The Shepherd and the Giant

In context

The Lord sent Samuel to Bethlehem, to Jesse, the grandson of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17). When Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, the Lord told him, “man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart,” and none of the seven sons who passed before Samuel was chosen (1 Samuel 16:6–10). The youngest, David, was out keeping the sheep; Samuel anointed him “in the middle of his brothers” (16:11–13). A psalm remembers that the Lord “took him from the sheepfolds” (Psalm 78:70). David came to Saul’s court to play the harp when “an evil spirit from God” troubled the king (16:14–23).

In the valley of Elah the Philistine champion Goliath of Gath, about nine feet nine inches tall, the WEB notes, defied Israel for forty days (17:1–16). Jesse sent David with grain and bread for his brothers and cheeses for their captain (17:17–18). David told Saul how he had rescued lambs from a lion and a bear, then went out with his staff, his sling and five smooth stones: “the battle is Yahweh’s” (17:34–47). The stone sank into Goliath’s forehead and he fell; David, with no sword in his hand, then took Goliath’s own and cut off his head (17:49–51).