Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 9 May 2021
I’m not going to be able to get through the whole story of David and Goliath in one sermon, so for now, I want to focus on the problem of stalemates, especially spiritual ones, and the kind of thinking and attitude it takes to overcome them. When David showed up in the Israelite army-camp on an errand, he found his nation’s army paralyzed, unwilling to make a move.
Can you relate?
Perhaps you are struggling with a besetting sin; it seems the sin will never be conquered and you are just doomed to live uneasily with it, not knowing how to break the stalemate.
Perhaps you see it in the larger culture: Systems of oppression and wickedness that Christians agree are bad,
like tax-subsidized promotion of abortions by our federal government
or the way our nation’s public schools and universities have organized to convert all students to the religion of Secular Humanism,
or the way truth is censored and propaganda is promoted by the biggest mass media channels,
and Christians haven’t seemed to make much headway on these fronts; it feels like it’s always going to be this way and we are doomed to stand by helplessly and watch it all fall apart, like the donkey in the book Animal Farm, aware of the corruption, but powerless to stop it.
I want you to notice the attitude that David had when he encountered a stalemate:
READ
1 Samuel 17:1-30 Presently, the
Philistines mobilized their positions for combat, and they mobilized
at Sokoh, which belongs to Judah, and they took a position between
Sokoh and Azeqah, in Ephes-dammim. So Saul and each man of Israel
mobilized themselves and took a position in the valley of Elah, and
they formed battle ranks to encounter the Philistines. Now, the
Philistines were standing at one slope from this [valley], and
Israel was standing at that slope from this [valley], and the ravine
was between them. Then the middle-man came out from the position of
the Philistines. His name was Goliath from Gath. His height was
{four} cubits plus a span, and a helmet of bronze was upon his head.
With scale armor he was clad, and the weight of the body-armor was
5,000 shekels of bronze. And there were bronze shin-guards on his
legs, and a bronze javelin [slung] between his shoulders. Moreover,
the shaft of his spear was furrowed like weavings, and the tip of
his spear was 600 shekels of iron! There was also the man who
carried his full-body-shield walking before him. And he stood and
called out to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why are
y’all coming out to form battle ranks? Is it not so that I am
The Philistine, and y’all are servants to Saul? Choose for
yourselves a man, and led him come down to me. If he is successful
in combat with me – that is, if he strikes me down, then we
shall become as servants to y’all, but if it’s me who is
successful over him – that is, if I strike him down, then
y’all shall become as servants to us, and y’all shall
serve us!” The Philistine also said, “As for me, I
insult the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man and let’s
engage in combat together.” When Saul and all Israel heard
these words from the Philistine, then they became dismayed and they
were very afraid.
Now, David was the son of a certain
Ephrathite man from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. And
he had eight sons, and, during the days of Saul he advanced among
the men to be an elder. And the three oldest sons of Jesse went and
followed after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who
went to the battle were: Eliab the firstborn, and Abinidab his
second, and Shammah the third. (But as for David, he was the
youngest.) Anyway, the three oldest followed after Saul, but
David was going and returning from attending Saul to shepherd his
father’s flock at Bethlehem. Meanwhile, for 40 days, the
Philistine approached each morning and evening and took his station.
Presently, Jesse said to David his son, “Please take a bushel
of this granola and ten of these bread-loaves, and run [them] over
to the army-position for your brothers. Also bring these ten churns
of milk to the officer over their thousand. And visit your brothers
for peace, and get their good news. Now, Saul and they and all the
men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, at war with the
Philistines.” (NAW)
So
David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and
took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. 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. 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. (NKJV)
And when everybody from Israel heard the
man, then they fled from his presence and they were very frightened.
And each man of Israel said, “Have y’all seen this man
coming up? For sure, he’s coming up in order to insult Israel!
But it’s going to happen that the man who strikes him down,
the king will give him the greatest wealth and will give [in
marriage] his daughter to him, and he will make his father’s
house free in Israel. So David spoke to the men standing with him,
saying, “What is going to be done about the man who is going
to strike this Philistine and turn away insult from upon Israel? For
who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should insult the ranks
of the Living God?” And the people spoke to him according to
this statement, saying, “Thus it shall be done for the man who
strikes him down.” But Eliab, his oldest brother, heard it
while he was talking to the men, and Eliab’s anger blazed
toward David, and he said, “For what reason did you come down?
And with whom did you leave that little flock in the wilderness? As
for me, I know your insolence and the badness belonging to your
heart, for it was in order to see the combat that you came down!”
Yet David said, “What have I done now? Isn’t this the
issue?” Then he stepped around from being next to him to get
in front of another, and he talked about this statement, and the
people repeated a statement like the first statement. (NAW)
Saul's army was facing off against the Philistine army
across a ravine named for its Elah/Oak/Terebinth trees –
a valley which, by the way, belonged to the Israelite tribe of Judah (cf. Josh. 15:35).
It runs East-West in the Shephalah borderlands, where the upland hills of Judea slope down to the coastal plan of the Mediterranean Sea where the Philistines lived.
It was “the natural point of entry from the Philistine homeland into the hill country of [Saul’s] kingdom. The battle was thus crucial… Azekah… controlled the main road across the Valley...” (Tsumura, NICOT) [See photo]
But the armies were in deadlock. They sat for over a month, drawn up in battle formation against each other, without engaging in battle.
We are not told why the Philistines refrained from attacking (Matthew Henry suggested it might be because they realized their army was too small and they were afraid they would lose again if they entered pitched battle),
but we do have some explanation in the Bible as to why the Israelites continued to sit on their hands. The main reason given is the challenge of Goliath. Much detail is given to the description of the Philistine champion who offered to engage in one-on-one combat any Israelite soldier in lieu of a battle between the armies.
Now, if I were to ask you to describe Goliath, probably the first word that would come to your mind is the word “giant,” but the Bible never actually calls Goliath a giant.
All the Bible says is that he was a descendant of a giant (2 Sam 21:22, 1 Chron. 20:8).
There is also the connection of giants with the Anakim, and Joshua 11:22 mentions that Gath (Goliath’s hometown) was one of the three Philistine towns where Anakim remained.1
All the earliest-known manuscripts say that Goliath was 4 cubits and a span, which would be about 6 and a half feet tall. It wasn’t until about 400 AD that manuscripts began exaggerating his height to 9 feet.
The Anastasi Papyrus [show image] from the 13th century BC also describes Canaanite warriors, whom the Egyptians called Shasu, who were 4 to 5 cubits in height, and the Egyptians considered that to be impressively tall.
And, whereas Egyptian artwork usually only gave the appearance of exaggerated height to their Pharaohs, they made exception for the two, tall Shasu spies they beat in a raid against the Hittites under Ramses II, depicted in the center of this 13th century BC stone carving. [Show image from Bible & Spade Magazine 28.4 (2015)]
Goliath’s height was imposing, but this gave God’s people the opportunity to put into practice what God had told Samuel in chapter 16 verse7, "Don't make observations based on his looks or based on his imposing height, because I have rejected him. For {God} doesn't {see} the way man sees; man only sees to the extent of the eyes, but God sees to the extent of the heart." (NAW)
Goliath was so big and strong that he could wear a 125-pound coat of armor/breastplate that looked like fish-scales, plus other pieces of armor on his head and legs totaling over 200 pounds2 without it impeding his fighting!
