1SA 17

1 Samuel 17:45

WEB

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 Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

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.

KJV

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

Matthew Henry

Verses 40–47

1 Samuel 17:40–47

We are now coming near this famous combat, and have in these verses the preparations and remonstrances made on both sides.

I. The preparations made on both sides for the encounter. The Philistine was already fixed, as he had been daily for the last forty days. Well might he go with his armour, for he had sufficiently proved it. Only we are told (Sa1 17:41) that he came on and drew near, a signal, it is likely, being given that his challenge was accepted, and, as if he distrusted his helmet and coat of mail, a man went before him, carrying his shield, for his own hands were full with his sword and spear, Sa1 17:45. But what arms and ammunition is David furnished with? Truly none but what he brought with him as a shepherd; no breastplate, nor corselet, but his plain shepherd's coat; no spear, but his staff; no sword nor bow, but his sling; no quiver, but his scrip; nor any arrows, but, instead of them, five smooth stones picked up out of the brook, Sa1 17:40. By this it appeared that his confidence was purely in the power of God, and not in any sufficiency of his own, and that now at length he who put it into his heart to fight the Philistine put it into his head with what weapons to do it.

II. The conference which precedes the encounter, in which observe,

1. How very proud Goliath was, (1.) With what scorn he looked upon his adversary, Sa1 17:42. He looked about, expecting to meet some tall strong man, but, when he saw what a mean figure he made with whom he was to engage, he disdained him, thought it below him to enter the lists with him, fearing that the contemptibleness of the champion he contended with would lessen the glory of his victory. He took notice of his person, that he was but a youth, not come to his strength, ruddy and of a fair countenance, fitter to accompany the virgins of Israel in their dances (if mixed dancing was then in use) than to lead on the men of Israel in their battles. He took notice of his array with great indignation (Sa1 17:43): "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? Dost thou think to beat me as easily as thou dost thy shepherd's dog?" (2.) With what confidence he presumed upon his success. He cursed David by his gods, imprecating the impotent vengeance of his idols against him, thinking these fire-balls thrown about him would secure his success: and therefore, in confidence of that, he darts his grimaces, as if threatening words would kill (Sa1 17:44): "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, it will be a tender and delicate feast for them." Thus the security and presumption of fools destroy them.

2. How very pious David was. His speech savours nothing of ostentation, but God is all in all in it, Sa1 17:45-47. (1.) He derives his authority from God: "I come to thee by warrant and commission from heaven, in the name of the Lord, who has called me to and anointed me for this undertaking, who, by his universal providence, is the Lord of hosts, of all hosts, and therefore has power to do what he pleases, and, by the special grace of his covenant, is the God of the armies of Israel, and therefore has engaged and will employ his power for their protection, and against thee who hast impiously defied them." The name of God David relied on, as Goliath did on his sword and spear. See Psa 20:7; Psa 118:10, Psa 118:11. (2.) He depends for success upon God, Sa1 17:46. David speaks with as much assurance as Goliath had done, but upon better ground; it is his faith that says, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand, and not only thy carcase, but the carcases of the host of the Philistines, shall be given to the birds and beasts of prey." (3.) He devotes the praise and glory of all to God. He did not, like Goliath, seek his own honour, but the honour of God, not doubting but by the success of this action, [1.] All the world should be made to know that there is a God, and that the God of Israel is the one only living and true God, and all other pretended deities are vanity and a lie. [2.] All Israel (whom he calls not this army, but this assembly, or church, because they were now religiously attending the goings of their God and King, as they used to do in the sanctuary) shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear (Sa1 17:47), but can, when he pleases, save without either and against both, Psa 46:9. David addresses himself to this combat rather as a priest that was going to offer a sacrifice to the justice of God than as a soldier that was going to engage an enemy of his country.

Cross-references: 1Sam 17:41 · 1Sam 17:45 · 1Sam 17:40 · 1Sam 17:42 · 1Sam 17:43 · 1Sam 17:44 · Ps 20:7 · Ps 118:10 · Ps 118:11 · 1Sam 17:46 · 1Sam 17:47 · Ps 46:9

Hebrew interlinear

H559

אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/

v — say

Derivation: a primitive root;

to say (used with great latitude)

KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.

אָמַר

vb — utter

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

1. Say

2. Say in the heart (= think)

3. Promise

4. Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

H1732

דָּוִדDâvid/daw-veed'/

n-pr-m — David

Derivation: rarely (fully); דָּוִיד; from the same as 1730; loving;

David, the youngest son of Jesse

KJV: David.

דָּוִד

n.pr.m — David

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

H413

אֵלʼêl/ale/

prep — near, with, among, to

Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.

near, with or among; often in general, to

KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

אֶל

prep — motion to

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).

1. of motion to or unto a person or place

2. Where the limit is actually entered, into

3. Of direction towards anything

4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

H6430

פְּלִשְׁתִּיPᵉlishtîy/pel-ish-tee'/

a — Pelishtite

Derivation: patrial from 6429;

a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth

KJV: Philistine.

