“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- KJV And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- NKJV So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- NASB So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- NLT “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Goliath, insulted by David's simple staff, curses him by his gods. His reliance on idols stands against David's trust in the living God.
Overview
The Philistine takes offense at facing what he sees as mere sticks and invokes his false gods to curse David. His words frame the confrontation as a clash between the dead idols of the nations and the living God of Israel. The outcome will vindicate Yahweh alone, demonstrating the powerlessness of idols before the true God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Sam 9:8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
- 2 Sam 3:8Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!
- 1 Sam 24:14Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
- Gen 27:29May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”
- Prov 26:2Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
- 2 Kgs 8:13“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
- 2 Sam 16:9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
- Num 22:6So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
- Judg 9:27And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
- Num 22:11–12‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 17:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.