In the National Archaeological Museum of Athens is a Mycenaean Warrior Vase dated to the 12th Century B.C., depicting warriors wearing greaves, bronze helmets, and coats of mail similar to those which Goliath is described as wearing. [Show photo from Bible & Spade]
His defensive armor is all made of bronze, which is a compound of copper and tin (and I’ve heard that most tin from that time was imported from Europe). The Hebrew word can also mean “brass,” but I’m told that technically brass is a compound of copper and zinc, and they didn’t have that back then. (Goldman)
“Goliath’s paired spear and javelin match the famous Egyptian depictions at Medinet Habu of allied Sea Peoples during their invasion of the northern coast of Egypt in that same era, with the invaders being shown carrying two spears apiece… The… huge spear, moreover, is a hallmark of Bronze Age weaponry in the Aegean area and the Balkan Peninsula…. This [javelin] had... loops or leashes of cord tied to it [like the frame of a loom] a loop and a cord wound round the shaft so that the weapon could be hurled a greater distance with greater stability by virtue of the resultant spin… “ ~Bible & Spade Magazine 32.2 (2019)
Another possible interpretation of the likeness of the spear to a “weavers’ beam” is that the Hebrew lexicons trace the root of the Hebrew word for “beam” to a verb that means “to till the soil.” Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated “weaver” is not singular but plural, so I think it could be more accurately translated plural “weavings.” That sounds to me like they carved rifling grooves into the shaft for improved aerodynamics.
The tip of his spear alone was over 15 pounds3 – how well would YOU be able to aim a 10-foot long spear with a 15-pound weight at the end of it? The shaft may even have been bronze - talk about HEAVY!
To figure
out what it would be like to be hit by Goliath’s spear, I
consulted with Wesley
Ulmer, a ballistics expert from the
U.S. Army who trains our local police in ballistics. Here was his
assessment: “There is a website... [called]
Goliathsspear.com. They put the spear at 33lbs 12oz... ([including
a] 10’ long red oak shaft [with a] 6 lb. 1.2 oz. iron
counter weight to make the spear balanced and usable as a fighting
weapon). Using
a rigid spear thrower, people can get spears going around 93mph...
[so]
I used 100mph as the spear’s speed at impact (accounting for
[Goliath’s]
extra strength and ... skill with the spear as a champion warrior).
Firearms ballistics uses the following equation to figure kinetic
energy; Half the Bullet weight (in grains) x velocity (in feet per
second) squared.
33.75 pounds = 236,250 grains
100 mph = 146.667 feet per
second
Those numbers bring the kinetic energy to 11,282.10
foot-pounds of energy.”
I asked Wes what the equivalent would be in terms of modern firearms. Can you guess which one it would be equivalent to? A) An AR-15 machine gun? B) A 30.06 high-powered rifle, or C) a 50 caliber BMG?
Answer:
A 5.56mm (AR15 round) has around 1,200 ft/lb on average, so Goliath’s spear would have ten times more impact.
The 30.06 produces 2,000 to 3,000 ft/lbs, so Goliath’s spear would have made about four times more impact.
The 50 caliber BMG round would be the equivalent. It produces 10,000 to 15,000 foot pounds. It is the largest rifle round the military uses. Things haven’t changed as much as you might have thought in the last three thousand years of weapons!
Unlike the spears I’ve heard about being used in the jungles of Africa and South America, nobody would be able to keep running after getting hit with Goliath’s spear; it was designed, not only to pierce, but also to knock an opponent to the ground, or perhaps more likely, to shatter their shield, after which the second spear/javelin would be used to kill the other guy once his shield was obliterated.
Goliath was huge and strong enough to carry heavy weaponry; he was almost completely covered in metal armor, and he had a shield-bearer, carrying a big, full-body shield that you'd have to get past before you could even reach him.
19th century Scottish Presbyterian minister, Robert Jamieson commented, “In consequence of their great size and weight, the Oriental warrior had a trusty and skilful friend, whose office it was to bear the large shield behind which he avoided the missile weapons of the enemy. He was covered, cap-a-pie4, with defensive armor, while he had only two offensive weapons - a sword by his side and a spear in his hand.”
And on top of all that, Goliath had a foul mouth with which he defied/insulted/challenged/reproached/mocked/expressed contempt for the people of God. It’s hard to imagine anything more intimidating!
Verse 11 says that, “When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, then they became dismayed and they were very afraid.”
Those two Hebrew words for “dismayed” and “afraid” [יֵּחַתּוּ וַיִּרְאוּ] occur four times before this verse:
Deuteronomy 1:21 “Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be dis[may]ed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 "And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."
Joshua 8:1 Now the LORD said to Joshua: "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
Joshua 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." (NKJV)
And that doesn’t count the many other passages that have only one5 of those two words, or where a synonym6 for those words is used in a command not to be terrified.
Do you understand that fear and dismay are forbidden? And did you catch the grounds upon which we are not to fear? Because the LORD has set this up... because the LORD is with you… because the LORD gives victory!
Fear and dismay are attitudes that lead to stalemates and doing nothing.
Saul was the biggest man in Israel physically, and his ability in fighting was renowned. He was the logical one to engage the Philistine champion7, (in fact, Jewish tradition8 has it that Goliath actually sent his first challenge to Saul before opening it up to just any Israelite), but Saul was too afraid to take up Goliath's challenge.
“[H]erein evidently appeareth the great change and alteration that was in Saul, how the spirit of God had forsaken him, and of a valiant and couragious man, and of an heroicall spirit, he was growne to be a dastard and coward, that whereas before in one day he had slaine almost 40. thousand of the Philistims, he now is 40 days together afraid at the sight of one man.” ~Andrew Willett (perhaps quoting Pellican)
David, on the other hand, was able to act and break the stalemate because he was not intimidated or afraid because he believed God was with him! The next section of chapter 17 re-introduces us to David and his family:
David’s three oldest brothers are all with Saul in the valley of Elah preparing for a battle with the Philistines while David, the youngest son, is at home with his Dad and his sheep in Bethlehem in the hills inland from Elah. (Where the other four brothers are, nobody knows.)
But why is David back home, tending his father’s sheep in Bethlehem, if he was appointed as a court musician and armor-bearer by Saul in the previous chapter?
It is generally assumed that Saul sent David home when Saul went to battle.
He was apparently feeling well enough not to need his harpist for the time being.
Also, as I’ve noted before, although most English versions say in chapter 16 that David became Saul’s “armor-bearer,” the word translated “armor” could mean a wide range of other things, including musical instruments,
but even if was actually referring to armor, it was a practice for noblemen to have multiple armor-bearers (Joab had 10 armor-bearers, according to 2 Sam. 18:15 cf. 23:37), so Saul may have had more-experienced ones he preferred to take into battle at this time (K&D),
or perhaps the statement in chapter 16 that Saul made David his armor-bearer was zooming forward in time to after David’s exploit with Goliath, to give a second reason that would come in later as to why David was retained in Saul’s court. (Goldman)
Matthew Henry commented, “David for the present had returned to Bethlehem, and had left the court... When Saul had no further occasion to use him for the relief of his distemper... His father was… of great age, above what was usual at that time, and therefore was excused from public services, and went not in person to the wars...”
At some point during that 40-day standoff with the Philistines, David is sent on a servant’s errand to carry food to the battlefront about 14 miles9 west of Bethlehem, and also to look into the welfare of his brothers and to bring back news to his father.
David brought bread and grain to his brothers – the grain would have been roasted wheat or barley kernels, much like we eat granola today – enough to feed 10 men for a day10, but the Hebrew words in verse 18 for what David was to bring to their commanding officer and what he was to bring back home are obscure.
To his brother’s officer in charge of a thousand men (there is a Jewish tradition that this officer may have been Jonathan himself), David was to bring literally “ten cuts of milk” – perhaps ten churns full of milk? Most everyone is settled on translating it “cheese,” though.
