17
David et Goliath
1Les Philistins réunirent leurs armées pour une expédition; ils se rassemblèrent à Soko en Juda, et ils établirent leur camp à Éfès-Dammim, entre Soko et Azéca#17.1 Soko, Azéca: deux localités situées à 30 km environ au sud-ouest de Jérusalem.. 2De leur côté, Saül et l'armée d'Israël se rassemblèrent et campèrent dans la vallée du Térébinthe#17.2 La vallée du Térébinthe se trouve au sud de Soko et Azéca.; puis ils se rangèrent en ordre de bataille face aux Philistins. 3Ainsi les Philistins et les Israélites se trouvaient sur des hauteurs de part et d'autre de la vallée.
4Un soldat philistin s'avança hors des rangs, pour lancer un défi aux Israélites. Il était de la ville de Gath#17.4 Gath: voir 5.8 et la note. et s'appelait Goliath. Il mesurait près de trois mètres; 5-6il avait mis un casque et des jambières de bronze, ainsi qu'une cuirasse à écailles pesant soixante kilos. Il portait en bandoulière un sabre de bronze. 7Il avait aussi une lance dont le bois#17.7 le bois: d'après une ancienne tradition juive; texte hébreu traditionnel la flèche. était gros comme le cylindre d'un métier à tisser et dont la pointe de fer pesait plus de sept kilos. Devant lui, marchait son porteur de bouclier. 8Goliath s'arrêta et cria aux soldats israélites: «Pourquoi vous êtes-vous mis en ordre de bataille? Je suis un Philistin; vous, des sujets de Saül. Choisissez parmi vous un homme qui vienne me combattre. 9S'il peut me vaincre et me tuer, nous serons vos esclaves; mais si c'est moi qui peux le vaincre et le tuer, c'est vous qui serez nos esclaves. 10Aujourd'hui, je lance un défi à votre armée, ajouta-t-il. Envoyez-moi donc un homme pour que nous nous battions.» 11Lorsque Saül et toute son armée entendirent ces paroles du Philistin, ils furent écrasés de terreur.
12David était fils de Jessé, du clan d'Éfrata, qui habitait Bethléem de Juda; Jessé avait huit fils, et, à l'époque de Saül, il était un notable respecté#17.12 il était un notable respecté: le texte hébreu est peu clair; plusieurs versions anciennes disent il était très âgé.. 13-14Ses trois fils aînés, Éliab, Abinadab et Chamma, avaient été mobilisés; ils étaient partis combattre avec Saül. Quant à David, le plus jeune, 15il allait servir Saül et revenait régulièrement s'occuper des moutons de son père, à Bethléem.
16Pendant quarante jours, Goliath le Philistin se présenta matin et soir en face de l'armée d'Israël. 17Un de ces jours-là, Jessé dit à David: «Prends ce sac de grains grillés et ces dix pains, et apporte-les rapidement au camp pour tes frères. 18Prends également ces dix fromages, que tu offriras au commandant de l'unité. Tu verras si tes frères sont en bonne santé, et tu me rapporteras d'eux un signe prouvant que tout va bien. 19Tu les trouveras avec Saül et toute l'armée d'Israël dans la vallée du Térébinthe, où ils affrontent les Philistins.»
20Tôt le lendemain matin, David confia ses moutons à un gardien, prit ce qu'il devait emporter et s'en alla, comme Jessé le lui avait ordonné. Il arriva au camp à l'heure où l'armée allait prendre position et poussait le cri de guerre. 21Israélites et Philistins se mirent en ordre de bataille, face à face. 22David laissa ses affaires entre les mains du gardien des bagages et se rendit en hâte là où se trouvait l'armée. Il y rejoignit ses frères et leur demanda comment ils allaient. 23Il était en train de parler avec eux lorsque Goliath, le Philistin de Gath, sortit des rangs et répéta son défi habituel#17.23 des rangs: d'après une ancienne tradition juive; texte hébreu traditionnel des cavernes. – son défi habituel: voir v. 8-10.. David l'entendit. 24Tous les Israélites reculèrent quand ils virent Goliath, car ils avaient très peur; 25on disait: «Vous voyez cet homme! C'est pour nous provoquer qu'il s'avance ainsi. Eh bien, celui qui réussira à le tuer, le roi le comblera de richesses, lui donnera sa propre fille en mariage et accordera des privilèges à sa famille en Israël.»
