Where is the story of David and Goliath in the Bible?
The story of David and Goliath is found in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel chapter 17. The scene is a battle line between the armies of Israel and the Philistines: Goliath, the Philistine giant, comes out every morning and evening for forty days to defy the army of Israel, and no…
The story of David and Goliath is found in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel chapter 17. The scene is a battle line between the armies of Israel and the Philistines: Goliath, the Philistine giant, comes out every morning and evening for forty days to defy the army of Israel, and no one dares face him. David is not even a soldier at the time; he is a young shepherd tending his father's flock, sent to the front to bring food to his brothers. Hearing Goliath's challenge, he steps forward. King Saul tries to dress him in his own armor, but David, unused to it, takes it off and picks five smooth stones from the stream, taking only his sling. The key sentence of the account is what David says to Goliath: "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel." With a single stone from his sling, David strikes Goliath on the forehead, and the giant falls. The story tells, in its most famous form, a theme the Bible repeats often: what decides the outcome is not visible strength but where trust is placed. The event is the turning point of David's life; he rises in the people's eyes and years later becomes king of Israel. A large portion of the Psalms is attributed to him. The full chapter can be read on this site on the 1 Samuel 17 page, and the other stations of David's story are gathered on his person page.