What he was to bring back home was “news,” “assurance,” “a pledge,” or “token,” or information about “placement” or “companions,” depending on which translation you read.
Rabbi Kimchi, a Jewish commentator from 1200 AD, suggested that David was to pay off his brother’s loans if they had borrowed anything for food and supplies, and that’s the way the Puritan commentators Mathew Henry and John Gill in the 1700’s understood it, that if his brothers “had pawned any thing, he must redeem it.” However, it doesn’t seem to me that the verb לכח (which means “to take”) fits with this interpretation.
Alternately, the Vulgate from the 400’s AD suggests that David was to “observe whom they associate with, and what sort of life they lead” and basically report on how his brothers were behaving themselves.
An even older interpretation from the Jewish Targum on 1 Samuel (written before the time of Christ) explained that it meant “to bring tidings how they fare” (cf. Rashi), and that interpretation makes the most sense to me, that he was to bring back some sign of their welfare, such as a letter from them. Robert Jamieson suggested that the token would be “in the convenient form of a lock of their hair, or piece of their nail...”
Whichever it means, it gives us a little window into David’s character, for it means his father trusted him
to gather news and communicate it accurately,
and maybe also trusted him to manage possessions and keep them out of hock.
David was perceptive and honest, and his charge to look after the well-being of his brothers fits with his charge to take care of sheep. He was a shepherd, not just for the job, but because he cared about others and he wanted to make sure everyone in his charge was o.k.
David was really excited to be able to go see his big brothers at war. He woke up early, like some boys do on Christmas day out of excitement to see what's under the Christmas tree. Once he got to the army-camp, he ran all around, looking at everything:
Israel had set up a circular barricade, and the soldiers were standing behind it, prepared to fight defensively if the Philistines attacked. The Israelite army also had particular formations in which they were arranged.
The Philistine army was across the ravine. Both armies were situated on hills to give the aggressor a disadvantage of attacking while climbing uphill.
The food was kept by a "storekeeper" in the army, indicating a centralized feeding of the army rather than every man bringing food for himself.
And the men were "shouting for battle." Perhaps they were getting pep talks and were getting themselves psyched up for fighting by yelling. Or it may mean that they did not want to have a single combatant fight Goliath, but that they wanted to fight together as an army.
Perhaps there was parleying with the enemy, perhaps some recruiting and training of more soldiers, maybe even some skirmishing, but the main thing the story points us to is the challenges and insults from Goliath every morning and evening, and it is one of these speeches that captures David’s full attention and calls him into action.
Some people think that when David asked in v.26, “What will be done concerning the man who is going to kill this Philistine?” that he was wondering how big a reward was being offered by Saul, but he had already just been told that in v.25. There is no indication that David was motivated by anything but zeal for God’s reputation to fight Goliath.
Saul was indeed offering the reward of becoming his son-in-law and being given a lot of money and being exempt from paying taxes, and becoming nobility-class, but when he comes before Saul, David doesn’t mention any of these things at all, and in his conversation with the soldiers around v.26, he only mentions Goliath’s reproach against God’s people as a motivation.
I think what David was saying in v.26 was, “Aren’t we doing something about [sending] the man that Goliath is asking for? Because if our army doesn’t have plans in place, I’ll volunteer.”11
What is it that motivates you to action? Is it earthly rewards or the glory of God?
David asks in v.26–"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should disgrace the armies of the living GOD?" Quite a different outlook on things he has. The rest of the men were just trying to ignore Goliath's taunts, while David took it personally that he would blaspheme God.
In our culture today, are we grieved when a movie-star takes the name of our Lord in vain or when a professor denies His existence, or when a radical group makes fun of Christians?
David did not passively ignore it, because he wanted "all the earth to know that there IS a God in Israel" (v.46-47). Oh God, help us to be just as zealous and courageous for the glory of Your Name as David was!
Now, David’s question, if it means what I think it means, needles his big brother. “One of y’all is considering going out to be that man to fight Goliath, right?” Well no, not really. And Eliab was embarrassed by his own fear of volunteering to be that man.
Perhaps Eliab was already jealous because he was passed over when David got anointed, and now David had a place in the court close to Saul, whereas Eliab was just one of a thousand soldiers in the army under a commander.
So, as is often the case, the one who feels ashamed protects himself by casting accusations, projecting his own weaknesses upon the person who is making him feel ashamed.
His accusation that David negligently left the sheep without a shepherd and came to the battlefront for selfish reasons reveals to us that Eliab would have abandoned his responsibilities and gone to the battlefield for his own entertainment, which is why he thought to accuse David of it.12
David, however, only came because his Dad commanded him to, and David had responsibly recruited a shepherd to fill in for him while he was gone, so the accusation was false.
Now, there is only one thing more intimidating than a giant and that is… a big brother!
“what have I now done? David’s question suggests that Eliab’s scoldings were not an infrequent experience.” ~Goldman
But David didn't let his brothers' rebuke dampen his zeal.
There are always going to be brothers and sisters in Christ who will see us stepping out in faith to further God’s kingdom and who will accuse us of impure motives – or at least use worldly wisdom to discourage us from taking the course of faith God would have us take.
We need to be careful about judging other people’s motives; it’s all-too-easy to project our sinful motives on others and condemn them to make ourselves feel better, and totally miss the truth of their situation.
David’s answer in v.29, “What have I done now? Isn’t this the issue13?” (literally: “is it not a word?”) seems to be a refusal to get sidetracked with defending himself. The issue at hand, in David’s mind, is the vindication of the shame which Goliath is bringing upon God’s people, so, instead of sassing his big brother back, he keeps on inquiring as to whether anybody has any plans to combat Goliath.
“Eliab... would rather that Goliath should triumph over Israel than that David should be the man that should triumph over him… The more threatening the church's enemies are, the more forbearing her friends should be with one another… [David] would not be driven off from his thoughts of engaging the Philistine by the ill-will of his brother. Those that undertake great and public services must not think it strange if they be discountenanced and opposed by those from whom they had reason to expect support and assistance; but must humbly go on with their work, in the face not only of their enemies' threats, but of their friends' slights and suspicions.” ~Matthew Henry
Well, I’m going to have to pause the story for now, but I hope you will consider the attitudes that David brought to the table to break the stalemate:
He kept focused on God’s glory and didn’t get distracted defending himself against his brother’s false accusations.
He wasn’t willing to put up with Goliath’s insults against God and God’s people.
And he was not afraid because be believed God had set things up, God was with him, and God would give victory.
