1 Samuel 17:46

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — David addresses Goliath directly at the Valley of Elah, in the moment between his declaration of coming in the LORD's name (v. 45) and his statement that the battle belongs to the LORD (v. 47).

The words — יְסַגֶּרְךָ (yēsaggerkā, "he will shut you in / deliver you up") is a rare verb (H5462) carrying the sense of being enclosed and handed over, stronger than a simple "give." The Piel form וַהֲסִרֹתִי (vəhaśirōtî, "and I will remove") states the decapitation as an act of taking away.

The thread — The motif of God acting so that the nations may know Him recurs in Isaiah 52:10, Joshua 4:24, and 2 Kings 19:19, where divine deliverance is framed as a public demonstration for the whole earth.

Why it lands — The verse stakes the reputation of Israel's God on a single combat, asking the reader to see that the outcome is not about David's prowess but about whether the nations will recognize a living God in Israel.

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

הַיּ֣וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּ֡הha./Zeh<the>/ this יְסַגֶּרְךָ֩ye.sa.ger./Khahe will deliver up/ you יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahweh בְּיָדִ֜יbe./ya.D/iin/ hand/ my וְהִכִּיתִ֗ךָve./hi.ki.Ti./khaand/ I will strike down/ you וַהֲסִרֹתִ֤יva./ha.si.ro.Tiand/ I will remove אֶת־'et-<obj.>רֹֽאשְׁךָ֙ro.she./Khahead/ your מֵעָלֶ֔יךָme./'a.Lei./khafrom/ on <the>/ you וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜יve./Na.ta.Tiand/ I will give פֶּ֣גֶרPe.ger[the] corpse[s] of מַחֲנֵ֤הma.cha.Neh[the] army of פְלִשְׁתִּים֙fe.lish.Tim[the] Philistines הַיּ֣וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּ֔הha./Zeh<the>/ this לְע֥וֹףle./'ofto/ [the] bird[s] of הַשָּׁמַ֖יִםha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens וּלְחַיַּ֣תu./le./chai.Yatand/ to/ [the] animal[s] of הָאָ֑רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙ve./ye.de.'Uso/ they may know כָּל־kol-all הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth כִּ֛יkithat יֵ֥שׁyeshthere אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.Hima God לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃le./Yis.ra.'El[belongs] to/ Israel

King James Version

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Cross-references

Isaiah 52:10 The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”
2 Kings 19:19 And now, O LORD our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”
1 Kings 8:43 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.
Deuteronomy 28:26 Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.
Daniel 6:26 I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.
Exodus 9:16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Daniel 2:47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
Daniel 3:29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”