Principle
David killed the Philistine champion warrior, Goliath, with a sling and a stone.
Explanation
Having previously been humiliated and beaten by Saul and his son Jonathan, the Philistines gathered for revenge:
1 Now the Philistines brought their armies together for battle, and they gathered at Sochoh of Judah. They encamped between Sochoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel gathered, and they were encamped in the valley. They were to set up in battle formation opposite the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
1 Kingdoms [1 Samuel] 17:1-3 OSB
A massive Philistine warrior named Goliath would daily descend into the valley between the armies and challenge Israel to send their single greatest warrior to fight one-on-one, rather than the bloodshed of all-out war.
4 And a mighty man went out from the battle line of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath. His height was four cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet on his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain mail; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron. 6 And he had armor made of bronze on his legs and a bronze shield between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear was like the beam of a loom, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels. A shield-bearer went before him. 8 Then he stood and shouted out to the armies of Israel and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle against us? Am I not a Philistine, and you Hebrews of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I am able to kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “Look! This very day I challenge the ranks of the armies of Israel. Give me a man that the two of us can fight one on one.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
1 Kingdoms [1 Samuel] 17:4-11 OSB
Although Saul and the Israelite army were discouraged and afraid, David had faith and volunteered for the mission:
12 But David said to Saul, “Let not the heart of my lord fall in regards to him. Your servant will go and fight with this foreigner.” 13 And Saul said to David, “No, you are not able to go to the Philistine to fight him, since you are a young man, and he is a man of war from his youth.” 14 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to tend the flock for his father, and when a lion or a bear came and took a sheep out of the flock, 15 I followed it and struck it, and delivered the sheep from its mouth. And as it arose against me, I caught it by its throat and struck and killed it. 16 Your servant smote both the lion and the bear; and the uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them to me. Will I not go and kill him today, and remove the reproach of Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one who challenged the ranks of the armies of Israel? 17 The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord will be with you!”
1 Kingdoms [1 Samuel] 17:12-17 OSB
After testing Saul’s armor, David discarded it, instead placing his trust in GOD’s deliverance:
20 Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook. He put them in a shepherd’s bag to store away, and in his hand was his sling. He then approached the Philistine.
21 And when Goliath saw David, he disdained him; for he was a young boy, ruddy with a good countenance. 22 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I as a dog, that you come against me with a staff and stones?” Then David said, “No, worse than a dog!” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 23 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field!”
24 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord Sabaoth, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you reproached today. 25 Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you and take your head from you. And this day I will give your carcass and the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of heaven and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. 26 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands.”
27 And the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David. 28 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out one stone. He slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone penetrated through his helmet and into his forehead. He fell to the ground on his face. 29 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in the hand of David. 30 Therefore, David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword, and killed him and cut off his head. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled.
1 Kingdoms [1 Samuel] 17:20-30 OSB
David knew the Law of Moses. He knew the reputation of GOD. And he knew from experience that GOD was with him. GOD had delivered him before, and he trusted that GOD would deliver him again. David was zealous for GOD’s name and reputation.
A Few Textual Variances
We have previously established that there are multiple text families from which our Old Testament has descended to us. The Septuagint (LXX) is the oldest and most reliable complete version of the Old Testament.
There are a few differences between the Septuagint and Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) record of these events. While not central to the main story, these variances are worth noting here as a footnote of sorts.
First, in the Septuagint account, David was present with the Israelite army from the beginning.
But in the Hebrew MT, David showed up to the battle with food that he had brought for his brothers:
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
1 Samuel 17:17-19 NKJV
Second, the Hebrew MT says that Goliath taunted Israel twice a day for forty consecutive days before David showed up:
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
1 Samuel 17:16 NKJV
The Septuagint makes no mention of a lengthy delay before David’s opposition.
Thirdly, the text families disagree about Goliath’s height.
The Septuagint says Goliath was four cubits and a span—about 6′ 9″ tall (see 1 Kingdoms 17:4). Meanwhile, the Hebrew MT says Goliath was six cubits and a span—about 9′ 9″ tall (1 Samuel 17:4).
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