1 NOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: [ The lines are drawn. There are two sides. There are those who are servants of the king and those who are not. Both sides are ready for battle. ] and there was a valley between them.

4 ¶ And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, [ There’s some debate entomologically about the name Goliath, but two of the most accepted meanings are exile or the exile and destroyer. ] , of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. [ Height = 6 cubits/1 span = 9 ft 9 in. An enemy who was larger than life. ]

5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, [ His head is protected. ] and he was armed with a coat of mail; [ His body was pretty protected, So for his size he was invincible. ] and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. [5000 shekels of brass = 121 lbs.]

6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: [600 shekels of iron = 14.6 lbs.] and one bearing a shield went before him.

8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, [ This scary massive dragon named Goliath, decked in what looks to be impenetrable armor, comes out and taunts the servants of the king. ] and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? [ In essence he is defying the armies of Israel as he feels invincible. ] choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12 ¶ Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. [ Interesting time period- 40 days. ]

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 ¶ And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. [free from royal levies and public service]

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, [ This is a really interesting question because to be uncircumcised is to be one who has not made a covenant with God. So David distinguishes here who is on which side of the battle lines by who has and who has not entered into a covenant with God. ] that he should defy the armies of the living God? [ This to David is a very simple question. Do you not know who you are fighting for? The faith of a child so to speak. David’s motive here seems to be to save Israel, to save the kingdom. Has not let the fear of man corrupt that faith in the power of God. Now listen to the response - out of guilt for being chastized by a Child - that they give to David for asking the simple question. v27-30 ]

27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, so shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 ¶ And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. [ David must have struck a cord of truth that they had some guilt feelings surface if this is how the respond. By saying what are you doing here? Where are the sheep - you are only here to see the destruction of the battle. All designed to mock him, as a younger brother.]

29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? [ Davids innocent response, geez guys I only asked a simple question you don't have to jump down my throat. What is David implying here by his response? "I declare with all my soul there is a cause! It is a cause worth giving one s life for. It is the cause of righteousness. It is a cause that every youth in this Church should rally to as he declares war on Satan and his legions. As David said to Goliath, so each youth should declare to Satan, 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 [ What exactly does “host” mean? The phrase “Lord of Hosts” is the same as the “Lord of Sabaoth.” “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies of heaven” (Bible Dictionary, “Sabaoth,” ] , the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." (Victor L. Brown, Is there Not a Cause? Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 104.]

30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

32 ¶ And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. [ David voluntarily steps forward, it appears that David has no fear. ]

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, [ So the reason why he cannot fight is because he is too young, too small - note that these are all earthly characteristics. ] and he a man of war from his youth.

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: [ What or how was David prepared in advance for this moment? David was prepared in advance not only physically but spiritually to have such faith. ]

35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. [ "uncircumcised" or one who has not made a covenant with God. This statement is almost matter of fact - so it is when one has great faith - God framed the earth thru faith (Lectures on Faith - when on has enough faith there is no doubt that it will happen, and so it will be done. ]

37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. [Are we overcoming our obstacles so we can defeat our Goliaths? President Hinckley said:There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not ninefoot
tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion-dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you. The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you. It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stories of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them between the eyes, to use a figurative expression. You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath: 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 . Victory will be yours . You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant. (in General Conference Report, April 1983, 66] And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

38 ¶ And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, [They put all of this battle armor on David and he cannot even move. Proving that he is too young, too small. But David knows this is just the temporal armor. ] and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. [ In otherwaords I can't even move in this stuff, so he took it off. What armor does David have on? What is the signifigance of David not wearing someone elses armor? He has found comfort in his our armor, his reliance on the Lord - and recognizes that he does not need anything else.]

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones [ His special weapon is stones. Symbolic that even the stones are smoothed, they have been subject to the influence of a force at work on them, just as David has. Smooth stones are used as they will provide a much more accurate flight. Rough edges on rocks traveling through the air will cause them to rotate and gyrate in more un-controllable flight. If David has all of this faith why does he need 5 stones? Only one stone was used ; there remain four left (north, south, east and west) to deal with every other enemy that may arise. ] out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, [looking vigorous and healthy ] and of a fair countenance.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. [ The last mistake of Goliath - to bring God even further into the equation. Why is it that when men get a little power, or they think they have a little power they begin to turn on God - or they become Gods unto themselves? ]

44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, [ Goliath will now try to intimidate David, but David's trust is based on a higher power. ] and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, 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[ David then declares that his ability to slay Goliath, the dragon, will come from the Lord. The Lord is his special weapon, which becomes abundantly clear when we realize that his special weapon is a stone, the foundation stone. ], the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. [ Now it is no longer just to guys on the ball field jarring with each other - once again Goliath has crossed the line, as he has publically curse Davids God - and now David as others have makes a statement and involves God (makes it Gods problem to so to speak) in the issue at hand - to preserve the sanctity of God. Joseph Smith did this numerous times - example "Ye fienes of the inferno pit - either you stop this instant..." Lesson here for when we are on the Lords mission, the task is too big so to speak, God will qualify those who he calls, strengthen those who are on his mission...I will go and do the things... How often do we involve God in our missions by making him a partner in the outcome.]

46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; [ What is the signifigance if this phrase in giving David power in this battle? Notice how David has committed God because of the cause and thru his faith, and then he says exactly how God is going to make it happen by using David and his sling. ] and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; [ David now will counter with the same challenge and threats that Goliath proposed at the first. ] 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.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. [ How did David slay the dragon? With the help of a special weapon, a stone, the stone, the foundation stone, which we just learned symbolized the creator. Matthew 7:25 "that if a man will build his house with it, it will not fall." Take note that the stone that actually slays Goliath strikes him in the forehead, because this is not a trivial aspect of the account. It is in fact one of the most important aspects of the account. Why? Because in Ezekiel 9:4 God marks his people with his name. Where? On their forehead. To be marked with God’s name is to be anointed. Speaking of Goliath s defeat, President Marion G. Romney said: That was a very new experience for the Philistine. Nothing like that had ever entered into his head before. CR, Oct 1977. ]

50 so David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, [ One sling, one rock, one throw, one purpose, one with the Lord. What power!] 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. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

55 ¶ And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? [Why doesn't Saul recognize David he used to play harp for him quite a bit see 1 Samuel 16:14-23. Is it because he is just older or is Saul losing his mental capacities, or has he become so stuck on himself that he forgets others?] And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.