The Shepherd David Makes A Dramatic Entry Into Saul's Capital

Two different traditions exist about David's early years, but they coincide on the issue of Goliath. They record the circumstances which enabled the Judaean shepherd to enter the king of Yisrael's court. The first tradition describes David as a singer and harpist who finally went with Saul into battle. The second describes the conflict between David the young shepherd and Goliath, a Philistine giant. Both narratives are here first summarized and then subjected to a critical examination.

Saul had been deeply affected by Schmuel's curse, and experienced the assault of an evil spirit which caused him deep melancholy. He was then told of a shepherd from Yahudah, who had some repute as a poet and musician; he played the zither, sang and composed poetry in praise of YAHWEH. He was a man of presence and YAHWEH was with him. His talents would take the king's mind off his sickness, and perhaps disperse the gloomy ideas that beset him. A messenger was at once dispatched to Jesse, asking for his son to be sent to the court at Gibeah. Jesse quickly obeyed the royal command, and sent the young musician to the king together with a gift of five loaves, a skin of wine and a kid, (1 Schmuel 16: 20) -an indication of the primitive nature of the civilization.

With his natural grace and that charm that never left him throughout his long life, David managed to introduce a note of cheerfulness and liveliness into that gloomy little court. As soon as the unhappy king was attacked by a fit of melancholy, David took his zither, gently struck its strings and sang sweetly. The crisis ended immediately. Very soon Saul could not do without him, and required him to be constantly at his side. He thus became one of the court favourites. He even became the king's armor-bearer, and as such had the honour of carrying the royal shield in battle, and of being at the king's side in hand-to-hand fighting. Saul then sent to Jesse saying: 'Let David enter my service; he has won my favour.' In this way, therefore, the young shepherd from Bethlehem began to make his way towards becoming one of the important figures of Saul's court.

But there is another version of how David came to be associated with Saul; it is that which describes the fight between the young shepherd and the Philistine giant (1 Sam, 17).

The Philistines had been driven back from central Canaan. They were now trying to infiltrate further south into the heights of Yahudah. From their bases at Gath and Ekron, they advanced by way of Azekah, as far as Bethlehem, sixteen miles south-west of Yerusalem. It was a clever move, because if the Philistines were victorious they would gain control of the valleys running up to Bethlehem and Hebron, and, in practice, of the whole southern region.

In spite of his neurotic attacks, Saul was still a great captain. He decided to make a stand against the enemy's attack on the tribes of Simeon and Yahudah in the south. With a body of picked troops he moved to the key point and set up his camp close to Socoh in the Valley of the Terebinth, on the slope facing the enemy forces. A deep wadi separated the two armies.

Why did both armies pause before coming to grips? This was in accordance with an ancient custom; before the encounter each side showered insults on the other. The practice originated in spiritual magic; it was a way of invoking the wrath of the gods upon the enemy.

In this case, however, the delay had a different and more realistic explanation. Goliath, a Philistine champion, came out every morning and, hurling abuse and insult, tried to provoke the Yisraelites. Let one of them, he said; make up his mind to engage him in a personal encounter. In this way the issue between the two sides could be settled.

This Philistine, a native of Gath, was of enormous stature; he was six cubits and one span (that is, just over nine and a half feet) tall. Even allowing for some exaggeration on the part of the narrator, he must have been a giant of exceptional proportions. His equipment was equally formidable: a bronze helmet; a breastplate of scale-armor; bronze greaves on his legs - a typical feature of Aegean civilization. He brandished a huge spear with a lancing socket - a detail also found in Greek and Egyptian bas-reliefs. In his belt he wore a bronze sword. A shield-bearer walked in front of him to ward off the enemy's arrows and javelins.

Among the Hebrews it was only a few of the senior officers who were equipped with a sword or lance, and in any case their weapons were light. The troops had bows and some spears; they also had slings that enabled them to fight at a distance - a prudent precaution; these slings were handled with great skill by men of experience.

Three of David's brothers were in the ranks. Jesse, who was still living in Bethlehem, decided to send some food to his sons serving in the forces. Accordingly, he sent David, the youngest, to his elder brothers, with an ephah of roasted grain and ten loaves. He also added ten cheeses for their commanding officer, (the head of a 'thousand'). He told David to ask after his brothers' health, and to bring back some token as a guarantee that the gift had been well received.

David reached the camp and leaving the bundle in charge of the baggage guard, ran to the battle line and went to ask his brothers how they were. They gave him a somewhat cool reception. "Why have you come down here?' they asked, 'Whom have you left in charge of the sheep? Is it to watch the battle that you are come here?'

