by Jen | Apr 28, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Greetings! This week’s blog is a little late… I was plugging in some last-minute details here when our internet service provider went down for the better part of last night. Not only was I unable to finish and publish this post, but I also couldn’t find a recipe for dinner nor watch anything on television. Even my new cell phone couldn’t entertain me beyond reading the novel I’d downloaded for a trip earlier this month. Obviously, our service has been restored, but what a lesson in electronic dependency!
Last Week’s Work
LITERAL CONTEXT/WRITING TYPE
The most prevalent writing type I observed in 1 Samuel 17 and its literal context is narrative writing about Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel.
In Chapter 15, I discovered the disobedience that led God to reject Saul as king over Israel. In the next chapter, Samuel told Saul he’d lose the throne but did not divulge to Saul the full identity of his successor. I wonder if this news explains why Saul hadn’t addressed Goliath’s challenge in the 40 days prior to David’s visit: was he so distraught or remorseful for the disobedience that he couldn’t muster the strength to stand against the giant?
Moreover, when David approached Saul with intent to fight Goliath, Saul may not have realized that the youth before him was destined to take his place as king and commander of Israel’s army! I found one other verse that caught my attention in chapter 16: my ESV reads the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David when Samuel anointed him king. I’m no monarch, but I believe I know what that feels like, and it’s awesome!
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
We don’t know for sure who wrote 1 Samuel, but it’s possible the prophet himself wrote at least some of it, and it was written soon after David’s reign ended in 971 BC. According to the ESV Global Study Bible introduction, its purpose is to recount the establishment of a kingdom in Israel and the rise of David to replace Saul. I believe it’s an accurate, first-person account of what took place in Israel at that time.
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
This time, I concentrated on just two areas: unpacking the frequent use of army/armies in vv21, 26, 36, and 45; and the names of God in vv26, 36, and 45.
On Bible Hub, I noticed there was no number attribute (singular or plural) assigned to H4634, maarakah, translated army (v21 only) and armies (vv26, 36, and 45). In v21, it’s singular and describes the Philistine and Israeli militias. In vv26, 36, and 45, however, the word is rendered plural, and I can’t see anything in the words or their immediate context that might explain why. What I did notice, though, is that the statements in 26, 36, and 45 are all David’s, and each time, he indicates the armies are of God, either identified as the Living God (H2416 H430) or the LORD of Hosts (H3068 H6635). I think that’s significant: it speaks to me of Israel’s army plus at least one other army—maybe of angels or other supernatural beings? Of course, with God, who needs anything more than a shepherd boy with a sling and a stone? Finally, I appreciated the detail I discovered for YHWH Tsaba (Lord of Hosts) on biblehub.org, especially in the section called Topical Lexicon. There I discovered the first use of tsaba appears in Exodus 12:41, describing the redeemed nation of Israel as the hosts [plural!] of the LORD. Others (like our text) speak to the nation’s military endeavors and to protection by unseen fighters.
Dig-In Challenges
I’ve learned a lot, but I still want to dig deeper! If you want to, also, here’s a plan:
- PRAY, of course.
- REFINE: Consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool [I’ll be starting here] to find and read through the available cross-references for your focus verse(s) and log what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: For your study, follow the above link, then use the Prev or Next buttons below the verse text to go to your focus verse(s).
- REFINE: Next, compare at least a few other translations of your focus verse(s) and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, NLT, and GNT starting with this biblehub.com page. After following this link, you can navigate to your verse(s) by entering the reference in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
- REFINE: Last, I plan to check a few commentaries on my focus verses from 1 Samuel 17. If you already have a favorite study Bible or commentary, feel free to review it, too. If you don’t, I recommend bibleref.com if you’re new to the Bible or Bible study: it’s easy to follow, and you can find information about the whole book and certain passages.
If you’re looking for something with more detail, try checking the commentary section of StudyLight.org. There, you can access verse-by-verse commentaries on 1 Samuel 17 by clicking the box for your focus verse, then clicking the name of the commentary listed immediately under the text of the verse you chose. I recommend you review more than one commentary and listen to the Spirit’s guidance on them.
I encourage you to do what you can this week to dig deeper into God’s Word. I know you’ll find immense treasure there. And I hope you’ll check in with me again next week!
by Jen | Apr 21, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Wow! I have so much to share with you this week—let’s get right to it.
Last Week’s Work
CONTRASTS
As I prayed about comparisons in this text, I felt the Spirit guiding me to look deeper than the obvious contrast between David (the boy) and Goliath (the giant). I began with the language He drew me to a few weeks ago: specifically, references to Israel’s army/armies and to God.