|
LXX |
Brenton |
DRB |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
1 |
καὶ συνάγουσιν ἀλλόφυλοι τὰς παρεμβολὰς αὐτῶν εἰς πόλεμον καὶ συνάγονται εἰς Σοκχωθ τῆς Ιουδαίας καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν ἀνὰ μέσον Σοκχωθ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον Αζηκα ἐν ΕφερμεμB |
And the Philistines gather their armies to battle, and gather themselves to Socchoth of Judaea, and encamp between Socchoth and Azeca Ephermen. |
Now the Philistines gathering together their troops to battle, assembled at Socho of Juda, and camped between Socho and Azeca in the border[s] of Dommim. |
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitchedC between Shochoh & Azekah, in Ephesdammim. |
1 Presently, the Philistines mobilized their positions for combat, and they mobilized at Sokoh, which belongs to Judah, and they took a position between Sokoh and Azeqah, in Ephes-dammim. |
וַיַּאַסְפוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת-מַחֲנֵיהֶם, לַמִּלְחָמָה, וַיֵּאָסְפוּ, שֹׂכֹהD אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה; וַיַּחֲנוּ בֵּין-שׂוֹכֹה וּבֵין-עֲזֵקָהE, בְּאֶפֶס דַּמִּיםF. |
2 |
καὶ
Σαουλ καὶ οἱ
ἄνδρες Ισραηλ
συνάγονται
καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν
ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι
|
And Saul and the men of Israel gather together, and they encamp in the valley X X, and set the battle in array against X the Philistines. |
And
Saul and the |
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against XH the Philistines. |
2 So Saul and each man of Israel mobilized themselves and took a position in the valley of Elah, and they formed battle ranks to encounter the Philistines. |
וְשָׁאוּל וְאִישׁ-יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶאֶסְפוּ, וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּעֵמֶק הָאֵלָה; וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה, לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים. |
3 |
καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι ἵστανται ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνταῦθα καὶ Ισραηλ ἵσταται ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνταῦθα καὶ ὁ αὐλὼνI ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν |
And the Philistines stand on the mountain on one [side], and Israel stands on the mountain on the other [side], and the valley was between them. |
And
the Philistines stood on |
And
the Philistines stood on |
3 Now, the Philistines were standing at one slope from this [valley], and Israel was standing at that slope from this [valley], and the ravine was between them. |
וּפְלִשְׁתִּים עֹמְדִים אֶל-הָהָר, מִזֶּה, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֹמְדִים אֶל-הָהָר, מִזֶּה; וְהַגַּיְאK, בֵּינֵיהֶם . |
4 |
καὶ
ἐξῆλθεν ἀνὴρ
|
And
there went forth a |
And
there went out a man |
And there went out a champion out of the campX of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. |
4 Then the middle-man came out from the position of the Philistines. His name was Goliath from Gath. His height was {four} cubits plus a span, |
וַיֵּצֵא אִישׁ-הַבֵּנַיִםN מִמַּחֲנוֹתO פְּלִשְׁתִּים, גָּלְיָת שְׁמוֹ מִגַּת: גָּבְהוֹ, שֵׁשׁP אַמּוֹת וָזָרֶת. |
5 |
καὶ περικεφαλαία XQ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ θώρακα ἁλυσιδωτὸνR αὐτὸς ἐνδεδυκώς καὶ ὁ σταθμὸς τοῦ θώρακος αὐτοῦ πέντε χιλιάδες σίκλων χαλκοῦ [καὶ σιδήρου]S |
And he had a X helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armour; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass [and iron]. |
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail with scales, and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass: |
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armedT with a coat of mailU; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. |
5 and a helmet of bronze was upon his head. With scale armor he was clad, and the weight of the body-armor was 5,000 shekels of bronze. |
וְכוֹבַע נְחֹשֶׁת עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ, וְשִׁרְיוֹן קַשְׂקַשִּׂיםV הוּא לָבוּשׁ; וּמִשְׁקַל, הַשִּׁרְיוֹן--חֲמֵשֶׁת-אֲלָפִים שְׁקָלִים, נְחֹשֶׁת.W |
6 |
καὶ κνημῗδες χαλκαῗ ἐπάνω τῶν σκελῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀσπὶςX χαλκῆ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὤμων αὐτοῦ |
And greaves of Ybrass were upon his legs, and a brazen target was between his shoulders. |
And [he had] greaves of brass on his legs, and a buckler of brass [covered] his shoulders. |
And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a targetZ of brass between his shoulders. |
6 And there were bronze shin-guards on his legs, and a bronze javelin [slung] between his shoulders. |
וּמִצְחַת נְחֹשֶׁת, עַל-רַגְלָיו; וְכִידוֹן נְחֹשֶׁתAA, בֵּין כְּתֵפָיו. |
7 |
καὶ ὁ κοντὸςAB τοῦ δόρατος αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ μέσακλονAC ὑφαινόντων καὶ ἡ λόγχηAD αὐτοῦ ἑξακοσίων σίκλωνAE σιδήρου καὶ ὁ αἴρων τὰ ὅπλαAF αὐτοῦ προεπορεύετο αὐτοῦ |
And the staff of his spear was like a weaverX’s beam, and the spear’s head was formed of six hundred shekels of iron; and his armour-bearer went before him. |
And the staff of his spear was like a weaverX's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron: and his armourbearer went before him. |
And the staff of his spear was like a weaverX's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. |
7 Moreover, the shaft of his spear was furrowed like weavings, and the tip of his spear was 600 shekels of iron! There was also the man who carried his full-body-shield walking before him. |
וחֵץAG חֲנִיתוֹ, כִּמְנוֹרAH אֹרְגִים, וְלַהֶבֶת חֲנִיתוֹ, שֵׁשׁ-מֵאוֹת שְׁקָלִים בַּרְזֶל; וְנֹשֵׂא הַצִּנָּה, הֹלֵךְ לְפָנָיו. |
8 |
καὶ
ἔστη καὶ ἀνεβόησεν
εἰς τὴν παράταξιν
Ισραηλ καὶ εἶπεν
αὐτοῗς τί
ἐκπορεύεσθε
παρατάξασθαι
πολέμῳ ἐξ ἐναντίας
[ἡμῶν]
οὐκ ἐγώ εἰμι
X
ἀλλόφυλος
καὶ ὑμεῗς |
And
he stood and cried to the armyX
of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come forth to set
yourselves
in battle array
against [us]?
Am not I |
And
standing he cried out to the bands of
Israel, and said to them: Why are you come out prepared
to fight? am not I |
And
he stood and cried unto the armiesAK
of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set
your battle in
array? am not I |
8 And he stood and called out to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why are y’all coming out to form battle ranks? Is it not so that I am The Philistine, and y’all are servants to Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and led him come down to me. |
וַיַּעֲמֹד, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל- מַעַרְכֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, לָמָּה תֵצְאוּ לַעֲרֹךְ מִלְחָמָה: הֲלוֹאAL אָנֹכִי AMהַפְּלִשְׁתִּי, וְאַתֶּם עֲבָדִים לְשָׁאוּל--בְּרוּ-לָכֶם אִישׁ, וְיֵרֵד אֵלָי. |
9 |
καὶ ἐὰν δυνηθῇ πρὸς ἐμὲ πολεμῆσαιAN καὶ ἐὰν πατάξῃ με καὶ ἐσόμεθα ὑμῗν εἰς δούλους ἐὰν δὲ ἐγὼ δυνηθῶ X X καὶ πατάξω αὐτόν X ἔσεσθε ἡμῗν εἰς δούλους καὶ δουλεύσετε ἡμῗν |
And if he shall be able to fight against me, and shall smite me, then will we be your servants: but if I should prevail X X and smite him, X ye shall be our servants, and serve us. |
If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, X we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, X you shall be X X servants, and shall serve us. |
If 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. |
9 If he is successful in combat with me – that is, if he strikes me down, then we shall become as servants to y’all, but if it’s me who is successful over him – that is, if I strike him down, then y’all shall become as servants to us, and y’all shall serve us!” |
אִם-יוּכַל לְהִלָּחֵם אִתִּי, וְהִכָּנִי--וְהָיִינוּ לָכֶם, לַעֲבָדִים; וְאִם- אֲנִי אוּכַל-לוֹ, וְהִכִּיתִיו--וִהְיִיתֶם לָנוּ לַעֲבָדִים, וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֹתָנוּ. |
10 |
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀλλόφυλος [ἰδοὺ] ἐγὼ ὠνείδισα τὴν παράταξιν Ισραηλ σήμερον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ δότε μοι ἄνδρα καὶ μονομαχήσομεν ἀμφότεροιAO |
And the Philistine said, [Behold,] I have defied the armies of Israel this very day: give me a man, and we will both of us fight in single combat. |
And the Philistine said: I have defied the bands of Israel X this day: Give me a man, and let him fight with [me hand to hand]. |
And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel X this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. |
