1 Samuel 17:45–47
David faces the giant with God's name as his weapon
Study it word by word45David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and with spear and with javelin; but I come to you in the name of YHWH Tsevaot, the Elohim of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have reproached.
46This day YHWH will hand you over into my hand, and I will strike you and remove your head from you; and I will give the corpses of the camp of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the earth, and all the earth will know that Israel has Elohim.
47And all this assembly will know that YHWH does not save with sword and with spear; for the war is YHWH’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
In its context
43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with staffs?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.”
…
48And it came about, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran to the battle line to meet the Philistine.
49David stretched out his hand to the bag and took from there a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
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."
- 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.
- בָּאba· 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.
- חֶרֶבcherev· sword
Sword; also any tool with an edge, like a knife or a chisel.
- חֲנִיתchanit· spear
A spear: a long weapon with a point, for striking at close range or for throwing.
- כִידוֹןchidon· javelin
Javelin: a short spear thrown by hand.
- שֵׁםshem· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- 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.
- צְבָאוֹתtsevaot· host, army
A great ordered company, like an army. "All their host" is everything that fills the heavens and the earth: the stars and the created beings. From this word comes the title "YHWH of hosts" (YHWH Tsevaot).
- אֱלֹהֵיelohe· 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.
- מַעַרְכוֹתmaarchot· row, order
A row, a line of things set in order; also a battle line.
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- חֵרַפְתָּcherafta· betrothed, reproach
In one form, said of a woman: betrothed, promised to a man. In other forms, taunt, insult; also spend the winter.
- יּוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- יְסַגֶּרְyesager· shut, shut in
Shut, close. Also shut someone in, isolate for some days; hand over to an enemy.
- יָדִyadi· 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.
- הִכִּיתִhikiti· strike
Strike, hit, wound; often, kill; also strike down, defeat.
- הֲסִרֹתִיhasiroti· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- רֹאשְׁrosh· head, chief
Head. From there the first or the chief of a group, the top of a mountain, the beginning of something, or the sum; also the branches of a river.
- נָתַתִּיnatati· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- פֶּגֶרpeger· carcass, corpse
Dead body, carcass, of a person or an animal.
- מַחֲנֵהmachane· camp
Camp: a group of people, with their tents and animals, traveling or encamped together; also an army.
- עוֹףof· bird
Bird; any creature that flies. It is usually singular with a collective sense: "the birds".
- שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- חַיַּתchayat· living, animal, life
Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- יֵדְעוּyedu· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- קָּהָלkahal· assembly
Assembly: a large group of people gathered; later, the people of Israel gathered before God.
- יְהוֹשִׁיעַyehoshia· save
Save: deliver someone from danger or from an oppressor. From this root come the names Joshua and Jesus.
- מִּלְחָמָהmilchama· war, battle
War, battle.