Saul and David are currently both kings, but we’re not dealing with that yet. First, there are more problems with the Philistines to face. They’re preparing for war, and Saul leads the Israelites into battle. “And the champion emerged from the Philistines’ camp, named Goliath, from Gath; his height was six cubits and a span (Samuel I 17:4).” Goliath has the height of a giant, and is fully armed – clearly an intimidating sight. He calls out a challenge to the Israelites, asking for them to send their own champion to face him one on one. “If he is able to fight with me and kill me, we shall be slaves to you, and if I overcome him, and kill him, you shall be slaves to us and serve us (Samuel I 17:9).” Goliath is mocking the Israelites for not responding to his challenge, but the people are terrified, and no one wants to be the one to take up the responsibility.
David, as we know, is the youngest of his brothers. He is reintroduced now, and we’re given his lineage once again. We are told that he, as the youngest brother, isn’t a warrior. Instead, he goes back and forth between his father’s home where he is a shepherd, and Saul’s house where he plays the harp. For forty days, Goliath has been taunting the Israelite army, and David’s father sends him to visit his brothers. David shows up, and he isn’t given a particularly warm greeting. “And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab’s wrath was kindled against David, and he said, ‘Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the desert? I know your impetuousness, and the evil of your heart, for you have come down in order to see the war (Samuel I 17:28).'” Eliab doesn’t have much regard for his brother, but David is determined and tells Saul that he wants to be the person to battle Goliath.
Saul protests, but eventually he agrees. “And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth pebbles from the brook, and he placed them in the shepherds’ bag which he had, and in the sack, and his slingshot was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine (Samuel I 17:40).” David and Goliath taunt each other, until the battle begins. Then, David kills Goliath with only a stone, allowing the Israelites to pursue the Philistines. The chapter ends weirdly, with Saul asking David who he is. This follows the last chapter, when they develop a bond as David plays the harp for Saul. Does this mean that the stories are happening out of chronological order? Or did Saul not know the identity of his harpist?
Reading stories like this is particularly interesting. The story of David and Goliath is iconic, and has become fully ingrained in our collective consciousness. So it’s enlightening to read the actual text and to see what’s really written in there and what’s been understood by society. This story seems pretty true to my perception of it, with David defeating the giant enemy Goliath with just the simple tools of the shepherd.
929 Days of Tanakh 