10 The Philistine also said, “As for me, I insult the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man and let’s engage in combat together.” |
וַיֹּאמֶר, הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי, אֲנִי חֵרַפְתִּיAP אֶת- מַעַרְכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה; תְּנוּ-לִי אִישׁ, וְנִלָּחֲמָה יָחַד. |
11 |
καὶ ἤκουσεν Σαουλ καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου ταῦτα καὶ ἐξέστησαν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα |
And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed, and greatly terrified. |
And Saul and all the Israelites hearing these words of the Philistine were dismayed, and greatly afraid. |
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. |
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, then they became dismayed and they were very afraid. |
וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל וְכָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת- דִּבְרֵי הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הָאֵלֶּה; וַיֵּחַתּוּ וַיִּרְאוּ, מְאֹד. {פ} |
12 |
Now
David was the son of that
Ephrathite of Bethlehem Juda [before mentioned], whose
name was Isai, who had eight sons, and was an old man in the days
of Saul, |
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among menAS for an old man in the days of Saul. |
12 Now, David was the son of a certain Ephrathite man from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. And he had eight sons, and, during the days of Saul he advanced among the men to be an elder. |
וְדָוִד בֶּן-אִישׁ אֶפְרָתִי הַזֶּהAT, מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה, וּשְׁמוֹ יִשַׁי, וְלוֹ שְׁמֹנָה בָנִיםAU; וְהָאִישׁ בִּימֵי שָׁאוּל, זָקֵן בָּא בַאֲנָשִׁיםAV. |
||
13 |
|
|
And
|
And 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, & the third Shammah. |
13 And the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone and followed after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the battle were: Eliab the firstborn, and Abinidab his second, and Shammah the third. |
וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת בְּנֵי-יִשַׁי, הַגְּדֹלִים--הָלְכוּAW אַחֲרֵי-שָׁאוּל, לַמִּלְחָמָה; וְשֵׁם שְׁלֹשֶׁת בָּנָיו, אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָהAX --אֱלִיאָב הַבְּכוֹר וּמִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִינָדָב, וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁי שַׁמָּה. |
14 |
|
|
But David X was the youngest. So the three eldest having followed Saul, |
And David X was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. |
14 (But as for David, he was the youngest.) Anyway, the three oldest followed after Saul, |
וְדָוִד, הוּא הַקָּטָן; וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, הַגְּדֹלִים, הָלְכוּ, אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל.ס |
15 |
|
|
X David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father's flock at Bethlehem. |
But David went and returned from Saul to feedAY his father's sheep at Bethlehem. |
15 but David was going and returning from attending Saul to shepherd his father’s flock at Bethlehem. |
וְדָוִד הֹלֵךְ וָשָׁבAZ, מֵעַל שָׁאוּל, לִרְעוֹת אֶת-צֹאן אָבִיו, בֵּית-לָחֶם. |
16 |
|
|
Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. |
And the Philistine drew nearBA morning and evening, and presented himselfBB forty days. |
16 Meanwhile, for 40 days, the Philistine approached each morning and evening and took his station. |
וַיִּגַּשׁ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי, הַשְׁכֵּם וְהַעֲרֵב; וַיִּתְיַצֵּב, אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם. {פ} |
17 |
|
|
And Isai said to David his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of X frumenty, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren. |
And
Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah
of this parched cornBC,
and these ten loaves, and runBD
to the camp |
17 Presently, Jesse said to David his son, “Please take a bushel of this granola and ten of these bread-loaves, and run [them] over to the army-position for your brothers. |
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשַׁי לְדָוִד בְּנוֹ, קַח-נָא לְאַחֶיךָ אֵיפַת הַקָּלִיא הַזֶּה, וַעֲשָׂרָה לֶחֶם, הַזֶּה; וְהָרֵץ הַמַּחֲנֶה, לְאַחֶיךָ. |
18 |
|
|
And
carry these ten little cheese[s] to the tribune X: and go see thy
brethren, if they are well: and learn
with whom they are |
And carry these ten X cheese[s] unto the captainBE of [their] thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledgeBF. |
18 Also bring these ten churns of milk to the officer over their thousand. And visit your brothers for peace, and get their good news. |
וְאֵת עֲשֶׂרֶת חֲרִצֵי הֶחָלָבBG, הָאֵלֶּה, תָּבִיא, לְשַׂר-הָאָלֶף; וְאֶת-אַחֶיךָ תִּפְקֹד לְשָׁלוֹם, וְאֶת- עֲרֻבָּתָםBH תִּקָּח. |
19 |
|
|
But
Saul, and they, and all the |
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. |
19 Now, Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, at war with the Philistines.” |
וְשָׁאוּל וְהֵמָּהBI וְכָל-אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּעֵמֶק הָאֵלָהBJ; נִלְחָמִיםBK, עִם- פְּלִשְׁתִּים. {ס} |
20 |
|
|
David therefore arose in the morning, and gave the charge of the flock to the keeper: and went away loaded as Isai had commanded him. And he came to the [place of] MagalaBL, and to the army, which was going out to X fight, and shouted for the battle. |
And
David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a
keeper, and tookBM,
and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trenchBN,
as the host was going forth to the |
20 |
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם דָּוִד בַּבֹּקֶר, וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֶת- הַצֹּאן עַל-שֹׁמֵר, וַיִּשָּׂא וַיֵּלֶךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יִשָׁי; וַיָּבֹא, הַמַּעְגָּלָהBP, וְהַחַיִל הַיֹּצֵא אֶל- הַמַּעֲרָכָה, וְהֵרֵעוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה. |
21 |
|
|
For
Israel had put themselves in array,
and the Philistines who stood
against |
For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against X army. |
21 |
וַתַּעֲרֹךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְלִשְׁתִּים, מַעֲרָכָה לִקְרַאת מַעֲרָכָה. |
22 |
|
|
And David leaving the vessels which he had brought, under the care of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the place of the battle and asked if [all things] went well with his brethren. |
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriageBQ, and ran into the armyBR, and came and salutedBS his brethren X X. |
22 |
וַיִּטֹּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת- הַכֵּלִים מֵעָלָיו, עַל- יַד שׁוֹמֵר הַכֵּלִים, וַיָּרָץ, הַמַּעֲרָכָה; וַיָּבֹאBT, וַיִּשְׁאַל לְאֶחָיו לְשָׁלוֹם. |
23 |
|
|
And
as he talked with them, that |
And as he talked with them, X 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. |
23 |
וְהוּא מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם, וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ הַבֵּנַיִםBU עוֹלֶה גָּלְיָת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי שְׁמוֹ מִגַּת ממערותBV פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וַיְדַבֵּר, כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; וַיִּשְׁמַע, דָּוִד. |
24 |
|
|
And all the X Israelites when they saw the man, X fled from his face, X fearing him exceedingly. |
And
all the |
24 And when everybody from Israel heard the man, then they fled from his presence and they were very frightened. |
וְכֹל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּרְאוֹתָם אֶת-הָאִישׁ; וַיָּנֻסוּ, מִפָּנָיו, וַיִּירְאוּ, מְאֹד. |
25 |
|
|
And some one of Israel said: Have you seen this man that is come up, for he is come up to defy Israel. And the man that shall slay him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father's house free [from tribute] in Israel. |
And
the |
25 And each man of Israel said, “Have y’all seen this man coming up? For sure, he’s coming up in order to insult Israel! But it’s going to happen that the man who strikes him down, the king will give him the greatest wealth and will give [in marriage] his daughter to him, and he will make his father’s house free in Israel. |
וַיֹּאמֶר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַרְּאִיתֶם הָאִישׁ הָעֹלֶה הַזֶּה -כִּי לְחָרֵףBX אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, עֹלֶה; וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-יַכֶּנּוּ יַעְשְׁרֶנּוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ עֹשֶׁר גָּדוֹל, וְאֶת- בִּתּוֹ יִתֶּן-לוֹ, וְאֵת בֵּית אָבִיו, יַעֲשֶׂה חָפְשִׁיBY בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. {פ} |