פְּלִשְׁתִּי

adj.gent — Philistine

פְּלִשְׁתִּי 288 adj.gent. Philistine

H859

אַתָּהʼattâh/at-taw'/

p — thou, thee, ye, you

Derivation: or (shortened); אַתָּ; or אַת; feminine (irregular) sometimes אַתִּי; plural masculine אַתֶּם; feminine אַתֶּן; or אַתֵּנָה; or אַתֵּנָּה; a primitive pronoun of the second person;

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

KJV: thee, thou, ye, you.

אַתְּ

pron. 2 s. f — thou

אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)

אַתָּ֫ה

pron. 2 s. m — thou

אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou

אתי

thou

אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)

אַתֶּם

pron. 2 m. pl — you

אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)

אַתֵּן

pron. 2 f. pl — you

אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

H935

בּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/

v — go, come

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.

בּוֹא

vb — come in

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

1. come in

2. come (approach, arrive)

3. go, i.e. walk, associate with

4. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

1. cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

2. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

a. be brought in (of pers. and things)

b. be brought

c. be introduced, put

H2719

חֶרֶבchereb/kheh'-reb/

n-f — drought, cutting, destructive, knife, sword

Derivation: from 2717;

drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement

KJV: axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.

חֶ֫רֶב

n.f — sword

חֶ֫רֶב 411 n.f. sword (as weapon)

H2595

חֲנִיתchănîyth/khan-eeth'/

n-f — lance, thrusting, pitching

Derivation: from 2583;

a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a tent)

KJV: javelin, spear.

חֲנִית

n.f — spear

חֲנִית n.f. spear (as flexible?)

1. spear, as hurled

2.

a. shaft of spear

b. spear-head

c. butt of spear

3. metaph. of teeth of lions

H3591

כִּידוֹןkîydôwn/kee-dohn'/

n-m — strike, dart

Derivation: from the same as 3589; (perhaps smaller than 2595)

properly, something to strike with, i.e. a dart

KJV: lance, shield, spear, target.

כִּידוֹן

n.[m.] — dart

כִּידוֹן n.[m.] dart, javelin

H595

אָנֹכִיʼânôkîy/aw-no-kee'/

p — I

Derivation: sometimes, אָנֹכִי; a primitive pronoun;

I

KJV: I, me, × which.

אָֽנֹכִ֫י

pron — I

אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I

H8034

שֵׁםshêm/shame/

n-m — appellation, honor, authority, character

Derivation: a primitive word [perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064];

an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character

KJV: base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

שֵׁם

n.m — name

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

1. of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

2.

a. usu. of pers.

b. = reputation

c. esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

3. name, as designation of God

4. of false gods, use forbidden

5. = memorial, monument

H3068

יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/

n-pr — Existent, Jeho-vah

Derivation: from 1961;

(the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God

KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

יהוה

n.pr.dei — God

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

I. יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

II.

1. יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

2. the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

3. יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

H6635

צָבָאtsâbâʼ/tsaw-baw'/

n-m — mass, army, campaign, hardship, worship

Derivation: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from 6633;

a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)

KJV: appointed time, ( ) army, ( ) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare).

צָבָא

n.m — army

צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare

1. army, host

2. war, warfare, service

3. service

4. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

H430

אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîym/el-o-heem'/

n-m — gods, God, magistrates

Derivation: plural of 433;

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

KJV: angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.

אֱלֹהִים

n.m.pl — gods

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

1. pl. in number.

a. rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

c. angels

d. gods

2. pl. intensive

a. god or goddess

b. godlike one

c. works of God, or things belongng to him

d. God

3. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

4. אֱלֹהִים = God

H4634

מַעֲרָכָהmaʻărâkâh/mah-ar-aw-kaw'/

n-f — arrangement, pile, array

Derivation: feminine of 4633;

an arrangement; concretely, a pile; specifically a military array

KJV: army, fight, be set in order, ordered place, rank, row.

מַעֲרָכָה

n.f — row

מַעֲרָכָה n.f. row, rank, battle-line;—

1.

a. מ׳ battle-line

b. pl. ranks = army

2. lamps of the rows, i.e arranged in a row.

H3478

יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêl/yis-raw-ale'/

n-pr-m — he will rule as God, Jisraël

Derivation: from 8280 and 410;

he will rule as God; Jisraël, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

KJV: Israel.

יִשְׂרָאֵל

n.pr.m — Israel

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

1. n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

2. n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H2778

חָרַףchâraph/khaw-raf'/

v — pull off, expose, betroth, carp at, defame, spend the winter

Derivation: a primitive root; also denominative (from 2779)

to pull off, i.e. (by implication) to expose (as by stripping); specifically, to betroth (as if a surrender); figuratively, to carp at, i.e. defame; to spend the winter

KJV: betroth, blaspheme, defy, jeopard, rail, reproach, upbraid.

חָרַף

vb — reproach

[חָרַף] vb. reproach

Qal

Piel. reproach,—prop. say sharp things against,—taunt

חָרַף

vb — acquire

[חָרַף] vb. acquire—only Niph. Lv 19:20

חָרַף

vb. denom — remain in harvest time

[חָרַף] vb. denom. remain in harvest time—only Qal Is 18:6

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