26David demanda aux soldats qui étaient près de lui: «Quelle récompense recevra celui qui tuera ce Philistin et qui vengera ainsi l'insulte infligée à Israël? Et qui est donc ce Philistin païen qui ose insulter l'armée du Dieu vivant?» 27On répondit à David en lui répétant ce qui était promis au vainqueur. 28Mais son frère aîné, Éliab, l'entendit discuter avec les soldats et se fâcha: «Pourquoi es-tu venu ici? lui dit-il. A qui as-tu laissé ton petit troupeau, dans le désert? Je te connais bien, petit prétentieux, espèce de vaurien! C'est pour assister au combat que tu es venu.» – 29«Qu'ai-je fait de mal? demanda David. J'ai simplement posé une question.» 30Il tourna le dos à son frère et s'adressa à un autre soldat. Il continua de poser la même question et chacun lui donna la même réponse.
31Tout le monde entendit parler de l'intérêt de David pour cette affaire. Saül lui-même en fut informé. Il fit aussitôt venir David, 32qui lui dit: «Majesté, personne ne doit perdre courage à cause de ce Philistin. J'irai, moi, me battre contre lui.» – 33«Non, répondit Saül, tu ne peux pas aller le combattre. Tu n'es qu'un enfant, alors qu'il est soldat depuis sa jeunesse.» – 34«Majesté, reprit David, quand je garde les moutons de mon père, si un lion ou un ours vient et emporte un mouton du troupeau, 35je le poursuis, je le frappe et j'arrache la victime de sa gueule. S'il se dresse contre moi, je le saisis à la gorge et je le frappe à mort. 36C'est ainsi que j'ai tué des lions et des ours. Eh bien, je ferai subir le même sort à ce Philistin païen, puisqu'il a insulté l'armée du Dieu vivant. 37Le Seigneur qui m'a protégé des griffes du lion et de l'ours saura aussi me protéger des attaques de ce Philistin.» – «Vas-y donc, répondit Saül, et que le Seigneur soit avec toi.»
38Saül prêta son équipement militaire à David: il lui mit son casque de bronze sur la tête et le revêtit de sa cuirasse. 39David fixa encore l'épée de Saül par-dessus la cuirasse, puis il essaya d'avancer, mais il en fut incapable, car il n'était pas entraîné. Alors il déclara qu'il ne pouvait pas marcher avec cet équipement, par manque d'habitude, et il s'en débarrassa. 40Il prit son bâton et alla choisir cinq pierres bien lisses au bord du torrent; il les mit dans son sac de berger, puis, la fronde à la main, il se dirigea vers Goliath. 41De son côté, Goliath, précédé de son porteur de bouclier, s'approchait de plus en plus de David. 42Il examina David et n'eut que mépris pour lui, car David, jeune encore, avait le teint clair#17.42 Voir 16.12 et la note. et une jolie figure. 43Goliath lui cria: «Me prends-tu pour un chien, toi qui viens contre moi avec des bâtons? Maudit sois-tu, par tous les dieux des Philistins! 44Viens ici, que je donne ta chair en nourriture aux oiseaux et aux bêtes sauvages.» – 45«Toi, répondit David, tu viens contre moi avec une épée, une lance et un sabre; moi je viens armé du nom du Seigneur de l'univers, le Dieu des troupes d'Israël, que tu as insulté#17.45 Ou insultées.. 46Aujourd'hui même, le Seigneur te livrera en mon pouvoir; je vais te tuer et te couper la tête. Aujourd'hui même, je donnerai les cadavres des soldats philistins en nourriture aux oiseaux et aux bêtes sauvages. Alors tous les peuples sauront qu'Israël a un Dieu, 47et tous les Israélites ici rassemblés sauront que le Seigneur n'a pas besoin d'épée ni de lance pour donner la victoire. Il est le maître de cette guerre et il va vous livrer en notre pouvoir.» 48Goliath se remit à marcher en direction de David. Celui-ci courut rapidement à la rencontre du Philistin, 49prit une pierre dans son sac, la lança avec sa fronde et l'atteignit en plein front. La pierre s'y enfonça et l'homme s'écroula, la face contre terre.
