(17:31-32) What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
Saul hears about David’s faith, and David volunteers himself.
No. Many of the features of this account fit with the history at the time, adding to the plausibility of this narrative (e.g. duels like this were common, slings were fierce weapons, David refused armor in favor of agility, etc.). Of course, while there is a strong plausibility structure to this narrative, the message is not that David was an expert stone-thrower. The message is that David trusted God to win this battle.
(17:33) Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
“Young man.” David must’ve been under the age of 20, because this was when men could join the military (Num. 1:3; 26:2).
The pronouns “you” (David) and “he” (Goliath) are empathetic in the Hebrew.[] It’s as if Saul is asking, “Do you really think you can beat him?” Saul calls David a “young man,” and so does Goliath (v.42). David got no support from either his king or the enemy—only discouragement. As it turns out, David had experience as a warrior (1 Sam. 16:18).
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
