1 Samuel 17:47
in 1 Samuel 17And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.
KJV
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The Lord saveth not with sword ... - Observe the consistent teaching of such passages as 1Sa 14:6; Exo 14:13-18; Jdg 7:2, Jdg 7:4,Jdg 7:7; Psa 44:6, etc., and their practical use to the Church as lessons of trust in God, and distrust of ourselves.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And we need only the Lord's goodness to stay the storm. Easy it is for him to stay it, but we are unworthy of the calm, yet the grace of his patience is enough for us, so that with good fortune by it we may …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Saveth - That is, that he can save without these arms, and with the most contemptible weapons. The battle - That is, the events of war are wholly in his power.
), but can, when he pleases, save without either and against both, Ps. xlvi. David addresses himself to this combat rather as a priest that was going to offer a sacrifice to the justice of God than as a soldier that was going to engage an enemy of his country.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And all this assembly shall know,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For the battle is the Lord’s - It is the Lord’s war: you are fighting against him and his religion, as the champion of your party; I am fighting for God, as the champion of his cause.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙ | veyedeu | so they may know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַקָּהָ֣ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֛א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בְּחֶ֥רֶב | becherev | by sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּבַחֲנִ֖ית | uvachanit | and by spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| יְהוֹשִׁ֣יעַ | yehoshia' | he saves | H3467 → | 206 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לַֽיהוָה֙ | layahweh | [belongs] to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה | hamilchamah | the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וְנָתַ֥ן | venatan | and he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּיָדֵֽנוּ׃ | beyadenu | in hand our | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙so they may know
veyedeuH3045 →945 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַקָּהָ֣לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
לֹ֛אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
בְּחֶ֥רֶבby sword
becherevH2719 →413 times
וּבַחֲנִ֖יתand by spear
uvachanitH2595 →47 times
יְהוֹשִׁ֣יעַhe saves
yehoshia'H3467 →206 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לַֽיהוָה֙[belongs] to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֔הthe battle
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
וְנָתַ֥ןand he will give
venatanH5414 →2011 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
בְּיָדֵֽנוּ׃in hand our
beyadenuH3027 →1618 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
Zechariah 4:6So 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.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4–5
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
- Psalms 33:16
No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.
- Isaiah 11:2–4
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
Through
Hosea 1:7Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
it leads to
- 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Zechariah 4:6
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.”
- Matthew 19:26
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, LETTER 16.