The Story of David and Goliath

The story in 6 steps

1. Two armies and a champion

   1 Samuel 17:1–11

   The Philistines and Israel face each other across the Valley of Elah. A Philistine champion from Gath named Goliath steps out, about six cubits and a span tall and covered in bronze armor. He dares Israel to send one man to fight him, and King Saul and his soldiers are terrified.

2. Forty days of taunting

   1 Samuel 17:12–22

   David, the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, is not a soldier; his three oldest brothers are in Saul's army. Goliath repeats his challenge morning and evening for forty days. Jesse sends David to the camp with food for his brothers and their commander.

3. David hears the challenge

   1 Samuel 17:23–30

   David arrives as Goliath shouts again and sees the Israelites run. He asks who this Philistine thinks he is, mocking the army of Israel's living God. His oldest brother Eliab angrily accuses him of pride, but David keeps asking.

4. The shepherd before the king

   1 Samuel 17:31–37

   Saul calls for David, then tells him he is only a boy. David answers that he has protected his father's sheep from a lion and a bear. He says the LORD who rescued him then will rescue him from this Philistine, and Saul lets him go.

5. No armor, five stones

   1 Samuel 17:38–47

   Saul dresses David in his own armor and helmet, but David cannot move in them and takes them off. He picks five smooth stones from the stream and goes out with his staff and sling. Goliath mocks him; David answers that he comes in the LORD's name and that the fight belongs to God.

6. One stone, and the giant falls

   1 Samuel 17:48–58

   David runs toward Goliath and slings a stone that strikes him in the forehead, and the giant falls face down. David uses Goliath's own sword to finish him. The Philistines flee, Israel pursues them, and Saul asks who the young man's father is.

The retelling above is our own summary, not Bible text. Read the full passage in 1 Samuel 17:1–58.

Key verses

Verse text: Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.

Who is in the story

• David — Youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd who faces Goliath
• Goliath — Philistine champion from Gath who challenges Israel
• King Saul — Israel's king, afraid of Goliath, who lends David his armor
• Eliab — David's oldest brother, who scolds him in the camp
• Jesse — David's father, who sends him to the camp with food
• Abner — Commander of Saul's army, who brings David to the king

What the story teaches

The story's own explanation comes from David's words: he expects to win not by size or weapons but because the battle belongs to the LORD. The narrator keeps contrasting Goliath's heavy bronze armor with David's staff and sling, and Saul's fear with David's trust. In the flow of 1 Samuel, this follows straight after God tells Samuel that he looks at the heart rather than appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).

Today the phrase 'David and Goliath' usually means any underdog beating a stronger opponent. That idea is present, but many Jewish and Christian readers point out that the text frames it as a story about God's faithfulness more than about human courage or clever strategy. Some modern writers also note that a sling was a serious weapon in skilled hands, which adds to the picture of David using what he knew rather than what others expected.

The story also introduces David to the nation and to Saul's court. It sets up the long tension between Saul and David in the chapters that follow, and it shows David as the future king who fights for the honor of God's name rather than his own.

Trust shaped by past experience

David points back to the lion and the bear; earlier faithfulness gives him confidence now.

Use what you have been given

David sets aside Saul's armor and uses the tools he knows from shepherding.

Courage for a bigger purpose

David's stated aim is that everyone will know Israel has a God, not personal glory.

How tall was Goliath?

Most modern English Bibles, following the traditional Hebrew text, give his height as six cubits and a span, often estimated at about 2.9 meters (around 9 feet 6 inches). The Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Samuel and the ancient Greek translation give four cubits and a span, about 2 meters (around 6 feet 9 inches).

Either way, the point in the story is the same: Goliath was a trained, heavily armed warrior far bigger than anyone in Israel's camp.

Why five stones?

The text does not say why David chose five stones and used only one. Some readers connect it to Goliath's relatives mentioned later (2 Samuel 21:15–22); others see simple preparation in case the first shot missed. It is best treated as an open question.

David and Goliath for kids

Questions for discussion

1. What 'giants' do people face today, and how do they usually respond to them?
2. Why do you think David refused Saul's armor?
3. How did David's time as a shepherd prepare him for this moment?
4. Eliab accused David of pride. How do you tell the difference between pride and confidence?
5. David said the battle was the LORD's. What would it change for you to see a hard situation that way?

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