50Ainsi David triompha de Goliath et le tua, sans épée, grâce à sa fronde et à une pierre. 51Il courut jusqu'à Goliath, lui tira son épée du fourreau et lui coupa la tête. Alors les Philistins, voyant que leur héros était mort, s'enfuirent. 52Les soldats d'Israël et de Juda poussèrent leur cri de guerre et les poursuivirent jusqu'aux abords de Gath et jusqu'à l'entrée d'Écron#17.52 Gaï: endroit non identifié, que l'ancienne version grecque a remplacé par Gath. – Écron: voir 5.10 et la note.. Des cadavres de Philistins jonchaient la route de Chaaraïm jusqu'à Gath et Écron.
53Les Israélites abandonnèrent la poursuite et revinrent piller le camp philistin. 54David prit la tête de Goliath pour l'apporter à Jérusalem; quant aux armes du géant, il les garda dans sa propre tente.
Jonatan conclut un pacte d'amitié avec David
55Lorsque Saül avait vu David partir à la rencontre de Goliath, il avait demandé au général Abner: «De qui ce garçon est-il le fils, Abner?» – «Je n'en sais absolument rien, Majesté», répondit le général. 56«Alors, tâche de savoir de qui il s'agit», ordonna le roi. 57C'est pourquoi, lorsque David revint au camp après avoir tué Goliath, Abner alla le chercher et l'amena devant Saül. – David avait encore à la main la tête du Philistin. – 58«Qui es-tu, mon garçon?» lui demanda Saül. David répondit: «Je suis le fils de ton serviteur Jessé, de Bethléem.»
FAQs
What does 1 Samuel 17 teach us? ›
Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we should have courage and faith when we face challenges: “At times all of us must stand against those who mock and revile. Some of us, sometime, will face some earthly power as mighty as Goliath.
What is the summary of 1 Samuel Chapter 17? ›Instead of a full out war, Goliath challenges the children of Israel to send out one person who will battle against him, one on one, and whoever wins the one-on-one battle, will take all. The losing nation will serve the winning nation.
What is the moral of the story of David and Goliath? ›When the Philistines saw their champion defeated, they fled for their lives. Before this fight, most people would've said David didn't stand a chance. But David showed that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). With God's help, you can stand your ground with faith and be triumphant.
What is 1st Samuel verse 17? ›Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
What is the lesson from 1 Samuel 17 45? ›1 Samuel 17:45–47 Reminds Us God Will Glorify Himself
And notice where this leads David to act, with trust in God, to go to this giant, Goliath, and to say, “This battle, for the glory of God, is not ultimately mine, it's ultimately God's.
Remember the lesson of David and Goliath according to James, 11: "If you believe in God, he will be there for you when you need him. And he will help you do things you usually aren't capable of doing." Sarah, 10, agrees, "Big people don't get to do all the big things. If we believe in God, we can do anything."
What lesson do we learn from Elijah? ›The stories we read about Elijah in 1 and 2 Kings actually show us Elijah's humanity. We can identify with the doubts and struggles Elijah experienced in our own faith journey. And from Elijah's story we can receive assurance about who God is and what we can expect from him.
What does the story of Samuel teach us? ›If we honor the Lord, He honors us. Students learned about the Israelites putting their trust in the ark of God rather than in God Himself. They identified that in order to receive the Lord's help, we must place our faith in Him and keep His commandments.
What can we learn from Elijah and the widow? ›The faith of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath helps us to realize that God wants to trust Him each day. He wants us to lean on him and depend on him daily. It takes faith to deal with this. Not in a way that is driven by anxiety.
What does Goliath symbolize? ›"Envy, greed, fear, laziness, doubt, vice, pride, lust, selfishness, discouragement - all spell Goliath. "The giant you face will not diminish in size or in power or strength by your vain hoping, wishing, or waiting for him to do so. Rather, he increases in power as his hold upon you tightens. . . .
What do the 5 stones of David represent? ›
The five smooth stones represent preparation time David had with God learning to listen, trust, obey and cooperate in faith action. I think the five smooth stones represent the holy habits that God asks us to develop for life's battles and to strengthen and encourage one another.
What caused the fight between David and Goliath? ›Why are David and Goliath fighting to begin with? Because the Philistines have proposed to send their toughest warrior against the Israelites' toughest warrior to settle a dispute in "single combat." As Gladwell put it in his TED talk: [T]he Philistine who is sent down, their mighty warrior, is a giant. ...
