1 Samuel 17:26
in 1 Samuel 17David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
KJV
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The living God - This fine expression occurs first in Deuteronomy (marginal reference), and next in Jos 3:10, and 2Ki 19:4. We find it twice in the Psalms of David Psa 42:2; Psa 84:2, four times in the prophets, and frequently in the New Testament. It is generally in contrast to false gods (1Th 1:9, etc.).
This site's exposition
To the man who kills him the king will give great riches
on 1 Samuel 17:25-27
Saul has posted a price, great riches, his daughter, and his father’s house exempt from taxation. David’s question turns the camp’s words inside out, the soldiers saying "this man" and David saying "this uncircumcised Philistine," and the armies of Israel become "the armies of the living God" in his mouth. It is the first theological sentence spoken in the chapter, and it comes from its youngest man.
This site's exposition
the armies of the living God
Albert Barnes traces the title the living God from Deuteronomy through Joshua 3:10 and 2 Kings 19:4 to Psalms 42:2 and 84:2. He notes that it usually stands against false gods. Goliath curses David by his gods at verse 43.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
If you don't mind, however, let us refer to a theme in our preaching earlier, so that by bringing the whole story to mind we may learn that nothing is stronger than the person protected by help from on high, and nothing is more vulnerable than the person deprived of this help, surrounded though he may be with countless armies. So this man David, quite young though he was and living in his father's house on account of his immaturity, heard the call of destiny for his virtue to become conspicuous; he was urged by his father to observe his brothers; he obeyed and was sent off to them. So, after coming on the scene to observe them, he saw the battle line drawn against the foreigner Goliath and the whole people of Saul's company withdrawing in fright and the king himself placed in particular danger. For a while he was happy to be an onlooker and went to see the strange and unusual sight of one person pitted against so many thousands. But his brothers could not tolerate the manliness of his bearing; they were moved to hatred and said to him, "Have you come for no other reason than to see the war." You haven't really come to observe us.Notice, however, his good sense and great restraint. Instead of saying anything rash to them, anything harsh, he extinguished the flame of their hatred; he mollified their hatred by saying, "Isn't it only a word?" I mean, surely you haven't observed me taking position in the ranks? I simply wanted to watch and find out the source of this man's extraordinary frenzy. "After all, who is this foreigner who reproaches the ranks of the living God?" Then, on hearing the man's awful arrogance and the unspeakable cowardice of those who had gone with Saul, he said, "What will be given to the man who cuts off his head?" He showed great boldness of spirit through these words and caused amazement in every one. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
6 ); yet his zeal put him upon that method which he hoped would bring him into this great engagement. Two considerations, it seems, fired David with a holy indignation:-- (1.) That the challenger was one that was uncircumcised, a stranger to God and out of covenant with him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And David spake to the men that stood by him,....
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֞ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| הָעֹמְדִ֣ים | haomedim | who were standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עִמּוֹ֮ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יֵּעָשֶׂ֗ה | yeaseh | will it be done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָאִישׁ֙ | laish | for the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַכֶּה֙ | yakeh | he will strike down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֣י | hapelishti | the Philistine | H6430 → | 287 times |
| הַלָּ֔ז | halaz | this | H1975 → | |
| וְהֵסִ֥יר | vehesir | and he will remove | H5493 → | 299 times |
| חֶרְפָּ֖ה | cherpah | reproach | H2781 → | 73 times |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מִ֗י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֤י | hapelishti | [is] the Philistine | H6430 → | 287 times |
| הֶֽעָרֵל֙ | hearel | <the> uncircumcised | H6189 → | 35 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| חֵרֵ֔ף | cheref | he has defied | H2778 → | 41 times |
| מַעַרְכ֖וֹת | maarkhot | [the] battle lines of | H4634 → | 19 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| חַיִּֽים׃ | chaiyim | living | H2416 → | 498 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֞יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
הָעֹמְדִ֣יםwho were standing
haomedimH5975 →521 times
עִמּוֹ֮with him
imoH5973 →1050 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
יֵּעָשֶׂ֗הwill it be done
yeasehH6213 →2628 times
לָאִישׁ֙for the man
laishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַכֶּה֙he will strike down
yakehH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֣יthe Philistine
hapelishtiH6430 →287 times
הַלָּ֔זthis
halazH1975 →
וְהֵסִ֥ירand he will remove
vehesirH5493 →299 times
חֶרְפָּ֖הreproach
cherpahH2781 →73 times
מֵעַ֣לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
מִ֗יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֤י[is] the Philistine
hapelishtiH6430 →287 times
הֶֽעָרֵל֙<the> uncircumcised
hearelH6189 →35 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
חֵרֵ֔ףhe has defied
cherefH2778 →41 times
מַעַרְכ֖וֹת[the] battle lines of
maarkhotH4634 →19 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
חַיִּֽים׃living
chaiyimH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD…
it leads to
- Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
- 2 Chronicles 14:11
Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on…
- Matthew 19:26
Through
1 Samuel 17:10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 17:25–26
Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he…
- 1 Samuel 17:45
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies…
- 1 Samuel 17:36
Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
- 1 Samuel 17:25–26
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 46.9-10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).