
exposed part of his body.

**51. cut off his head**—not as an
evidence of the giant's death, for his slaughter had been effected in
presence of the whole army, but as a trophy to be borne to Saul. The
heads of slain enemies are always regarded in the East as the most
welcome tokens of victory.

**52. Shaaraim**—(See ).

**54. tent**—the sacred
tabernacle. David dedicated the sword of Goliath as a votive offering
to the Lord.

**55-58. Saul . . . said unto Abner .
. . whose son is this youth?**—A young man is more spoken of in
many Eastern countries by his father's name than his own. The growth
of the beard, and other changes on a now full-grown youth, prevented
the king from recognizing his former favorite minstrel [].

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