171 And the Philistines gather their camps to battle, and are gathered to Shochoh, which 'is' to Judah, and encamp between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-Dammim; 2 and Saul and the men of Israel have been gathered, and encamp by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array to meet the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines are standing on the mountain on this side, and the Israelites are standing on the mountain on that side, and the valley 'is' between them. 4 And there goeth out a man of the duellists from the camps of the Philistines, Goliath 'is' his name, from Gath; his height 'is' six cubits and a span, 5 and a helmet of brass 'is' on his head, and 'with' a scaled coat of mail he 'is' clothed, and the weight of the coat of mail 'is' five thousand shekels of brass, 6 and a frontlet of brass 'is' on his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders, 7 and the wood of his spear 'is' like a beam of weavers', and the flame of his spear 'is' six hundred shekels of iron, and the bearer of the buckler is going before him. 8 And he standeth and calleth unto the ranks of Israel, and saith to them, 'Why are ye come out to set in array the battle? 'am' not I the Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose for you a man, and let him come down unto me; 9 if he be able to fight with me, and have smitten me, then we have been to you for servants; and if I am able for him, and have smitten him, then ye have been to us for servants, and have served us.' 10 And the Philistine saith, 'I have reproached the ranks of Israel this day; give to me a man, and we fight together.' 11 And Saul heareth—and all Israel—these words of the Philistine, and they are broken down and greatly afraid.
12 And David 'is' son of this Ephrathite of Beth-Lehem-Judah, whose name 'is' Jesse, and he hath eight sons, and the man in the days of Saul hath become aged among men; 13 and the three eldest sons of Jesse go, they have gone after Saul to battle; and the name of his three sons who have gone into battle 'are' Eliab the first-born, and his second Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David is the youngest, and the three eldest have gone after Saul, 15 and David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem. 16 And the Philistine draweth nigh, morning and evening, and stationeth himself forty days. 17 And Jesse saith to David his son, 'Take, I pray thee, to thy brethren, an ephah of this roasted 'corn', and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; 18 and these ten cuttings of the cheese thou dost take in to the head of the thousand, and thy brethren thou dost inspect for welfare, and their pledge dost receive.' 19 And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel 'are' in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David riseth early in the morning, and leaveth the flock to a keeper, and lifteth up, and goeth, as Jesse commanded him, and he cometh in to the path, and to the force which is going out unto the rank, and they have shouted for battle; 21 and Israel and the Philistines set in array rank to meet rank. 22 And David letteth down the goods from off him on the hand of a keeper of the goods, and runneth into the rank, and cometh and asketh of his brethren of welfare. 23 And he is speaking with them, and lo, a man of the duellists is coming up, Goliath the Philistine 'is' his name, of Gath, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and he speaketh according to those words, and David heareth; 24 and all the men of Israel when they see the man flee from his presence, and are greatly afraid. 25 And the men of Israel say, 'Have ye seen this man who is coming up? for, to reproach Israel he is coming up, and it hath been—the man who smiteth him, the king doth enrich him with great riches, and his daughter he doth give to him, and his father's house doth make free in Israel.' 26 And David speaketh unto the men who are standing by him, saying, 'What is done to the man who smiteth this Philistine, and hath turned aside reproach from Israel? for who 'is' this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of the living God?' 27 And the people speak to him according to this word, saying, 'Thus it is done to the man who smiteth him.' 28 And Eliab, his eldest brother, heareth when he speaketh unto the men, and the anger of Eliab burneth against David, and he saith, 'Why 'is' this—thou hast come down! and to whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I have known thy pride, and the evil of thy heart—for, to see the battle thou hast come down.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:1-28
Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:1-11
(Read 1 Samuel 17:1-11)
Men so entirely depend upon God in all things, that when he withdraws his help, the most valiant and resolute cannot find their hearts or hands, as daily experience shows.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:12-30
(Read 1 Samuel 17:12-30)
Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army at that critical juncture; but the wise God orders actions and affairs, so as to serve his designs. In times of general formality and lukewarmness, every degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to venture more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride and ambition, and by none more than by near relations, like Eliab, or negligent superiors. It was a trial of David's meekness, patience, and constancy. He had right and reason on his side, and did not render railing for railing; with a soft answer he turned away his brother's wrath. This conquest of his own passion was more honourable than that of Goliath. Those who undertake great and public services, must not think it strange if they are spoken ill of, and opposed by those from whom they expect support and assistance. They must humbly go on with their work, in the face not only of enemies' threats, but of friends' slights and suspicions.