Antiquities Book 6, Chapter 9
How The Philistines Made Another Expedition Against The Hebrews Under The Reign Of Saul; And How They Were Overcome By David's Slaying Goliath In Single Combat.
1. Now the Philistines gathered themselves together again no very long
time afterward; and having gotten together a great army, they made war
against the Israelites; and having seized a place between Shochoh and
Azekah, they there pitched their camp. Saul also drew out his army to
oppose them; and by pitching his own camp on a certain hill, he forced
the Philistines to leave their former camp, and to encamp themselves
upon such another hill, over-against that on which Saul's army lay, so
that a valley, which was between the two hills on which they lay,
divided their camps asunder. Now there came down a man out of the camp
of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath, of the city of Gath, a man
of vast bulk, for he was of four cubits and a span in tallness, and had
about him weapons suitable to the largeness of his body, for he had a
breastplate on that weighed five thousand shekels: he had also a helmet
and greaves of brass, as large as you would naturally suppose might
cover the limbs of so vast a body. His spear was also such as was not
carried like a light thing in his right hand, but he carried it as lying
on his shoulders. He had also a lance of six hundred shekels; and many
followed him to carry his armor. Wherefore this Goliath stood between
the two armies, as they were in battle array, and sent out aloud voice,
and said to Saul and the Hebrews, "I will free you from fighting and
from dangers; for what necessity is there that your army should fall and
be afflicted? Give me a man of you that will fight with me, and he that
conquers shall have the reward of the conqueror and determine the war;
for these shall serve those others to whom the conqueror shall belong;
and certainly it is much better, and more prudent, to gain what you
desire by the hazard of one man than of all." When he had said this, he
retired to his own camp; but the next day he came again, and used the
same words, and did not leave off for forty days together, to challenge
the enemy in the same words, till Saul and his army were therewith
terrified, while they put themselves in array as if they would fight,
but did not come to a close battle.
2. Now while this war between the Hebrews and the Philistines was going
on, Saul sent away David to his father Jesse, and contented himself with
those three sons of his whom he had sent to his assistance, and to be
partners in the dangers of the war: and at first David returned to feed
his sheep and his flocks; but after no long time he came to the camp of
the Hebrews, as sent by his father, to carry provisions to his brethren,
and to know what they were doing. While Goliath came again, and
challenged them, and reproached them, that they had no man of valor
among them that durst come down to fight him; and as David was talking
with his brethren about the business for which his father had sent him,
he heard the Philistine reproaching and abusing the army, and had
indignation at it, and said to his brethren, "I am ready to fight a
single combat with this adversary." Whereupon Eliab, his eldest brother,
reproved him, and said that he spoke too rashly and improperly for one
of his age, and bid him go to his flocks, and to his father. So he was
abashed at his brother's words, and went away, but still he spake to
some of the soldiers that he was willing to fight with him that
challenged them. And when they had informed Saul what was the resolution
of the young man, the king sent for him to come to him: and when the
king asked what he had to say, he replied, "O king, be not cast down,
nor afraid, for I will depress the insolence of this adversary, and will
go down and fight with him, and will bring him under me, as tall and as
great as he is, till he shall be sufficiently laughed at, and thy army
shall get great glory, when he shall be slain by one that is not yet of
man's estate, neither fit for fighting, nor capable of being intrusted
with the marshalling an army, or ordering a battle, but by one that
looks like a child, and is really no elder in age than a child."
3. Now Saul wondered at the boldness and alacrity of David, but durst
not presume on his ability, by reason of his age; but said he must on
that account be too weak to fight with one that was skilled in the art
of war. "I undertake this enterprise," said David, "in dependence on
God's being with me, for I have had experience already of his
assistance; for I once pursued after and caught a lion that assaulted my
flocks, and took away a lamb from them; and I snatched the lamb out of
the wild beast's mouth, and when he leaped upon me with violence, I took
him by the tail, and dashed him against the ground. In the same manner
did I avenge myself on a bear also; and let this adversary of ours be
esteemed like one of these wild beasts, since he has a long while
reproached our army, and blasphemed our God, who yet will reduce him
under my power."