26 |
|
|
And
David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: What shall be
|
And 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 reproachBZ from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defyCA the armies of the living God? |
26 So David spoke to the men standing with him, saying, “What is going to be done about the man who is going to strike this Philistine and turn away insult from upon Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should insult the ranks of the Living God?” |
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד, אֶל- הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹמְדִים עִמּוֹ לֵאמֹר, מַה- יֵּעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּה אֶת-הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הַלָּז, וְהֵסִיר חֶרְפָּה מֵעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי מִי, הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הֶעָרֵל הַזֶּה, כִּי חֵרֵף, מַעַרְכוֹת אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים. |
27 |
|
|
And
the people answered him |
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. |
27 And the people spoke to him according to this statement, saying, “Thus it shall be done for the man who strikes him down.” |
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הָעָם, כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר: כֹּה יֵעָשֶׂה, לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּנּוּ. |
28 |
|
|
Now
when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking
with |
And 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 prideCB, and the naughtinessCC of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. |
28 But Eliab, his oldest brother, heard it while he was talking to the men, and Eliab’s anger blazed toward David, and he said, “For what reason did you come down? And with whom did you leave that little flock in the wilderness? As for me, I know your insolence and the badness belonging to your heart, for it was in order to see the combat that you came down!” |
וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלִיאָב אָחִיו הַגָּדוֹל, בְּדַבְּרוֹ אֶל- הָאֲנָשִׁים; וַיִּחַר- אַף אֱלִיאָב בְּדָוִד וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה-זֶּה יָרַדְתָּ, וְעַל-מִי נָטַשְׁתָּ מְעַט הַצֹּאן הָהֵנָּה בַּמִּדְבָּר--אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת- זְדֹנְךָ וְאֵת רֹעַ לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי לְמַעַן רְאוֹת הַמִּלְחָמָה יָרָדְתָּ. |
29 |
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And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak? |
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a causeCD? |
29 Yet David said, “What have I done now? Isn’t this the issue?” |
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד, מֶה עָשִׂיתִי עָתָּה; הֲלוֹא, דָּבָר הוּא. |
30 |
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And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him X as X before. |
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him X again after the former manner. |
30 Then he stepped around from being next to him to get in front of another, and he talked about this statement, and the people repeated a statement like the first statement. |
וַיִּסֹּב מֵאֶצְלוֹ אֶל- מוּל אַחֵר, וַיֹּאמֶר כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה; וַיְשִׁבֻהוּ הָעָם דָּבָר, כַּדָּבָר הָרִאשׁוֹן. |
1Joshua 11:22 NKJV “None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.”
2This was Andrew Willett’s computation of the total. His estimate of the kashkashim breastplate alone was 156 lb, 4 oz. Gill passed on an estimate of over 272 pounds. Tsumura estimated 126 pounds.
3The Geneva Bible computed it at 18.3 quarters
4Head to foot
5Such as Numbers 21:34, Deut. 3:2, & Josh. 10:8, & 11:6
6Such as ערץ in Deut. 1:29; 7:21; 20:3; & 31:6; & Josh. 1:9
7Andrew Willett was surprisingly outspoken against monomachy, saying it came from the “Gentiles” and was “much displeasing to God.” “Those detestable solemnities… which they call tournaments, we forbid to be held, in the which soldiers use to be hired, and to make ostentation of their strength, do rashly encounter together, whereupon followeth the slaughter and deaths of men... they sin against God in their presuming upon their strength, against their brethren, in seeking their destruction, and against themselves, in putting their life willingly into danger, being forced thereunto by no necessitie at all.”
8Rashi, Targum
9According to Goldman. Tsumura concurred on p.437 that it was 14 miles, and then on p.448 stated that it was 12 miles. Gill must have been mistaken when he estimated it at 4 miles.
10According to Gill, who added “this was wheat or barley dried in a furnace or oven, and ground into meal, and being mixed with water, or milk, or butter, or honey, or oil, was eaten, and reckoned very delicious; and besides this, there was another sort of ‘kali’, the word here used, which was parched pulse, as beans, peas, &c. parched...”
11This is the position Willett held, and he quoted Chrysostom in favor of it saying, “David was not won with these promises.” Gill also seems to agree, writing, “he asked not for the sake of the reward, but to observe the necessity there was of some man's engaging with him, and killing him, or otherwise it would be a reproach to Israel, and to signify that he had an inclination to attempt it”
12Keil & Delitzsch saw the same issue: “Eliab sought for the splinter in his brother's eye, and was not aware of the beam in his own. The very things with which he charged his brother - presumption and wickedness of heart - were most apparent in his scornful reproof.”
13Tsumura acknowledges this, “could be a rhetorical question: ‘Isn’t it a matter of importance?’ … Bergen paraphrases: ‘What have I done to offend you now? I happen to have been asking about a very important matter.’”
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea
Scroll containing any part of this passage is 4Q51, containing parts
of verses 3-8, and dated to around 50 B.C. I have colored purple the
text of the MT which corraborates with that DSS and highlighted
with yellow the LXX
and Vulgate where they agree with the DSS over against the MT. Where
I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I marked my
translation with {pointed brackets}.
BSymmachus supported the LXX, as though the Hebrew were אפר מימ (“dust of water”), but Aquila supported the MT: en perati Domeim (“in the border of Domeim”). The Hebrew word Ephes Damim literally means “border of blood” (or “bleeding edge”), appropriate for a national boundary contested by war! Aquila (and Jerome) went halfway, translating the first word and transliterating the second word.
CThis is the literal meaning of the verb, but all other English versions = “camped” Same in v.2.
D“The name Socoh (swkh) appears in Paleo-Hebrew script on a royal stamped jar handle... in the British Museum.” ~Tsumura
ELachish ostracon #4 mentions Asekah (Tsumura)
F“which, by an apocope of the first letter, is called Pasdammim, 1Chron. 11:13 which the Jews say had this name because there blood ceased (Midrash Ruth, fol. 48. 2. Kimchi in loc.)” ~John Gill
GThe Hebrew word “Elah” can also mean “these,” and the LXX interpreted it that way, but Later Greek translators all understood it to refer to the “stout” elah-tree, transliterating the Hebrew as ’Ηλα (Eusebius, Symmachus) or translating it as δρυος (Aquila, Theodotion).
HThe Hebrew literally means “to call,” NASB = “to encounter,” NIV = “to meet”
IMost other Greek translations rendered “valley” with the synonym faragx “ravine” which, according to Goldman is closer to the MT.
JIn both Hebrew and Greek, the words for “mountain” and “valley” are definite = “the” not “a”
KGoldman = “ravine” noting that this is a different word than the one in the previous verse for “valley”
LAquila translated more like the MT with o mesazwn (“the middle-man”)
MThe Dead Sea Scrolls from 50BC and Josephus from 100AD (lib. 6. de antiquit. c. 10), and presumably Aquila from 150 AD, as well as the Vaticanus manuscript from the 300’s AD and the Lucian rescription of the LXX all concur with “4 cubits,” but Symmachus (Σ.) edited his Greek version in the 300’s AD to “6 cubits,” which is the reading of the Masoretic tradition, the oldest manuscript of which is in the 900’s AD. Cairo Geniza manuscripts from the late 800’s AD follow the MT.