What is 1st Samuel chapter 17 verse 34? ›34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
What is 1 Samuel 17 verse 50? ›1 Samuel 17:50 in Other Translations
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.
What does 1 Samuel 17 45 51 mean? ›Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:45-51
Nothing can excel the humility, faith, and piety which appear in David's words. He expressed his assured expectation of success; he gloried in his mean appearance and arms, that the victory might be ascribed to the Lord alone.
The lepers immediately demonstrate their faith by following Jesus' instruction even though they still have their disease. Only as they are on their way, do we find out that “they were made clean.” Jesus responds to their cries for mercy by drawing from them an act of faith that results in their physical healing.
What does it mean that God will never suffer the righteous to be moved? ›He will never let the righteous be shaken…
We will all face trials and difficulties in this life. Jesus never promised us an easy life, he actually promised the opposite. But for those who trust God those difficulties will not shake us, they will not destroy us. That's what the Bible promises over and over.
Thus faith means putting your trust in God and having confidence that he will fulfill his promises.
What is the deeper meaning of faith? ›THE MEANING OF THE WORD
FAITH means- belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction, faithfulness. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance that the lord is working, even though we cannot see it.
What did Jesus mean by faith? ›
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though we do not understand all things, He does.
God also performed many miracles through Elijah, including resurrection, bringing fire down from the sky, and entering heaven alive "by fire". He is also portrayed as leading a school of prophets known as "the sons of the prophets".
What was the prayer to Elijah? ›After the entire altar was completely soaked Elijah stepped forward and simply prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, show us today that you are the real God of Israel and that all I have done is obeyed you. Answer me Lord, so that these people can believe in you once again."
What does it mean to be in the spirit and power of Elijah? ›This means that choosing to identify and perform ordinances for our own kindred should receive our highest priority. The Spirit of Elijah will inspire individual members of the Church to link their generations, rather than submit lists of people or popular personalities to whom they are unrelated.
What is the main message of Samuel in the Bible? ›The book of 1 Samuel focuses on three characters: Samuel, Saul, and David. A poem near the start of the book reveals the book's key themes: God's opposition to the proud, exultation of the humble, faithfulness in spite of evil, and the promise of a messianic king.
What was God's message to Samuel? ›And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family--from beginning to end.
Why is the story of Samuel important? ›Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venerated as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Why did God give Elijah a widow? ›Elijah's stay in the house of the widow was meant to bring him closer to the suffering prevalent in the world, and to acquaint him with the hunger and want from which the women and children suffered. Elijah is commanded to go to Sidon, where he will be fed by a widow (17:9). The Rabbis applied to this the verse (Ps.
What is the moral lesson on the widow of Zarephath? ›There is no hopelessness in God. And while there are tests of faith, there is no lack in God either. The same God who provided for Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in extreme drought and desperation, is the same God who is faithful to us as well, if we will but trust and obey.
What does the parable of the persistent widow teach us? ›Jesus uses this parable to teach his disciples never to give up. He shows them the importance of persistence and resilience. He knows that life involves disappointment, loss, injustice, and persecution—all very good reasons to give up and lose hope!
Why was David not afraid of Goliath? ›
David is only near the battle because his father, Jesse, had sent him to deliver supplies to his older brothers and to bring back news about the battle. David was simply a messenger and delivery boy; he was far from a mighty champion.
What kind of person was Goliath in the Bible? ›Goliath, the Gittite, is the most well known giant in the Bible. He is described as 'a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, whose height was six cubits and a span' (Samuel 17:4). From Samuel and Chronicles (table I), we have drawn Goliath's pedigree (figure 1).
What kind of person was Goliath? ›Goliath (/ɡəˈlaɪəθ/ gə-LY-əth) is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Israel.
Why did David call God his rock? ›Justifiably, David called God his rock because God was his strength, his support, his defence, Who enabled him to subdue his enemies, and gave him victories in battles.
What does a stone symbolize? ›In our everyday life rocks represent struggles to overcome and perspectives to be gained. Many myths, fables and stories use rocks to symbolize the obstacles a character must overcome to complete their quest.
What is the commentary of 1 Samuel 17 40? ›David understood the importance of precision and accuracy — he needed stones that would fly straight. Since God was the one actually defeating Goliath, David only needed one stone. But that smooth stone would fly straight to its intended target and bury itself in the forehead of the uncircumcised pagan giant.