I noticed the narrator of this story referred to Israel’s army [singular], but he also recorded David’s reference to the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies [plural] of Israel (emphasis added). Moreover, armies appears two other times in the text, both also from David’s words. First, he describes Goliath as an uncircumcised Philistine who was defying the armies of the living God (emphasis added). Then, David repeats this language to Saul while explaining his desire to fight the Philistine: because Goliath had defied the armies of the living God (emphasis added). He may have physically been a youth, but spiritually, David was clearly a colossus!
Verse 45 contains another contrast spoken by David that the Spirit highlighted for me. I think it lays out a key difference between the two fighters: a fully armored Goliath placed his confidence in his sword, spear, and javelin, while David was unprotected and only carried a staff, a sling, and some rocks, trusting in the name of the LORD of hosts. How exceedingly powerful that name was… and still is today!
It’s clear David’s faith in the LORD bested Goliath’s physical advantage and prowess, but there was also another, less obvious contrast: David’s faith/Saul’s faith. I first noticed it at the end of verse 37. It’s only after David explained why he believed Goliath would be defeated that Saul gave David his blessing… but then he tried to induce David to wear Saul’s ill-fitting armor! We can’t know Saul’s true motivation for this: was he hoping to be credited for the defeat if David prevailed? Or at least be honored as fallen in battle if Goliath won? Did he truly want to protect David, and was that the only armor available? Who knows? What I think this does show is Saul’s lack of faith (even as he invoked the LORD to bless David!) that God would really defeat this huge, battle-tested Philistine using a shepherd/delivery boy.
CAUSES/MOTIVATION
Though there were many more, my focus was trained on four connectors from this passage, all spoken by David. I mentioned the first, why Goliath would be killed like the predators he faced as a shepherd, in the contrast discussion above.
The other three connectors tell us the following:
- The LORD would defeat Goliath and the whole Philistine army…
[so] that
all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and
- [so] that
all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear.
- He also said they would know those two things
for [or because]
the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.
This convicted me: I heard the Spirit ask, “What fierce enemies are you trying to defeat in your own power? If God shows up in your battle, will all the earth know about Him?”
CONDITIONS/METHODS
Again, the Spirit directed me to just one described condition: the stalemate between the armies in the valley of Elah. Goliath had been taunting Israel’s army for forty days before David’s dad sent him to deliver his brothers’ care package. Israel’s whole army was much afraid of that one man! King Saul had even resorted to bribery, and still, no one would stand up to Goliath. Then came a youth who’d been victorious in some dangerous situations, but he didn’t attribute that success to his own methods: David knew—and acknowledged—the LORD delivered him, and he trusted He would do it again. God did!
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, I’m planning to:
- PRAY. Of course!
- REFINE my understanding of this text by making a note of all the types of writing (instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, and/or prophecy) I discover in 1 Samuel 17.
- REFINE: Next, I’ll research the book’s historical context by referencing an introduction to the book of 1 Samuel, starting here. If you’re working along with me, note any relevant or interesting facts you uncover in your review of these materials. Based on the writing type (from step 2, above) and what you discover in the introduction, should 1 Samuel 17 be interpreted literally?
- REFINE: Last, I’ll be looking up the meaning of a few words and phrases from my focus verses using an interlinear Bible tool. I like Biblehub.com’s Hebrew tool for this research. To use it, follow the link above. You can quickly access a verse by selecting it from the dropdown box showing 17:1 at the top of your screen, or you can scroll to it by clicking the right-pointing arrow (to the right of the verse citation, 1 Samuel 17:1) for higher numbered verses. Once you locate the verse, click the number in the Strong’s column that corresponds to the English word or phrase you’re researching. Note anything the Spirit highlights for you in the information provided.
I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
GO TO WEEK 6 >
by Jen | Apr 14, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again: thanks for joining me here! This week, the Spirit worked with me to focus on three key repeated concepts, a handful of special statements, and three lists. Let’s look at them now.
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
The first repeated concept I noticed was the conflict between Israel and the Philistines. It’s the backdrop of all the action involving David and his brothers. I discovered four synonyms: fighting (v19), battle (vv20-21, 47-48), war (vv20, 33), and fight (vv32-33). I didn’t learn how the conflict began, but the Spirit pointed out David talked to King Saul about his plan to fight Goliath, and Saul quickly tried to dissuade him (vv32-33)… but Saul changed his mind when David asserted that the LORD would deliver him (v37).