NVulgate (spurius) translated as though it were a derrogative form of בן (“son”), and LXX (δυνατος) (and Syriac?) translated as though it were not there (“[mighty] man”), but it seems rather to be a form of the preposition בין (“between”) (Targum?), as in a “middle-man” (Aquilla) or “mediator.” Willett commented: “he is called habenaim, that is, duellator, because he challenged any hand to hand, that the combate might be betweene two... so the Sept. give the sense... the word benaim, beeing of the masculine gender, can not agree with machanoth, armies, or campes, beeing of the feminine: and the article set before habenaim, noteth some speciall description of the man” (Gill was much to the same effect.) Goldman: “the man of the [space] between [two armies]”
OLXX interprets this word with the same Greek word it used to interpret “array” a couple of verses earlier. Jerusalem Jebamot supports the LXX with the Hebrew word for “array” instead of the Hebrew word for “camp,” but the practical difference is not important.
PThe DSS (ubra) and every other manuscript previous to the 4th century reads “four.” A Greek manuscript has been found that reads “five” and a Latin manuscript dating to the 1400’s has been found that reads “sixteen.”
QOther Greek versions supply the word for “brass/bronze” from the MT here: calkh.
Rcf. Ex. 28:22, and synonyms A. folidwton (with holes, i.e. scales – more like the MT than the LXX “ring/chain-mail”), S. & Q. aspidwton (serpentine? Like reptile scales.)
SThe DSS does not have this additional text.
TNASB (“clothed”) and NIV (“wore”) follow the more literal meaning of this Hebrew word.
UNASB & NIV = “scale armor”
VOnly here and Lev. 11:9-12, Deut. 14:9-10 (describing the scales of fish), and Ezek. 29:4.
WThis fact must have been established after Goliath’s defeat. It’s easy to imagine the Israelite soldiers disposing of Goliath’s decapitated body and exclaiming over how heavy the body armor was and weighing it to see exactly how heavy it was, then telling the story over campfires for the rest of their lives!
XThis is the word normally translated “asp” or poisonous snake… Willet noted that later in “v. 45. David saith to Goliath, thou commest to me with a speare, and chidon; if it had been the shoulder piece, that was not in David's sight, he would rather have spoken of his brigandine or brestplate, that was before him, and in his view. Therefore I rather prefer the reading of the Chaldee [Targums] which calleth it a spear or javelin of brass: both because the word is so taken, Josh. 8.18. where Joshua lift up his spear for a sign, & Job 41.19. where it is said, that the Leviathan of the sea laugheth at the shaking of chidon, the speare: Josephus also saith, he carried his spear between his shoulders. It seemeth therefore that he had both a spear or lance in the one hand, and a javelin or trunchin of brass, which he carried between his shoulders with the other.”
YEarly electronic editions of Brenton read “grass” instead of “brass,” but the word in the Vaticanus is the word for “brass,” and the original print editions of Brenton read “brass.” Later electronic editions corrected the earlier publisher’s error.
ZLuther, Geneva, Wycliffe, JFB = “shield” (cf. Targum, LXX, Vulgate, Rashi, and Gill, describing armor “in the form of a spear worn between the helmet and the coat of mail for the defence of the neck, supposed to weigh thirty pounds”), Josephus, Willett, RV, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, NET = “javelin [slung]”. Tsumura (NICOT) called it a “dagger,” and McCarter called it a “scimitar.” K&D noted that, “Goliath had no need of any shield to cover his back, as this was sufficiently protected by the coat of mail” (and, I might add, the helmet).
AAThere is not enough room between the legible words on each side of this obliterated section of the DSS to contain all the words that the MT has. Omitting the second “of bronze” would make the rest fit, and “of bronze” could be supplied by ellipsis resulting in no change of meaning.
ABOnly here and Ezek. 39:9 in the Greek Bible.
ACAq., Q. (wV) antion (“backup?”), S. (wV) istoV (“stand?”).
ADAq., Q. flox doratoV (“flame of the spear”), S. aicmh (“capture-device/Carrier/Leader”?)
AEA. = stathrwn Arndt & Gingrich defined this as a 4-drachma silver coin.
AFcf. other stabs at the meaning in other Greek versions: Q. aspida (“snake” cf. “target” v.6), S. ton qureon (“full-body-shield” – this is probably most like the meaning of the Hebrew word in the MT.)
AGThe Qere and other Hebrew manuscripts read וְעֵץ “and the tree/lumber of” which works, but doesn’t seem necessary. The MT is a regularly-used word for arrow-shafts.
AHThis word generally translated “beam” only occurs in the Bible in descriptions of Philistine warlord’s spears. (cf. 2 Sam. 21:19; 1 Chron. 11:23, & 20:5) Its root, according to BDB is “to till furrows,” which makes me wonder if it is speaking of some sort of rifling.
AILater Greek versions corrected to the MT δουλοι (“servants”). In Hebrew, “slaves” (עבדימ) and “Hebrews” (עברימ) look very similar. How would we know whether the error was in the LXX or the MT? Either word works: “Hebrews” would parallel “Philistine” better, but “slaves” is a more-insulting epithet in keeping with Goliath’s reviling speech.
AJSymmachus (eiV to monomachsai) seems to have been reading the same text Jerome (ad singulare certamen) was reading, adding “for single-combat.”
AKNASB, NIV, ESV = “ranks”
ALTsumura supported my translation with “Isn’t it [true] that…?”
AMWillett comments on the definite article in Hebrew “THE Philistine” that it is unlikely that he was the Philistine who claimed the ark from Eli’s sons 40 years before, for he had a brother who was fighting 40 years later at the end of David’s reign (2 Sam. 21:19), rather “ Vatablus readeth well, ‘Am not I, Pelisteus ille, that Philistim:’ and as the Chaldee interpreteth, ‘Am not I Goliath the Philistim:’ that is, that famous Philistim, which hath done so many great exploits among them?”
ANS. perigenhtai (“overcome”)
AOCf. later translators’ simpler forms for “together”: A. omou. Q. ama which are closer to the MT.
APGill = “reproach,” K&D = “mocked,” Tsumura = “challenge,” McCarter = “not only defiance and provocation but also open contempt”
AQThe next verse in the Septuagint is v.32. It appears that Lucian back-translated the Masoretic text to provide Greek text for verses 12-32, but no manuscript earlier than about 400AD contains these verses, so their origin is uncertain.
ARThe Brenton translation skips to verse 32 because these verses are not in the Vaticanus.
ASThe Hebrew is a little hard to understand. KJV follows it literally (albeit omitting the definite article in the MT), NASB reads “advanced in years among men,” NIV omits the phrase, ESV (following McCarter?) = “[already… and] advanced in years.” Tsumura = “become a senior… that is, he had reached the age where he was exempted from civil and military services...”
ATSeveral commentators I read (K&D, Henry, Gill?) saw in this demonstrative pronoun a link back to chapter 16 which introduced Jesse as an Ephrathite. Tsumura, on the other hand stated that “the demonstrative pronoun is used as a relative pronoun (“who”) like Ugaritic hnd…,” but I’m skeptical of the authority of that statement.
AUSee notes on 16:6ff regarding the 8 sons.