What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 17 34? ›Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:34-37
When David kept sheep, he proved himself very careful and tender of his flock. This reminds us of Christ, the good Shepherd, who not only ventured, but laid down his life for the sheep. Our experience ought to encourage us to trust in God, and be bold in the way of duty.
It is because the righteous person failed to be zealous for God in chastising his wicked contemporaries. This was the case with Eli, the High Priest, who failed to rein in his out-of-control sons, as seen in I Samuel chapter 2.
What does it mean that God does not hear sinners? ›If one is a rebellious person, then God simply “will not hear” that one. And this is true whether they are an alien sinner, or a child of God! On the other hand, if one is sincerely seeking God, then God will likely hear their prayer.
How will they have faith unless they hear? ›How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”
Why does the LORD bring us into this land? ›
Numbers 14:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder!
We can practice casting our anxieties on the Lord by stepping away from attempts to control our worries and leaning into the reassuring words of God. Once we do this, we can see that our anxiety is not a thing on which we should focus. Instead, we are called to give it up to God.
What does Samuel 17 teach us? ›Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we should have courage and faith when we face challenges: “At times all of us must stand against those who mock and revile. Some of us, sometime, will face some earthly power as mighty as Goliath.
What is the sermon on 1 Samuel 17 38 40? ›We must rely on God's armor and stay completely surrender to His power if we want to slay the Goliaths in our lives. David did and victory was given to Him. Don't look to any other means of victory, trust in the Lord and what only He can supply and you will find victory in every spiritual battle you face.
What does it mean to magnify the name of the LORD? ›When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”
Which lesson do we learn from the miracle of healing of ten lepers? ›The lepers immediately demonstrate their faith by following Jesus' instruction even though they still have their disease. Only as they are on their way, do we find out that “they were made clean.” Jesus responds to their cries for mercy by drawing from them an act of faith that results in their physical healing.
What is the lesson that we can learn from the story of David? ›Stay Close to the Spirit
One of the central lessons for us from the story of David and Bathsheba is the importance of the Holy Ghost and its role in helping us make good choices.
Why is the David and Goliath Bible story important for kids? For Christians, the story symbolizes how God protects us and is on our side. In the story, this is implied when David says, “I have the Lord on my side”. As a result, David manages to conquer the giant, Goliath, and save the Israelites from enslavement.
What is the object lesson of ten lepers? ›The object of this lesson is to help the children identify with the lack of gratitude of the nine lepers. Early in your class pull out ten of the bite-sized chocolates and ask a student if he or she wants one. Toss it to them from a distance. This should set off a cascade of requests.
What is the moral lesson of the thankful leper? ›A clear lesson is that Jesus expects us to show gratitude. In the account of the Thankful Leper, Jesus is clearly angry at the unthankfulness of the nine lepers who didn't return. We must train ourselves to show thanks, to give thanks, to be filled with thanksgiving.
What is the significance of the story of the ten lepers? ›
This miracle shows Jesus' attitude towards people who were marginalised by others in society. Jesus shows no prejudice towards the leprosy sufferers and is willing to heal them. He also makes a point of praising the Samaritan for his faith.
What is the main point of the story of Elijah? ›Elijah was a mighty prophet during a turbulent time in Israel's history. The nation had turned away from the Lord to worship Baal, and King Ahab had formed an alliance with Sidon by marrying their princess, Jezebel. Elijah was sent to show Israel the evil of their ways and encourage them to return to the Lord.
What made David so special? ›He conquered Jerusalem, which he made Israel's political and religious centre. He defeated the Philistines so thoroughly that they never seriously threatened the Israelites' security again, and he annexed the coastal region. He went on to become the overlord of many small kingdoms bordering Israel.
What is the commentary of 1 Samuel 17 34? ›Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:34-37
When David kept sheep, he proved himself very careful and tender of his flock. This reminds us of Christ, the good Shepherd, who not only ventured, but laid down his life for the sheep. Our experience ought to encourage us to trust in God, and be bold in the way of duty.
Meaning of David and Goliath
This familiar Bible story reminds us of the courage in men's hearts when their faith is placed entirely in God. Goliath taunts David, but David's faith becomes evident when he does not cower under the threats but instead warns Goliath with the hand of God.
In modern usage, the phrase "David and Goliath" has taken on a secular meaning, denoting an underdog situation, a contest where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary; if successful, the underdog may win in an unusual or surprising way.