02/08/2024
QUESTION: I was reading the story of David and Goliath. At which point was Goliath killed? When he was hit by the stone or when he was struck by his sword?
ANSWER: Thank you, my dear friend, for this very interesting question! From the account in 1 Samuel 17, I cannot tell for sure whether Goliath was actually killed, or just knocked down by the stone after which David was able to “finish him off” by removing his head. You’ll notice that the word “slew” is used in both 1 Samuel 17, verses 50 and 51 in the KJV (note, the word “killed” is used in the JND). Quoting the KJV, we have in 1 Samuel 17:50-51: “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith….” Both of these verses talk about slaying the giant, but the JND version makes a distinction in verse 51 which causes me to lean towards the thought that Goliath was only incapacitated by the stone so that the giant could no longer defend himself, and thus David was afterwards able to slay Goliath with the giant’s own sword while Goliath lay helpless on the ground. According to the J. N. Darby version of the Bible, verse 51 reads as follows: “And David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him completely, and cut off his head with it….” Now, in the MacDonald Bible Commentary on this section of 1 Samuel 17 we read: “…The giant fell forward on his face. David then used the Philistine's own sword to kill him and cut off his head.” Clearly, MacDonald believes it was the sword that spelled Goliath’s end, and holding up the severed head was a clear sign to the Philistine host that their champion was indeed dead.
But now, my dear friend, what I feel is a very important lesson that we can observe from this account is that the enemies of God cannot defy God with impunity. The faithful, though we may appear to the world to be weak, can rely on the fact that God will ultimately overcome the wicked by His surpassing power, to the glory of God (see 1 Samuel 14:6-7). In the Scriptural account which you have been reading, I love to focus on 1 Samuel 17:45-46: “…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. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” So much for those who scorn Christianity and who defy the God of the universe today!
And, oh for this kind of faith among the family of God in these trying days! Come what may in this earth, we who are true believers on the Lord Jesus Christ have nothing to fear, despite what we might hear on the 6 PM news. Born again Christians are heaven-bound! For sure, a day is coming upon this sin-sick world, and I believe very soon now, the Lord Jesus Himself will return to the air to take His loved ones home to be with Himself forever (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Then not long after that (the rapture of the Church), He will come back to judge the wicked of this earth and to put down all the enemies of Christ (Acts 17:30-31; Malachi 3; Zechariah 14). Judgment is indeed coming upon this earth, and to all who may read this document I say, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation, (2 Corinthians 6:2). For those who have trusted in Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord, there will be no condemnation (John 5:24; Romans 8:1). Therefore, for any who have not as yet trusted in Christ Jesus, I pray you, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, even today as you consider this response (Acts 16:31; John 3:16; Romans 10:9). May the Lord bless His Word to your heart.
