Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/264

 He had  greaves  of  brass  on  his  legs,  and  a brazen  shield on his  shoulder,  and  the  staff  of  his  spear  was  like  a weaver’s beam. This giant,  clad  in  armour  from  head  to  foot,  came  daily out, morning  and  evening,  from  the  Philistine  camp,  and  challenged any one  of  the  Israelites  to  meet  him  in  single  combat,  saying: “Give me  a man,  and  let  him  fight  with  me  hand  to  hand. If he be  able  to  kill  me,  we  will  be  servants  to  you; but  if  I prevail and  kill  him,  you  shall  serve  us.”

This went  on  for  forty  days,  and  there  was  no  one  found  in all  Israel  to  accept  the  challenge  of  Goliath. Hence Saul  and the Israelites  were  in  great  terror  and  confusion,  because  of  Goliath and  of  his  proud  boasting  that  they  could  find  no  man  in  Israel to fight  him.

When David’s  three  eldest  brothers  had  gone  out  with  Saul to battle,  his  father  told  him  to  take  bread  and  go  to  the  camp, and see  how  it  fared  with  his  brothers. Whilst David  was  conversing with  the  people,  Goliath  came  out,  as  usual,  from  the Philistine camp  and  repeated  his  insulting  and  contemptuous challenge. Full of  surprise  David  asked: “What  shall  be  given to the  man  that  slayeth  the  Philistine  who  defieth  the  army  of the  living  God?”  Now  when  Eliab,  his  eldest  brother,  heard that David  was  asking  such  questions  of  the  soldiers,  he  grew angry and  said:  “Why  earnest  thou  hither? Why didst  thou leave those  few  sheep  in  the  desert? I know thy  pride  and  that thou earnest  down  to  see  the  battle.”

However, these  words  were  repeated  to  Saul,  who  sent  for David and  said  to  him:  “Thou  art  not  able  to  withstand  this Philistine, for  thou  art  but  a boy,  and  he  is  a warrior.”  But  David said: “Let  no  man  be  dismayed;  I,  thy  servant,  will  go  and fight against  the  Philistine. For thy  servant  kept  his  father’s  sheep, and there  came  a lion  and  a bear  and  took  a ram  out  of  the  midst of the  flock. And I pursued  after  them  and  struck  them;  and they rose  up  against  me,  and  I caught  them  by  the  throat,  and  I