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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 10:4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
- 2 Chr 32:8With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
- 2 Cor 3:5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
- Ps 18:2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
- Ps 124:8Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
- 2 Sam 22:33–35God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
- 1 Sam 17:36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
- Ps 20:5–7We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
- Isa 37:23Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
- 1 Sam 17:10And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
- Ps 118:10–11All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
- Ps 3:8Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
- Heb 11:32–34And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
- Ps 44:6For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
- Prov 18:10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- 1 Sam 17:26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- Isa 37:28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage 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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