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 of Israel, whom you have defied.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have 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.
- NKJV Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
- NASB But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
- NLT David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
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
David answers that he comes not with weapons but in the name of the Lord of Armies whom Goliath has defied. He frames the battle as the Lord's cause, fought in God's name.
Overview
David's reply contrasts Goliath's sword, spear, and javelin with the all-sufficient name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel's armies. He fights not in his own strength but as God's representative against one who has blasphemed Him. This confession that victory belongs to the Lord whose name is defied is the heart of biblical faith, and it anticipates the triumph of the One who conquers in His Father's name.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- 2 Cor 10:4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 2 Chr 32:8With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
- 2 Cor 3:5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Ps 18:2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Ps 124:8Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- 2 Sam 22:33–35God is my strong fortress and He makes my way clear.
- 1 Sam 17:36Your 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.”
- Ps 20:5–7May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions.
- Isa 37:23Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!
- 1 Sam 17:10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
- Ps 118:10–11All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
- Ps 3:8Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah
- Heb 11:32–34And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
- Ps 44:6For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.
- Prov 18:10The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- 1 Sam 17:26David 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?”
- Isa 37:28But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me.
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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 17:45 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
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