4. However, Saul prayed that the end might be, by God's assistance, not
disagreeable to the alacrity and boldness of the child; and said, "Go
thy way to the fight." So he put about him his breastplate, and girded
on his sword, and fitted the helmet to his head, and sent him away. But
David was burdened with his armor, for he had not been exercised to it,
nor had he learned to walk with it; so he said, "Let this armor be
thine, O king, who art able to bear it; but give me leave to fight as
thy servant, and as I myself desire." Accordingly he laid by the armor,
and taking his staff with him, and putting five stones out of the brook
into a shepherd's bag, and having a sling in his right hand, he went
towards Goliath. But the adversary seeing him come in such a manner,
disdained him, and jested upon him, as if he had not such weapons with
him as are usual when one man fights against another, but such as are
used in driving away and avoiding of dogs; and said, "Dost thou take me
not for a man, but a dog?" To which he replied, "No, not for a dog, but
for a creature worse than a dog." This provoked Goliath to anger, who
thereupon cursed him by the name of God, and threatened to give his
flesh to the beasts of the earth, and to the fowls of the air, to be
torn in pieces by them. To whom David answered, "Thou comest to me with
a sword, and with a spear, and with a breastplate; but I have God for my
armor in coming against thee, who will destroy thee and all thy army by
my hands for I will this day cut off thy head, and cast the other parts
of thy body to the dogs, and all men shall learn that God is the
protector of the Hebrews, and that our armor and our strength is in his
providence; and that without God's assistance, all other warlike
preparations and power are useless." So the Philistine being retarded by
the weight of his armor, when he attempted to meet David in haste, came
on but slowly, as despising him, and depending upon it that he should
slay him, who was both unarmed and a child also, without any trouble at
all.
5. But the youth met his antagonist, being accompanied with an invisible
assistant, who was no other than God himself. And taking one of the
stones that he had out of the brook, and had put into his shepherd's
bag, and fitting it to his sling, he slang it against the Philistine.
This stone fell upon his forehead, and sank into his brain, insomuch
that Goliath was stunned, and fell upon his face. So David ran, and
stood upon his adversary as he lay down, and cut off his head with his
own sword; for he had no sword himself. And upon the fall of Goliath the
Philistines were beaten, and fled; for when they saw their champion
prostrate on the ground, they were afraid of the entire issue of their
affairs, and resolved not to stay any longer, but committed themselves
to an ignominious and indecent flight, and thereby endeavored to save
themselves from the dangers they were in. But Saul and the entire army
of the Hebrews made a shout, and rushed upon them, and slew a great
number of them, and pursued the rest to the borders of Garb, and to the
gates of Ekron; so that there were slain of the Philistines thirty
thousand, and twice as many wounded. But Saul returned to their camp,
and pulled their fortification to pieces, and burnt it; but David
carried the head of Goliath into his own tent, but dedicated his sword
to God [at the tabernacle].
time afterward; and having gotten together a great army, they made war
against the Israelites; and having seized a place between Shochoh and
Azekah, they there pitched their camp. Saul also drew out his army to
oppose them; and by pitching his own camp on a certain hill, he forced
the Philistines to leave their former camp, and to encamp themselves
upon such another hill, over-against that on which Saul's army lay, so
that a valley, which was between the two hills on which they lay,
divided their camps asunder. Now there came down a man out of the camp
of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath, of the city of Gath, a man
of vast bulk, for he was of four cubits and a span in tallness, and had
about him weapons suitable to the largeness of his body, for he had a
breastplate on that weighed five thousand shekels: he had also a helmet
and greaves of brass, as large as you would naturally suppose might
cover the limbs of so vast a body. His spear was also such as was not
carried like a light thing in his right hand, but he carried it as lying
on his shoulders. He had also a lance of six hundred shekels; and many
followed him to carry his armor. Wherefore this Goliath stood between
the two armies, as they were in battle array, and sent out aloud voice,
and said to Saul and the Hebrews, "I will free you from fighting and
from dangers; for what necessity is there that your army should fall and
be afflicted? Give me a man of you that will fight with me, and he that
conquers shall have the reward of the conqueror and determine the war;
for these shall serve those others to whom the conqueror shall belong;
and certainly it is much better, and more prudent, to gain what you
desire by the hazard of one man than of all." When he had said this, he
retired to his own camp; but the next day he came again, and used the
same words, and did not leave off for forty days together, to challenge
the enemy in the same words, till Saul and his army were therewith
terrified, while they put themselves in array as if they would fight,
but did not come to a close battle.
