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Response
When David declared, “The battle is the Lord’s” in 1 Samuel 17:47, he was likely reflecting on passages like Deuteronomy 20:1. In the book of Deuteronomy, the Lord imparts His law to the people of Israel through Moses. This law formed part of a covenant that guided Israel on how to live in the presence of a holy God, fostering obedience in their relationship with Him. It encompassed guidelines for daily living, including aspects of warfare, as detailed in Deuteronomy 20.
Deuteronomy 20 introduces a fundamental concept for warfare—the God who had previously rescued Israel from the mighty nation of Egypt was by their side. He was their source of strength, and just as He had miraculously saved them from Egypt, He was capable and willing to deliver them from their enemies.
1 Samuel 17:31–58 narrates the famous encounter between David and Goliath. The adversaries of Israel were the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:1-3), particularly Goliath, described as “a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4). Goliath, a towering giant standing around 9 feet tall and fully armored (1 Samuel 17:4-7), challenged the Israelite army to a one-on-one combat that would determine the victory of the entire army of the defeated side. This challenge instilled fear in the people of Israel, as stated, “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11)—except for…
David was a shepherd, the youngest in his family, and did not participate in battles. He found himself on the battlefield only because he had brought food to his three older brothers. Upon seeing the situation—Israel trembling before an enemy army—David asked a crucial question, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the armies of the living God?” «And David spoke to the men around him, asking, What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? », (1 Samuel 17:26). David stepped forward to face Goliath—a young shepherd against a formidable warrior.
Unsurprisingly, the Israelites, including King Saul, were hesitant «And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth. », (1 Samuel 17:33). If David lost, all of Israel would become servants of the Philistines. David presented his case, recounting his victories over a lion and a bear. Importantly, David did not boast of his own strength against these beasts but instead highlighted God’s power, which would lead to Goliath’s defeat, just like the lion and the bear. Since Goliath had defied God’s army, God would ensure his defeat, and David would triumph in battle.
Interestingly, in 1 Samuel 17:43, Goliath cursed David by his gods. In Hebrew, the verb for “to curse” is in the Piel stem, indicating a declarative form. The word’s root suggests a state of being “insignificant.” Goliath was asserting that David was insignificant due to his size and age.
David’s response to this declaration is found in 1 Samuel 17:45–47. David declares that the source of his power is the God of Israel. David uses a phrase translated as “the name of the Lord.” This phrase can be referring simply to the formal name of a person (namely, God). However, it often conveys the idea of the source, being, and power of the Lord. This appears to be the manner in which David is employing it.
When David says, “For the battle is the Lord’s” in 1 Samuel 17:47, he is drawing from promises found within the Mosaic Law «When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. », (Deuteronomy 20:1) and is asserting that God is the source of power who determines the outcome of the battle—which David believes will result in victory for himself. As Samuel records, David is correct «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. », (1 Samuel 17:50). God used the physically weakest of the family of Jesse to display His might before the world. God maintains this pattern of using the weak to shame the strong of the world, displaying His might and bringing Himself glory «but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; », (1 Corinthians 1:27).
