Bible Strands
1 Samuel 17:45
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David addresses Goliath directly on the battlefield, responding to the Philistine's taunt in the preceding verse.
The words — The preposition בְ (be-) marks instrument: "with sword" in Goliath's case, "in the name of" in David's. Same grammatical structure, opposite objects — the verse turns on that swap.
The thread — 2 Chronicles 32:8 contrasts "the arm of flesh" with the LORD fighting Israel's battles; 2 Corinthians 10:4 states that the weapons of God's warfare are not of the flesh.
Why it lands — The verse removes the reader from the position of evaluating David's odds and forces attention to the name he invokes as the actual ground of the encounter.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalms 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- 2 Samuel 22:33 God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way clear.
- 1 Samuel 17:36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
- Psalms 20:5 May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions.
- Isaiah 37:23 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!