Home / Commentary / 1 Samuel / 1 Samuel Chapter 17

1 Samuel 17 Commentary

Please choose a passage:

1 Samuel 17:1-3

Israel sets their army in array against the Philistine enemy.

1 Samuel 17:4-11

We are introduced to Goliath, the champion of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:12-19

David, a shepherd and the youngest of eight sons is sent by his father Jesse to his brothers on the battlefront with the intention of knowing their welfare.

1 Samuel 17:20-30

David learns of Goliath and angers his oldest brother with his curiosity and his fearless speech upon hearing of the seemingly unbeatable Philistine champion.

David volunteers to fight Goliath, recalling his faith in the God of Israel and the skills he acquired protecting his father’s sheep. He assures King Saul that God will deliver him from Goliath as well.

1 Samuel 17:40-49

David fights Goliath

1 Samuel 17:50-58

David and Israel are victorious against the Philistines and their champion Goliath.

Additional Resources

Chapter Context

1 Samuel 17 tells one of the most well-known stories of the Bible. The story of David and Goliath. In this dramatic story are images of courage, faith, fear, rejection, and deliverance.

We are introduced to David one chapter earlier, in 1 Samuel 16, where he is anointed as king by Samuel the prophet (though he will not be crowned king until much later). The Spirit of the Lord was upon David from that time forward.

David was enlisted to play the harp for King Saul to drive a tormenting spirit away from him. David also became Saul’s armor-bearer. Saul came to love David. In 1 Samuel 16:18 one of Saul’s servants describe David as “a mighty man of valor, and a warrior” indicating David was much more than just a young boy.

In 1 Samuel 17, David is shown to be a skillful youth full of faith in his God and who, unlike the other men of Israel, was unafraid of Goliath the Philistine. His faith in God, and his skills perfected through protecting his father’s sheep from predators, led him to confidently face down Goliath with full assurance of victory. David is one of the Old Testament messianic pictures of Jesus Christ. The parallels between David and Jesus are numerous.