And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
Read it in contextDavid and Goliath
Start reading at 1 Samuel 17:1 (1 Samuel 17:1 to 1 Samuel 17:58).
The narrative of David and Goliath begins with the Philistine challenge in 1 Samuel 17:1 and concludes with David's victory and his presentation before Saul in 1 Samuel 17:58. Verse 17:40 is a key moment in David's preparation for this encounter.
17:1Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
17:2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
17:3And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
17:4And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
17:5And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
17:6And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
17:7And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
17:8And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
17:9If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
17:10And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
17:11When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
17:12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
17:13And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
17:14And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
17:15But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
17:16And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17:17And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren.
17:18And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
17:19Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
17:20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
17:21For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
17:22And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
17:23And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
17:24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
17:25And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
17:26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
17:27And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
17:28And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
17:29And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
17:30And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
17:31And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
17:32And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
17:33And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
17:34And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
17:35And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
17:36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
17:37David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
17:38And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
17:39And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
17:40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
17:41And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
17:42And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
17:43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
17:44And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
17:45Then 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.
17:46This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
17:47And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.
17:48And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
17:49And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
17:50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
17:51Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
17:52And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
17:53And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
17:54And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
17:55And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
17:56And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
17:57And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
17:58And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Tradition associates Samuel with the earlier material and Nathan and Gad with its continuation. Samuel dies during the narrative, so he did not write the complete account; the final compiler is unknown. Biblical references: 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Chronicles 29:29. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (1 Samuel 17:1–17:58): David, Goliath, Saul, David's brothers, and the opposing Israelite and Philistine forces are involved in the battle scene. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? Israelite readers considering the rise of the monarchy and the transition from Saul to David. A more exact first readership cannot be established. Biblical references: 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Samuel 31:6. book background
What
What is the main event or theme? The main event in this verse is David preparing to confront Goliath, choosing five smooth stones from a brook and taking his staff and sling, rejecting Saul's armor in favor of his familiar shepherd's tools. The theme is David's reliance on God's power rather than human strength or conventional weaponry.
What is God revealing? God is revealing His power to deliver through unexpected means and individuals, demonstrating that victory belongs to Him and is not dependent on human strength, size, or conventional weaponry. He uses the humble and seemingly weak to accomplish His purposes.
What is the literary style? The literary style of 1 Samuel is narrative history.
When
When was it written? The book of 1 Samuel was written approximately 1000 to 930 B.C. book background
When does the event take place? The events described in 1 Samuel, including this encounter, occurred approximately 1100 to 1010 B.C. book background
Where
Where did it happen? David chose stones from a brook. The battle took place between the armies of Israel and the Philistines, with Goliath being from Gath. After the victory, the Philistines were pursued towards Ekron and Shaaraim, and David brought Goliath's head to Jerusalem. stated in the text
Where was the author located? The book of 1 Samuel was written in Israel. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1 to 1 Samuel 17:58).
Start reading at 1 Samuel 17:1. The narrative of David and Goliath begins with the Philistine challenge in 1 Samuel 17:1 and concludes with David's victory and his presentation before Saul in 1 Samuel 17:58. Verse 17:40 is a key moment in David's preparation for this encounter.
How
How does it fit the broader context? This verse is pivotal as it shows David rejecting Saul's conventional armor and choosing to rely on his familiar shepherd's tools and, more importantly, on the LORD's deliverance. This act of faith sets the stage for his miraculous victory over Goliath, demonstrating that God's power works through those who trust Him, regardless of their worldly stature or equipment. interpretation
How does it point to Christ? David, a shepherd chosen by God, confronts a powerful enemy with humble tools, trusting in the LORD for victory. This foreshadows Christ, the Son of God, who, as the Good Shepherd, came in humility to overcome the power of sin and death, demonstrating God's ultimate victory through His chosen one, not through worldly might or display. interpretation
How do I apply it today? Today, believers can apply this passage by trusting in God's power and provision when facing overwhelming challenges, rather than relying solely on human strength, wisdom, or resources. God often uses humble means and unexpected individuals to achieve great victories, reminding us that 'the battle is the LORD's'. interpretation
Cited: 1 Samuel 17:20, 1 Samuel 17:21, 1 Samuel 17:23, 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:32-37, 1 Samuel 17:38-39, 1 Samuel 17:40, 1 Samuel 17:45-47, 1 Samuel 17:52, 1 Samuel 17:54, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
Who wrote it, and how we know
Samuel, with Nathan and Gad (traditional)From early tradition
What Scripture saysThe book does not name its author. Chronicles refers to written records of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 1 Chronicles 29:29
Early traditionJewish tradition credits Samuel, with Nathan and Gad continuing after his death.
What is debatedSamuel dies partway through the account, so he cannot have written all of it. The final form is later.
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of 1 Samuel 17
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
First Samuel follows the transition from the judges to kingship and the rise of David during Saul's reign. It records Samuel's death before the book ends; attributing every line to Samuel would therefore exceed the narrative's evidence. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. David's public emergence and relationships develop alongside Saul's growing hostility.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. David's public emergence and relationships develop alongside Saul's growing hostility.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of 1 Samuel
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
First Samuel follows the transition from the judges to kingship and the rise of David during Saul's reign. It records Samuel's death before the book ends; attributing every line to Samuel would therefore exceed the narrative's evidence.
Connection to the wholeSamuel's upbringing and calling stand beside the failures of Eli's house and the ark narrative, leading to Israel's return to the LORD.
Connection to the wholeThe establishment of kingship is followed by Saul's failures, and the LORD's rejection of his kingship prepares the choice of David.