Next, the word host got my attention. In vv20 and 46 it seems to refer first to Israel’s army (v20), and then the Philistine army. The author also used army/armies (v21/vv26, 36), and ranks (vv22-23) to denote these two fighting forces. In addition, David invoked the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel in v45. This verse led me to the connection between army and host, and made me wonder if one of those armies of Israel is heavenly? I’m not sure I’ll be able to confirm that, but I’m sure it will be interesting to dig into!
Finally, I saw some repetition with deliver/delivered (vv35, 37, 46). As I considered those verbs, the Spirit helped me see that God, in His goodness, chose a boy making a delivery for his earthly father to be the conduit through which our Heavenly Father delivered his sons, Israel, from the Philistines. That gave me goosebumps!!
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I noted four promises:
- Goliath’s “promise” to Israel’s army: If [your warrior] is able to fight … and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if [he dies], then you shall be our servants…” (v9).
- King Saul’s three promises to Goliath’s killer:
(1) great riches,
(2) [the king’s] daughter [in marriage], and
(3) [the champion’s] father’s house would be free (v25).
- David’s promise to King Saul:
(1) [I] will go and fight with this Philistine (v32),
(2) … this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of [the predators I’ve struck down] (v36),
(3) The LORD … will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine (v37).
- David’s “promise” to Goliath:
(1) This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand,
(2) I will strike you down and cut off your head,
(3) I will give the [Philistine army’s] dead bodies … this day to the birds … and … beasts of the earth (v46).
NOTE: vv9 and 46 could probably also be considered warnings.
LISTS
In addition to the enumerated lists under the last three promises above, the Spirit showed me David’s battle equipment (v40):
(1) his staff,
(2) five stones, and
(3) his sling.
These present an interesting contrast (more on that next week) to Goliath’s arms (v45):
(1) a sword,
(2) a spear, and
(3) a javelin.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, let’s wrap up Step 3 by:
- PRAYING the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINING comparisons by reading through the passage again looking for certain statements in or related to your focus verses. These may be statements of similarity featuring key words such as like, as, so, is, are, or of; qualitative comparisons indicating how one item is more or less than another; and/or contrasts that highlight or discuss how one concept differs from another.
- MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors. In the ESV translation of this study text, look for the connectors because, for (meaning because), that (meaning so that), and to (meaning in order to). Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason or explanation for that action. For example: in the sentence,
I went to the store, for I was out of milk:
the action = I went to the store for [because] the reason = I was out of milk.
NOTE: the words for, to, and that don’t always connect actions and reasons. To determine if they do here, read the sentences containing them while substituting the word because in place of for, or the phrases in order to (in place of to) and so that (in place of that). If the sentence(s) created from this exercise make(s) sense and mean(s) the same as the original, look for the action statement before the for, to, or that and the stated reason after the for, to, or that.
- MINING: Finally, see if you can find any conditions for action in this narrative, and/or descriptions of how action happens or should happen.
– For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition exists, some action takes place?
And/or
– Does the author describe a method or process (for example, specific steps) taken to achieve something?
Or
– Does he indicate how action is accomplished more generally by or through attributes or actions (e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8))?
Finally,
– Does the text include any adverbs (typically words ending in –ly) that describe how action happens?
These exercises are a bit more involved, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.
GO TO WEEK 5 >
by Jen | Apr 7, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
He is RISEN, my friend! I still remember when I realized the miracle of Jesus Christ was not that He willingly died a gruesome death He himself didn’t deserve. After all, I’d known many other deceased people who, in my estimation, also hadn’t deserved to die. No, the miracle was that His body, so brutalized by Roman torture and crucifixion that it could not sustain life, spontaneously came alive again without human intervention!
I believe every real Christian experiences something like that when they are “born again.” It’s certainly my story. There was no life left in me when I reached for that revolver. Then the room lit up; I heard Psalm 23:4 and felt a supernatural comfort I still can’t fully describe or explain. I can’t help but wonder if that’s how Jesus would have described what happened to him that first Resurrection Sunday. Every day we’re one day closer to being able to ask Him, aren’t we?
In the meantime, this week I felt the Spirit drawing me to study multiple verses based on an intriguing change in description. In v. 21, Israel is identified as (one) army facing the Philistines, but in v. 36, David declares that Goliath had defied the armies of the living God. The Philistine had certainly insulted Israel’s fighters, but what other army(ies) did David mean? And then in v45, David described YHWH as the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whose name alone was powerful enough to defeat the Philistines.
This week, I began my observation of the text by focusing on the characters, locations, and timeframes I noticed in this passage.
