1 Samuel 17:34–37
David recalls how God delivered him from the lion and the bear
Study it word by word34David said to Saul, “Your servant used to be a shepherd for his father with the flock; and when the lion came, or the bear, and carried off a lamb from the drove,
35I would go out after it and strike it and deliver it from its mouth; and if it rose against me, I would seize it by its beard and strike it and put it to death.
36Both the lion and the bear your servant has struck; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has reproached the battle lines of the living Elohim.”
37David said, “YHWH, who delivered me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may YHWH be with you.”
In its context
32David said to Saul, “Let not the heart of anyone fall because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are a young man, and he is a man of war from his youth.”
…
38Saul clothed David with his garment, and put a helmet of bronze on his head, and clothed him with a coat of armor.
39David fastened his sword over his garment and tried to walk, for he had not tested it. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk in these, for I have not tested them.” And David removed them from himself.
Its words in the original
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- דָּוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- שָׁאוּלshaul· Saul
Saul, the name of several people. The best known is the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of Israel. A king of Edom and a son of Simeon also bear it. It means "asked for".
- רֹעֶהroe· shepherd, feed
Shepherd: tend and feed a flock; of animals, graze. Figuratively, lead a people. As a noun, "shepherd".
- הָיָהhaya· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- עַבְדְּavd· slave, servant
Slave, servant: someone who belongs to another or is in his service. It can be a slave, a worker or a high official of the king; before God, one who serves him. "Your servant" is a polite way to say "I".
- אָבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- צֹּאןtson· flock
Flock of sheep and goats, small livestock; figuratively, a people led like a flock.
- בָאva· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- אֲרִיari· lion
Lion.
- דּוֹבdov· bear
Bear.
- נָשָׂאnasa· lift, carry, bear
Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.
- שֶׂהse· lamb, sheep
One animal of the flock: a lamb, a sheep or a young goat.
- עֵדֶרeder· herd, flock
Herd, flock, drove.
- יָצָאתִיyatsati· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- הִכִּתִיhikiti· strike
Strike, hit, wound; often, kill; also strike down, defeat.
- הִצַּלְתִּיhitsalti· rescue, deliver
Snatch away, take away; very often, deliver or rescue from danger. In another form, strip oneself of something.
- פִּיpi· mouth
Mouth. Also what someone says or commands ("by the mouth of" = by the word of); the edge of a sword; "according to".
- יָּקָםyakam· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- הֶחֱזַקְתִּיhechezakti· be strong, seize
Be strong; take hold of firmly, seize. In other forms, strengthen, encourage, repair; said of the heart, become stubborn.
- זְקָנzekan· beard
Beard; also the chin.
- הֲמִיתִּיhamiti· die
Die. In the causative form, kill, put to death. Hebrew can repeat the verb for emphasis ("dying you will die" = "you will surely die").
- פְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishti· Philistines
Philistines: a people that settled on the south-west coast of Canaan and was Israel's enemy in the days of the judges and of David.
- עָרֵלarel· uncircumcised
Uncircumcised: a male who does not bear the sign of the covenant.
- אַחַדachad· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.
- חֵרֵףcheref· betrothed, reproach
In one form, said of a woman: betrothed, promised to a man. In other forms, taunt, insult; also spend the winter.
- מַעַרְכֹתmaarchot· row, order
A row, a line of things set in order; also a battle line.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- חַיִּיםchayim· living, animal, life
Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- יַּדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- לֵךְlech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.