Just at this moment, Goliath again put in an appearance. As usual he issued his round of curses and jeeringly repeated his challenge. David asked for an explanation. Some soldiers described the position, and added that the king would lavish riches upon the man who should kill the Philistine, besides giving him his daughter in marriage and exemption from taxes and forced labour. David immediately made up his mind: he would fight the Philistine.

There was general astonishment at this announcement. The unknown youth explained that at home, on the plain, he looked after his father's sheep and was used to combating wild beasts. Therefore he would be able to deal with this man who had dared to insult the armies of the living YAHWEH. Saul, convinced at last, replied: 'Go, and YAHWEH be with you'. But before the encounter, it was decided to equip the slender champion with the king's own armor. But with Saul's heavy breastplate over his shoulders it must be remembered that Saul was a huge man David found that he was unable to walk. So he decided to approach the enemy with his staff alone. In his shepherd's bag he put five smooth stones from the river, and concealed his sling by folding it in his hand This piece of cunning on his part ensured that he would not be taken for a combatant slinger; he had not put the stones in a soldier's wallet, but in a shepherd's satchel, and he was careful not to show his sling. At the sight of him, Goliath would think that it was a shepherd from the Judean hills who confronted him.

The Philistine giant saw this slight young man coming towards him. He was amazed. On either side of the valley, separated by the stream, the opposing armies watched this strange sight.

Foolishly, Goliath lost his temper: 'Am I a dog for you to come against me with sticks?' he shouted, and added, contemptuously: 'Come over here and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.' David's reply was instant and vivid: 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of YAHWEH Sabaoth, the Sovereign Ruler of the armies of Yisrael that you have dared to insult. Today YAHWEH will deliver you into my hand, and I shall kill you; I will cut off your head...so that all the earth may know that there is a Sovereign Ruler in Yisrael, and that all this assembly may know that it is not by sword or by spear that YAHWEH gives the victory, for YAHWEH is MASTER of the battle and HE will deliver you into our power.'

Matters thereupon hurried to a close. Goliath, strongly protected by his breastplate, had not bothered to take his armor-bearer as a guard; his opponent was too contemptible. He approached with his lance raised. David quickly took a stone from his satchel, and put it in the sling he had learnt to use so well against the wild beasts of the plain. He whirled the sling and before the giant could even realize that his puny opponent was attacking him, he received a violent blow in mid-forehead. He fell to the ground, unconscious. David rushed forward and taking hold of the Philistine's great sword cut off his head before he had time to come to his senses.

From the ranks of Yisrael shouts of triumph burst forth; from those of the Philistines, cries of terror; YAHWEH himself was fighting with the Hebrews. Saul led his forces, now wildly elated, and drove the enemy back to the walls of its fortresses of Gath and Ekron.

David picked up the head of Goliath; his cloak and sword were collected and put behind the ephod in the tabernacle of Nob, as an act of homage to YAHWEH for giving strength to him who had no sword or spear.

According to this account, Saul did not as yet know David. After the latter's victory, the king grew curious about his family and background.6 Having received information on these points, Saul decided to keep near him the young warrior who had given such an example of incomparable courage to the most tried soldiers of Yisrael. Jonathan, Saul's eldest son and the heir to the throne, took the opportunity of expressing his soldierly admiration for David, and formed on the spot a pact of friendship with the victor which was never thereafter broken; following the ancient Semitic tradition, the two young men sealed this pact by exchanging cloaks, belts and weapons.

The question now arises as to whether David first came to be a member of Saul's court as a harpist or, as in this narrative, because of the impression he made upon the king through his great achievement in overthrowing Goliath. Formerly, many scholars tried to explain the two accounts by making them agree fundamentally. But today most critics incline to the view that the two traditions must have existed separately for a very long time before a scribe combined them together. But, in the present state of our knowledge, no real solution of this small historical problem can be offered. Both traditions agree on two points only David was a young shepherd from Bethlehem who, in an unexpected way, became a member of the king's court.

 

And whenever the spirit from YAHWEH troubled Saul, David took the harp and played; then Saul grew calm, and recovered, and the evil spirit left him. 1 Sam 16 23

 

 

COMBAT BETWEEN DAVID AND GOLIATH

The Philistines attacked. To drive a wedge through Saul's armies they advanced towards Bethlehem and established themselves in the Valley of the Terebinth, between Socoh and Azekah. It was in this valley, near David's birthplace that he gave battle to the Philistine giant Goliath, who came from Gath.

After the death of Goliath the Yisraelite armies pursued the Philistines to the gates of Gath and Ekron.

6 In the East, a stranger is not asked: who are you; but, who is your father.

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