1 Samuel 17:1 - Meaning and Application

It was not long since the Philistines had been badly beaten before Israel, and they would likely have been completely routed if Saul’s rashness had not stopped it. Now we see them gathering their strength again. They moved into Israel’s land and, it seems, took control of part of it, since they camped in territory that belonged to Judah. Philistine armies would never have had a foothold there if Israel had been faithful to God.

The Philistines may have heard that Samuel, the prophet who had guided Saul, had broken with him and no longer helped or advised him. They may also have known that Saul had become gloomy and unfit for his work. That would have encouraged them to make another attempt to regain the honor they had recently lost. The enemies of God’s people are quick to take advantage when their protectors have driven God’s Spirit and his prophets away.

Saul gathered his forces and faced them. For the moment, the evil spirit had left Saul (1 Samuel 16:23). David’s harp had given him some relief, and perhaps the pressures of war kept the trouble from returning. Work can be a good help against sadness, because it gives the mind something outside itself to focus on. In mercy to Israel, God held back the judgment for a time. Public affairs would have been in a dreadful state if the king himself had been out of his mind at that moment.

David, for the present, had returned to Bethlehem and left the court. Saul no longer needed him to soothe his distress, yet David had anointing and a good reason to remain close, and he even held the role of Saul’s armor-bearer. Still, he went home and returned to tend his father’s sheep. That was a rare example of humility in a young man with every chance for promotion. He knew how to step back after he had begun to rise. He preferred the quiet of shepherd life to all the pleasures of the royal court. No one was better suited for honor, or more deserving of it, and yet no one was less attached to it.

The Philistines also challenged Israel through their champion, Goliath, whom they valued almost as much as he valued himself. They hoped he could restore their lost reputation and power. It may be that the Israelite army was larger and stronger, which is why the Philistines avoided a full battle and instead chose a single combat. With such a champion, they hoped to win by one decisive fight.

Goliath’s size was extraordinary. He was descended from the Anakim, the giant people who had held ground in Gath since Joshua’s day (Joshua 11:22). He was six cubits and a span tall, a monstrous height, about eleven feet and four inches by the estimate mentioned here (1 Samuel 17:4). If his strength and courage matched his size, he would have seemed terrifying indeed. His armor added to that terror. He wore a bronze helmet, a coat of mail made of overlapping bronze plates, bronze greaves for his legs, and a bronze javelin across his shoulders (1 Samuel 17:5-7). His coat of mail was said to weigh 5,000 shekels, an enormous burden, though some think that figure may refer to its value instead. His spear was like a weaver’s beam, something only a very powerful arm could manage. Even his shield-bearer seems to have carried the shield more for display than for use, since Goliath was already covered in bronze.

Then came Goliath’s challenge. The Philistines had chosen him to avoid risking a general battle, and he stepped out to defy Israel’s army (1 Samuel 17:8-10). He came into the valley between the two camps and cried out so loudly that all could hear him. “Give me a man,” he said, “so we can fight together.” He admired himself because he was so much taller and stronger than everyone around him. He despised Israel because they had no one of such massive size to meet him. He mocked them for drawing up in battle order, as if they were foolish to stand against the Philistines at all. He also proposed that the whole war be decided by this duel. If Israel’s champion killed him, the Philistines would serve Israel; if he killed the Israelite, then Israel would serve the Philistines.

This offer was only bravado. No nation would truly agree to risk everything on one man’s fight, and Goliath’s own side did not keep his terms after he was killed. When he boasted, “I am a Philistine, and you are servants of Saul,” he seemed to think it beneath his dignity to fight an Israelite, as if he were a ruler lowering himself to meet slaves. The old Aramaic paraphrase says he boasted that he was the one who had killed Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s wicked sons, and taken the ark captive, but that the Philistines had never rewarded him properly. He claimed Saul had been made king for his service, so let Saul’s man now accept the challenge.

This struck fear into Israel. Saul and all his army were greatly afraid (1 Samuel 17:11). The people would not likely have been so shaken if they had not seen Saul lose heart first. When the leader is cowardly, the people cannot be expected to be bold.

We saw earlier that when the Spirit of the Lord came on Saul (1 Samuel 11:6), no one was more bold or eager to face Nahash the Ammonite. But now that the Spirit of the Lord had left him, even the loud threats of a single Philistine make him lose courage. This shows how much a person depends on God for strength and bravery.

But where was Jonathan all this time? Why did he not step forward, since he had once so bravely faced a whole Philistine army in the last war? Most likely, God had not stirred him up for this task as He had done before. Even the best and bravest people are only what God makes them. Jonathan had to wait, because the honor of facing Goliath was reserved for David.

In great and good actions, the Spirit moves as He wills. At this point, the devout Israelites were grieving over their king's break with Samuel.