1 Samuel 17:45
in 1 Samuel 17But 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 of Israel, whom you have defied.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
KJV
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThou comest to me with a sword - I come to thee with the name (בשם beshem) of Jehovah of hosts; the God of the armies of Israel. What Goliath expected from his arms, David expected from the ineffable name.
This site's exposition
in the name of the Lord of hosts
on 1 Samuel 17:45-47
The title the LORD of hosts entered Scripture at 1:3 in this same book, and here David gives it its battle sense: the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. The aims are stated in widening circles, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear. The sentence the battle is the LORD's occurs nowhere else in Scripture, and it is spoken by the man with no sword.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
But David said to the Philistine: You come to me with a sword, etc. The Lord aptly showed both to all whom he helped and to the powers he subdued, that the devil of the air is armed solely with the weapons of pride and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But what arms and ammunition is David furnished with? Truly none but what he brought with him as a shepherd; no breastplate, nor corselet, but his plain shepherd's coat; no spear, but his staff; no sword nor bow, but his sling; no quiver, but his scrip; nor any arrows, but, instead of them, five smooth stones picked up out of the brook,
Then said David to the Philistine,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This kind of abusive dialogue is common among the Arab combatants still. David's speech, however, presents a striking contrast to the usual strain of these invectives. It was full of pious trust, and to God he ascribed all the glory of the triumph he anticipated.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A shield - “A javelin,” see 1Sa 17:6 note.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י | hapelishti | the Philistine | H6430 → | 287 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | [are] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | against me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּחֶ֖רֶב | becherev | with sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּבַחֲנִ֣ית | uvachanit | and with spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| וּבְכִיד֑וֹן | uvekhidon | and with javelin | H3591 → | |
| וְאָנֹכִ֣י | veanokhi | and I | H595 → | 359 times |
| בָֽא־ | va'- | [am] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יךָ | ʾeleikha | against you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּשֵׁם֙ | beshem | in [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֔וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֛י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מַעַרְכ֥וֹת | maarkhot | [the] battle lines of | H4634 → | 19 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חֵרַֽפְתָּ׃ | cherafta | you have defied | H2778 → | 41 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יthe Philistine
hapelishtiH6430 →287 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בָּ֣א[are] coming
ba'H935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֔יagainst me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
בְּחֶ֖רֶבwith sword
becherevH2719 →413 times
וּבַחֲנִ֣יתand with spear
uvachanitH2595 →47 times
וּבְכִיד֑וֹןand with javelin
uvekhidonH3591 →
וְאָנֹכִ֣יand I
veanokhiH595 →359 times
בָֽא־[am] coming
va'-H935 →2568 times
אֵלֶ֗יךָagainst you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
בְּשֵׁם֙in [the] name of
beshemH8034 →864 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֔וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אֱלֹהֵ֛י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
מַעַרְכ֥וֹת[the] battle lines of
maarkhotH4634 →19 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
חֵרַֽפְתָּ׃you have defied
cheraftaH2778 →41 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
Philippians 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
- Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
- Isaiah 40:29–31
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
2 Corinthians 10:4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
- Ephesians 6:13–18
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
- Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