AVcf.
the Lucian rescension of the LXX and the Syriac (followed by the
ESV), which read “in days” rather than “among
men.” The Targum seems to be off-base stating the opposite
that Jesse was “numbered among the young men.” I think
it has to do with no longer being obligated to field-work (both
farming and war) but rather coming among the elders who sat at the
gate or in their houses (2 Kings 6:32, Ezekiel 20:1).
Goldman
commented, “Rabbinic interpretation is ‘honoured in the
company of men.’ Jesse’s age is noted to account for
this absence form the army.”
Gill: “the phrase,
"among men", either signifies that he was ranked among old
men, infirm and unfit for war, and so excused, and his sons went in
his room, so Kimchi; or he was reckoned among men of the first rank,
men of esteem, credit, and reputation, so Jarchi and R. Isaiah, with
which agrees the Targum; or whenever he went abroad, he was attended
by many men, had a large retinue, which sense Abarbinel mentions,
and is that of Ben Gersom, and agrees with the Talmud; but the
Syriac and Arabic versions read "stricken in years", which
seems most agreeable.”
K&D strangely rendered it
“come among the weak”
AW"הָלְכוּ,
which appears superfluous after the foregoing וַיֵּלְכוּ,
has been defended by Böttcher, as necessary to express the
pluperfect, which the thought requires, since the imperfect consec.
וַיֵּלְכוּ,
when attached to a substantive and participial clause, merely
expresses the force of the aorist. Properly, therefore, it reads
thus: ‘And then (in Jesse's old age) the three eldest sons
followed, had followed, Saul;’ a very ponderous construction
indeed, but quite correct, and even necessary, with the great
deficiency of forms, to express the pluperfect.” ~K&D
Tsumura,
on the other hand, declared that “the phrase here seems to be
inserted to slow down the flow of discourse.”
AXThe beth preposition pictures “entering into” but some Hebrew manuscripts use a lamed preposition instead picturing coming up “to” the battle, and the (Lucian?) Greek, Latin Vulgate, and Aramaic Targum versions follow the latter.
AY NASB & NIV = “tend”
AZMost English versions interpret David’s coming and returning as frequentive, going back and forth, and the participles certainly support that, but Willett commented that the story wouldn’t work if David had already been to the army camp many times before; he proposes instead that Saul sent David home from the palace when Saul went to the battle, and that makes sense to me.
BANASB, NIV, and ESV = “came forward”
BB NASB, NIV, & ESV = “took his stand”
BCNASB, NIV = “roasted grain”
BDNIV = “hurry,” ESV = “carry quickly”
BENASB, NIV, ESV = “commander”
BFNASB = “news,” NIV = “assurance,” ESV & NICOT = “token”
BGThis is the Hebrew word for “milk;” nowhere else in the Bible is chelev translated “cheese.” But what is a “cut” of “milk”? Perhaps a milk churn? K&D rendered it “cuts of soft cheese”
BH“The
word... here properly signifieth a pledge: of the same
signification, with the Hebrew word herabon, Gen. 38.17.
where the word arrhabon, a pledge or earnest penie, seemeth
to be derived.... And they which take it for a pledge, some expound
it of the token, which he received to go in and out to his brethren
in the armie without suspition... but the fittest interpretation is,
that he should bring some token or pledge from them, as a sign of
their welfare… the Chald. paraphrast interpreteth, ‘thou
shalt bring their welfare,’ that is, bring tidings how they
fare: or bring commendations from them.” ~Andrew Willett
The
root ערב
seems to have four basic meanings: darkness,
pleasantness, mixture, and guarantee. K&D go with the latter, “a
pledge that they are alive and well.” cf. Tsumura “proof
of well-being of the brothers”
BIMost English versions interpret this third plural pronoun as referring to David’s brothers from the previous verse. It is redundant in meaning to “all Israel” so it is omitted in some Hebrew manuscripts and in the Syriac version.
BJThe valley was named after the trees that grew there. Of these trees Willett noted: “there is great uncertentie what kind of tree Elah should signifie, some taking it for the Terebinth or turpentine tree, as Hierome, some for the chesnut tree, some for Ilex the holme tree, some for an oake, Iun. and Vatab.”
BK“seeing the Israelites fled away at the sight of Goliath, and he for the space of 40. days together vaunted himself, it is not like that the armies had yet met, or that they skirmished together, as Osiander thinketh: but only had set their battell in aray, the one against the other, v. 21. therefore the better reading is, that they were bellantes, Iun. or belligerantes, Vatab. or ineuntes bellum, Chal. they were warring rather then fighting: for the word lacham signifieth both.” ~Willett
BLThis is a transliteration of the Hebrew word rather than a translation.
BMNASB added “the supplies” (cf. ESV “the provisions”) since the Hebrew word indicates “carrying” something. I prefer the NIV “loaded up,” which doesn’t add words, but gets the idea across better than the KJV.
BNVulgate: Proper name, KJV: trench, NICOT: entrenchment or circumvallation, Targum/NIV/ESV: camp/tents, NASB: outer circle/perimeter of the camp, Willett: the parking lot for carts, where goods were stored safely away from the battlefront and where Saul slept (1 Sam. 26:5), K&D = wagon rampart (the carts themselves forming the outer barricade).
BOKJV has the literal translation. NASB, NIV, and ESV are a bit paraphrastic with “X shouting X the war [cry]” although K&D also weighed in with “lit. to make a noise in war, i.e. to raise a war-cry”
BPGoldman: “The Hebrew word ma’galah is found as a military term only here and in 26:5-7. It means ‘something rounded,’ and may refer either to an entrenchment or barricade around the camp, or (Kimchi) to the camp itself, which may have been circular in formation.”
BQNASB = “baggage,” NIV = “things… supplies”
BRNASB, NIV = “battle-line,” ESV = “ranks”
BSNASB = “to greet,” NIV = “ask how they were,” Lit: “inquire concerning wellbeing”
BTThis extra “and he went” is not found in the Greek, Syriac, or Vulgate manuscripts. It doesn’t add new information, though.
BUTranslated in v.4 into Greek by the LXX as “mighty-man” and by Aquilla as “mediator” here, the Greek translation cited by Kittel is αμεσσαιος “the non-mediator”!
BVThe Masorite compilers of this Hebrew text suggested in their Kere notes that the text they were copying was missing a “c” towards the end of the word, seeing as there is no such Hebrew root as מער, and should be spelled מִמַּעַרְכוֹת This is the general trend of translations, although the Greek and Syriac (followed by the NASB) modified the Hebrew plural to a singular, matching the instance of the same word in the previous verse. K&D noted that “if [what was written] were the proper reading, it would suggest and Arabic word signifying a crowd of men,” a meaning not far removed from the Kere.
BWNIV = “exempt [from taxes]”
BXThe Cairo Geniza manuscript of this verse, dating about a century before the earliest-known MT manuscript, uses the same consonantal spellings, but changes the vowel pointing on this infinitive to render it [r)jl Qal instead of Piel, but that doesn’t really change the meaning. K&D render “insult” here.
BYWillett: “enfranchising his house: as in setting it free from taxes and other impositions (Genevens) and so advancing it to the state of nobilitie (Chaldee).”
BZNIV = “disgrace”
CANASB = “taunt”
CBNASB = “insolence,” NIV = “how conceited,” ESV = “presumption”
CCNASB, NIV = “wickedness,” ESV = “evil”
CDNASB
= “question,” NIV = “I speak,”
ESV (and K&D) followed the more literal meaning of the Hebrew =
“word”
Targum explains it as “Isn’t
this what everybody is saying?”
Willett wrote: “dabhar
is better here translated, matter, cause, or busines: and so David
excuseth himself because he came about his fathers business”
K&D:
“a very allowable inquiry certainly”