David and Goliath
Two armies face each other across the Valley of Elah and the Philistine champion offers single combat for forty days without a taker. David, the youngest of Jesse's sons and already secretly anointed, arrives with provisions for his brothers, hears the challenge, and asks what will be done for the man who answers it.
Saul's armour does not fit and he takes it off. He goes down with a staff, a sling, and five smooth stones from the brook, and answers Goliath's contempt with the claim that decides the story's meaning: you come with sword and spear, I come in the name of the Lord.
One stone settles it. The Philistines break and run, and Israel pursues as far as Gath and Ekron. The scene establishes David as a public figure and starts the long, jealous decline of the king he has just served.
Where in scripture
[1] Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.” [2] Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. [3] Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.” [4] Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” …
1 Samuel 16:1–23 — opening verses
[1] Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. [2] Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. [3] The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. [4] A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. [5] He had a helmet of brass on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. …
1 Samuel 17:1–58 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
