The Epic Showdown: David and Goliath

A classic underdog story of how a small shepherd boy, David, defeats a terrifying giant, Goliath, using his faith and a simple sling.

17 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokohand Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

The green rolling hills surrounding the Valley of Elah still stand today and they witnessed one of the most remarkable battles in the Bible. It began when the Philistines, constant enemies of Israel during this period, assembled their army on a mountain, and on an opposite mountain stood the army of Israel.

4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels[b]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.[c] His shield bearer went ahead of him.

He was a large man (six cubits and a span can be anywhere from 8’5” to 9’2” – that is, 256 to 280 cm), and he had armor and weapons to match his size.

Different sources give different estimates, but Goliath’s armor and weapons together probably weighed somewhere between 150 and 200 pounds. This was a big man, and strong enough to carry and use these huge weapons.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 

Goliath issued a bold challenge to the army of Israel. Adam Clarke says that the word champion really comes from the Hebrew word, “a middle man, the man between two.” The idea is that this was a man who stood between the two armies and fought as a representative of his army.

9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 

10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 

 Goliath was the giant among the Philistines and Saul was head and shoulders taller than other Israelite men (1 Samuel 9:2). Saul was the logical choice to square off against Goliath, and we can expect that others assumed that he should fight Goliath.

11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

This was Goliath’s exact intention in issuing the challenge. The reason why he came out with full battle equipment and paraded in front of the Israelite army was that he wanted them to be dismayed and greatly afraid. Goliath defeated the Israelites with fear alone.

In any contest, it’s always useful to demoralize your opponent and strike fear into their heart. 

First, it may keep them from ever going to battle with you because they are so afraid. 

Second, if it does come to battle they will fight with fear and apprehension and so with your words, you’ve done a lot to win the battle before it even begins. This is a significant strategy of the devil against believers.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name wasJesse, and who had eight sons. 

And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. 

David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

It seems David was only called to the palace as needed, when Saul was afflicted by the distressing spirit.

And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening. 

Day after day, Goliath taunted and mocked the armies of Israel, exposing them all (and especially Saul) as cowards.

Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 

And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” 

Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 

So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. 

This little observation shows the shepherd’s heart of David. If he left the sheep to run an errand for his father he made sure the sheep were still well cared for.

And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. 

For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

This must have been the approximate scene for forty days. 

The armies gathered on each hillside, screaming and shouting at each other across the valley. 

Goliath made his parade and shouted his insults, and after a while the Israelites slinked away in shame.

And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 

Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. 

So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

All of the Israelite army was dreadfully afraid. There was not one man among them who would take on Goliath. Every one of them fled from him when Goliath came out.

So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? 

Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” 

The situation had become so desperate that Saul needed to offer a three-part bribe including a cash award, a princess, and a tax exemption – to induce someone, anyone to fight and win against Goliath.

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, 

“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? 

For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 

When the men of Israel said, “This man,” David said, “This uncircumcised Philistine.”

Other soldiers focused on the danger of the battle or the material rewards to be won. It seems that David alone focused on the reputation of Israel and the honor of the living God.

This truly shows David to be a man after God’s own heart. He cares about the things God cares about. He saw the problem in spiritual terms, not in material or fleshly terms.

And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 

We might have thought that David’s visit would please Eliab, especially considering all the things he brought from home. But David’s words angered Eliab and there were many reasons why.

1. he was angry because he felt David was an insignificant, worthless person who had no right to speak up, especially with such bold words (Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?).

2. He was angry because he felt he knew David’s motivation (I know your pride and the insolence of your heart)

3. He was angry because he thought David tried to provoke someone else into fighting Goliath just so he could see a battle (you have come down to see the battle). 

4. Finally, he was angry because David was right! 

When you are dismayed and greatly afraid or dreadfully afraid, the last thing in the world you want is someone telling you to be courageous.

And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

David stuck to his position. There is no doubt that what his brother Eliab said hurt him, but he would not let it hinder him. David remained concerned with God’s cause before everything. Before his own personal safety, before his own personal glory, before his only personal honor, he had a passionate concern for God’s cause.

When David was misunderstood and publicly rebuked by his own brother, probably amid the laughs of the other soldiers, he could have quit. But he showed the strength of the armor of God in his life and replied rightly. He didn’t care about his glory or success, but only for the glory and success of the LORD’s cause.

Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

It wasn’t as if David’s words were all that bold. He never said, “If I went out to fight against that Philistine, I would whip his tail. He’s nothing.” David didn’t talk like that, but at least he stood up to Goliath. David didn’t show a lot of backbone, but he showed more courage than anyone else in Israel, so it was worth reporting to Saul.

Saul waited a long time – at least 40 days – to hear someone say these words. But to hear them now, from the mouth of this boy, almost seemed like a cruel joke. “The good news is that someone finally wants to fight Goliath. The bad news is that he is a little shepherd boy.”

Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine: These are bold words. This is the first time David specifically volunteered to battle against Goliath. It is one thing to say, “Someone should do something about the enemy.” It is entirely another thing to say, “I will do something about the enemy.”

And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught itby its beard, and struck and killed it. 

Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 

Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

I always tell people to pray specifically and keep a prayer journal.  Write down what you are praying for.  And when you see any movement by God in the situation, write it down. 

Every victory, no matter how small, builds your faith and trust that God is there.  He is listening. 

And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

As a shepherd facing lions and bears, David had no idea he was being trained to fight a giant. In the midst of our preparation we rarely see how God will use it. Yet now, David can look back and know that the same God who delivered him before will also deliver him now. 

So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 

David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. 

And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 

Steffanie Grettzinger once said, if you find the eyes of Jesus alone in your prayer closet, you will find them in a crowd. 

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. 

And he drew near to the Philistine.

The moment of truth. He spoke words of faith, he stood up for God, he was willing.  

But now was the time to step out. 

So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 

Obviously, because of Goliath’s size and experience, it was not a “fair” fight. Added to that, it was two against one because Goliath had an armor bearer with him.

And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 

So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 

The idea behind looked about is almost that Goliath had to look around to findDavid. David was so small compared to this man that Goliath had a hard time even seeing him. But when he did see him, he disdained him. There was nothing – nothing – in David that struck fear or respect in Goliath’s heart. Goliath felt insulted that they sent David (Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?).

And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

David makes a contrast between himself and Goliath without giving credit to Goliath himself. “Those are some pretty fancy weapons you’ve got there, mister. But I’ve got something far better than your weapons.”

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel: This whole incident made David famous. But that was not why he did it. He did it for the fame and the glory of the LORD, not his own name. He wanted all the earth toknow that there is a God in Israel.

David is bolder and bolder. It is one thing to tell Saul he will kill Goliath (1 Samuel 17:36). It is an entirely different thing to tell Goliath he will kill Goliath, and to say the LORD would do it this day. Adding I will strike you and take your head from you is a nice, vivid detail.

Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 

What a scene! Goliath, enraged at David’s boldness, drew near to quickly kill David. David didn’t run away. He didn’t hide. He didn’t panic. He didn’t drop to his knees and pray. Instead, David hurried and ran…to meet the Philistine.

Being “prayed up” means being ready. Whatever comes at you, you know Gods got this!

Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

Just like Dagon from the book of Daniel, the giant, the enemy of God has fallen face first. 

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.