Last Week’s Work
WHO (CHARACTERS)
My review focused on four key players in this scenario:
- the LORD, whom David predicts will deliver him from Goliath. I noticed LORD is all capital letters again in this book. I learned from my recent Psalm 23 study that Old Testament Hebrews referred to God using initials: His name, rendered LORD, was too sacred to pronounce. In v26, the LORD is also described as the living God.
- David, a shepherd, sent by his father with provisions for his older brothers serving in Israel’s army under King Saul. His belief in God was so strong, he volunteered to fight in place of the whole Israeli army against
- Goliath, a Philistine warrior and the fully armored giant, who repeatedly taunted God and Israel’s army but died when he took on David.
- Saul, the king of Israel and thus the leader of Israel’s army in the valley of Elah.
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
The verses I’m studying deal primarily with the battle between David and Goliath, which took place in the Elah Valley (v19). This is significant to me: not just because we just studied Psalm 23, in which David also mentions a valley, but also because it feels like a valley is a difficult place for a fight; if one side gets the better of the other, retreat would mean running up a slope, in full view of your enemies!
Next, David chose five stones from the brook (v40) and declared his goal was to beat Goliath so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (vv46-47). After David killed Goliath, the Philistines fled (v51).
WHEN (TIME FRAMES)
Goliath bellowed his challenge to send a lone warrior to fight him for forty days, morning and evening (v16), and no one from the army of Israel had taken him on.
David arrived at Israel’s encampment as the host was going out to the battle line (v20).
David told Goliath he would be delivered into David’s hand by the LORD this day (v46).
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my plan for this week:
- PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study. Then I’ll…
- MINE: Look for repeated words or phrases in this passage and check for synonyms or pronouns that refer to the same concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in the study passage.
- Record what the Spirit prompts so I can use it in Steps 4 and 5.
Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I’ll share what I discover with you next week, so I hope you’ll join me then.
GO TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | Mar 31, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello, Friends. I hope you have plans to celebrate Easter this coming Sunday! It’s my favorite holiday because it commemorates the one miracle that sets Jesus apart from all the other would-be first-century messiahs. All the others had birthdays, but as far as I know, only Jesus has a rebirthday!
Of course, the real purpose for this post is to share my prayer and what the Spirit revealed to me in 1 Samuel 17 this past week, so I’ll get right to that…
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Thank You, Father God, for Your Word and what it reveals about Your character. As I study this story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, help me see, hear, and understand the lessons You have for me. Allow me to guide others through this study so we can faithfully represent You to all we meet. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
This might be a record! I noticed eight Wow!s and four Huh?s as I read through this passage:
- WOW! Pretty high stakes in the battle between David and Goliath: whoever survives their contest wins, and conquers all the loser’s people, too!
- WOW! All Israel’s men fled from Goliath and were much afraid… even when the king promised wealth and his daughter in marriage to the victor. Some warriors they were (vv24-25)!
- WOW! Much bravado on David’s part, “[I’ll] fight with this Philistine” (v32)!
- WOW! Okay, maybe it’s faith: David was sure he’d beat Goliath because the giant had “defied the armies of the living God (v36).”
- WOW! More evidence of David’s faith in vv37 and 46 where he reveals his battle plans!!
- WOW! David approached Goliath with his [shepherd’s?] staff [reminds me of Psalm 23:3!], five smooth stones, and his sling (v40); while Goliath brought a sword, a spear, and a javelin (v45). They each brought three items, but David also brought the LORD (v45)!
- WOW! “… all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s… (v47)”
- WOW! David ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine (v48). I would never be eager to fight someone bigger, stronger, and better equipped than I am!
- HUH? Who are the armies (plural) of the living God mentioned in v36? Same as the armies of Israel mentioned in v45? But in v21, Israel’s defense is described as [one] army…? Maybe Israel plus a supernatural army?
- HUH? what’s the difference between a spear and a javelin (v45)?
- HUH? What does he mean by the name “the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel (v45).”
- HUH? V50 indicates David … with a stone… struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.” But then v51 says “David… took [the Philistine’s] sword… and killed him…? Did Goliath die by the stone or a sword?
Dig-In Challenges
If you’re doing your own study, listen to the Spirit’s guidance this week and choose your own topic (your personal treasure)from 1 Samuel 17 to dig more deeply into. It can be anything you noticed in your survey of the text that raises a question or resonates with you, or you can use one of my responses above if you like. This personal treasure will help us narrow the focus of our study as it progresses.
- PRAY for the Spirit to direct your focus for the remainder of this study. In your journal, record the personal treasure He identifies, along with any verse(s) relating to it from the study text.
- MINE: Read 1 Samuel 17, focusing on three factors setting the stage in this text: note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I’m looking forward to sharing my notes with you next week!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
