1 Samuel 17:40
in 1 Samuel 17And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
KJV
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, etc. Having shown the rejection of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness, the Lord rather taught Himself to choose the very law, which is written in five books, to be observed …
This site's exposition
selected five smooth stones from the brook
The text counts the stones and never says why five, and one was enough. A widely taught modern connection points to the kinsmen of Goliath born to the giant in Gath at 2 Samuel 21:22, one stone for each of his house. Chuck Missler taught it in Return of the Nephilim, and that arithmetic is the teacher’s and not the narrator’s.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
We sometimes see a bad example drawn from good things. For if someone presumes to do the same things but not with the same disposition and orientation or with unlike virtue, he easily falls into the snares of deception and death on account of those very things from which others acquire the fruits of eternal life.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he placed them and took his staff, etc. The Lord arranged the sacraments of the law, which He deemed good to adopt for a short time to prove their goodness in its time, and He exercised His power of judgment, which He always used …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
By this it appeared that his confidence was purely in the power of God, and not in any sufficiency of his own, and that now at length he who put it into his heart to fight the Philistine put it into his head with what weapons to do it. The conference which precedes the encounter, in which observe, 1. How very proud Goliath was, (1.) With what scorn he looked upon his adversary,
And he took his staff in his hand,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He took his staff - What we would call his crook. Five smooth stones - 1. Had they been rough or angular, they would not have passed easily through the air, and their asperities would, in the course of their passage, have given them a false direction. 2. Had they not been smooth, they could not have been readily despatched from the sling. A shepherd’s bag - That in which he generally carried his provisions while keeping the sheep in the open country.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מַקְל֜וֹ | maklo | stick his | H4731 → | |
| בְּיָד֗וֹ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּבְחַר־ | vaiyivchar- | and he chose | H977 → | 171 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | for <the> himself | ||
| חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה | chamishah | five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| חַלֻּקֵֽי־ | chalukei- | smooth [ones] of | H2512 → | |
| אֲבָנִ֣ים׀ | ʾavanim | stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַנַּ֡חַל | hanachal | the wadi | H5158 → | 141 times |
| וַיָּ֣שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֹ֠תָם | ʾotom | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּכְלִ֨י | bikhli | in [the] bag of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הָרֹעִ֧ים | haroim | <the> shepherds | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ל֛וֹ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| וּבַיַּלְק֖וּט | uvaiyalkut | and in the pouch | H3219 → | |
| וְקַלְּע֣וֹ | vekaleo | and sling his | H7050 → | 22 times |
| בְיָד֑וֹ | veyado | [was] in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּגַּ֖שׁ | vaiyigash | and he drew near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַפְּלִשְׁתִּֽי׃ | hapelishti | the Philistine | H6430 → | 287 times |
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
מַקְל֜וֹstick his
makloH4731 →
בְּיָד֗וֹin hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּבְחַר־and he chose
vaiyivchar-H977 →171 times
ל֣וֹfor <the> himself
lo
חֲמִשָּׁ֣הfive
chamishahH2568 →343 times
חַלֻּקֵֽי־smooth [ones] of
chalukei-H2512 →
אֲבָנִ֣ים׀stones
ʾavanimH68 →273 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַנַּ֡חַלthe wadi
hanachalH5158 →141 times
וַיָּ֣שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
אֹ֠תָם<obj.> them
ʾotomH853 →10935 times
בִּכְלִ֨יin [the] bag of
bikhliH3627 →325 times
הָרֹעִ֧ים<the> shepherds
haroimH7462 →177 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ל֛וֹ[belonged] to <the> him
lo
וּבַיַּלְק֖וּטand in the pouch
uvaiyalkutH3219 →
וְקַלְּע֣וֹand sling his
vekaleoH7050 →22 times
בְיָד֑וֹ[was] in hand his
veyadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּגַּ֖שׁand he drew near
vaiyigashH5066 →125 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּֽי׃the Philistine
hapelishtiH6430 →287 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
Matthew 10:10Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
it leads to
- Luke 10:7–12
Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- Galatians 6:6–7
Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.
- Luke 3:11
John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:4–14
Have we no right to food and to drink?
- Luke 10:7–12
Through
Judges 3:31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.
it leads to
- Judges 5:6
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
- Judges 5:6
Through
Judges 20:16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.
it leads to
- Judges 3:15
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2
they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):
- Judges 3:15
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Chuck Missler, Return of the Nephilim; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 24.8.1-2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.