2. Now while this war between the Hebrews and the Philistines was going
on, Saul sent away David to his father Jesse, and contented himself with
those three sons of his whom he had sent to his assistance, and to be
partners in the dangers of the war: and at first David returned to feed
his sheep and his flocks; but after no long time he came to the camp of
the Hebrews, as sent by his father, to carry provisions to his brethren,
and to know what they were doing. While Goliath came again, and
challenged them, and reproached them, that they had no man of valor
among them that durst come down to fight him; and as David was talking
with his brethren about the business for which his father had sent him,
he heard the Philistine reproaching and abusing the army, and had
indignation at it, and said to his brethren, "I am ready to fight a
single combat with this adversary." Whereupon Eliab, his eldest brother,
reproved him, and said that he spoke too rashly and improperly for one
of his age, and bid him go to his flocks, and to his father. So he was
abashed at his brother's words, and went away, but still he spake to
some of the soldiers that he was willing to fight with him that
challenged them. And when they had informed Saul what was the resolution
of the young man, the king sent for him to come to him: and when the
king asked what he had to say, he replied, "O king, be not cast down,
nor afraid, for I will depress the insolence of this adversary, and will
go down and fight with him, and will bring him under me, as tall and as
great as he is, till he shall be sufficiently laughed at, and thy army
shall get great glory, when he shall be slain by one that is not yet of
man's estate, neither fit for fighting, nor capable of being intrusted
with the marshalling an army, or ordering a battle, but by one that
looks like a child, and is really no elder in age than a child."
3. Now Saul wondered at the boldness and alacrity of David, but durst
not presume on his ability, by reason of his age; but said he must on
that account be too weak to fight with one that was skilled in the art
of war. "I undertake this enterprise," said David, "in dependence on
God's being with me, for I have had experience already of his
assistance; for I once pursued after and caught a lion that assaulted my
flocks, and took away a lamb from them; and I snatched the lamb out of
the wild beast's mouth, and when he leaped upon me with violence, I took
him by the tail, and dashed him against the ground. In the same manner
did I avenge myself on a bear also; and let this adversary of ours be
esteemed like one of these wild beasts, since he has a long while
reproached our army, and blasphemed our God, who yet will reduce him
under my power."
4. However, Saul prayed that the end might be, by God's assistance, not
disagreeable to the alacrity and boldness of the child; and said, "Go
thy way to the fight." So he put about him his breastplate, and girded
on his sword, and fitted the helmet to his head, and sent him away. But
David was burdened with his armor, for he had not been exercised to it,
nor had he learned to walk with it; so he said, "Let this armor be
thine, O king, who art able to bear it; but give me leave to fight as
thy servant, and as I myself desire." Accordingly he laid by the armor,
and taking his staff with him, and putting five stones out of the brook
into a shepherd's bag, and having a sling in his right hand, he went
towards Goliath. But the adversary seeing him come in such a manner,
disdained him, and jested upon him, as if he had not such weapons with
him as are usual when one man fights against another, but such as are
used in driving away and avoiding of dogs; and said, "Dost thou take me
not for a man, but a dog?" To which he replied, "No, not for a dog, but
for a creature worse than a dog." This provoked Goliath to anger, who
thereupon cursed him by the name of God, and threatened to give his
flesh to the beasts of the earth, and to the fowls of the air, to be
torn in pieces by them. To whom David answered, "Thou comest to me with
a sword, and with a spear, and with a breastplate; but I have God for my
armor in coming against thee, who will destroy thee and all thy army by
my hands for I will this day cut off thy head, and cast the other parts
of thy body to the dogs, and all men shall learn that God is the
protector of the Hebrews, and that our armor and our strength is in his
providence; and that without God's assistance, all other warlike
preparations and power are useless." So the Philistine being retarded by
the weight of his armor, when he attempted to meet David in haste, came
on but slowly, as despising him, and depending upon it that he should
slay him, who was both unarmed and a child also, without any trouble at
all.
5. But the youth met his antagonist, being accompanied with an invisible
assistant, who was no other than God himself. And taking one of the
stones that he had out of the brook, and had put into his shepherd's
bag, and fitting it to his sling, he slang it against the Philistine.
This stone fell upon his forehead, and sank into his brain, insomuch
that Goliath was stunned, and fell upon his face. So David ran, and
stood upon his adversary as he lay down, and cut off his head with his
own sword; for he had no sword himself. And upon the fall of Goliath the
Philistines were beaten, and fled; for when they saw their champion
prostrate on the ground, they were afraid of the entire issue of their
affairs, and resolved not to stay any longer, but committed themselves
to an ignominious and indecent flight, and thereby endeavored to save
themselves from the dangers they were in. But Saul and the entire army
of the Hebrews made a shout, and rushed upon them, and slew a great
number of them, and pursued the rest to the borders of Garb, and to the
gates of Ekron; so that there were slain of the Philistines thirty
thousand, and twice as many wounded. But Saul returned to their camp,
and pulled their fortification to pieces, and burnt it; but David
carried the head of Goliath into his own tent, but dedicated his sword
to God [at the tabernacle].