Shmuel I WBM – 17,18

בס"ד

WBM – KATEDRA 5780

SEFER SHMUEL

Chapter 17: DAVID AND GOLIAT

(1) Now the Pelishtim gathered together their armies to battle, and they were gathered together at Sokho, which belongs to Yehuda, and pitched between Sokho and Azeka, in Efes-Dammim. (2) And Shaul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the vale of Ela, and set the battle in array against the Pelishtim.

(8) … Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. (9) If he be able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us.

(4) And there went out a champion from the camp of the Pelishtim named Golyat of Gat, whose height was six cubits and a span. (5) And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. (6) And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. (7) And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him.

(8) And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, "Why do you come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Pelishti, and you servants to Shaul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me."

I Parallels with Shaul’s first war:

A) And Nachash the Ammoni said unto them, "On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a disgrace (cherpa) upon all Israel." (11:2)

And the Pelishti said, "I do taunt (cherafti) the armies of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." (17:10)

B) In both stories, Israel is given a certain period of time to get organized (the people of Yavesh-Gil'ad asked of Nachash the Ammoni: "Give us seven days' respite" [11:3], whereas in the case of Golyat – "and he presented himself forty days").

C) In both stories, deliverance finally arrives in a sudden fashion, by way of someone who is not prepared to bear the shame of Israel. Whereas in chapter 11, this someone was Shaul, who responded to Nachash's challenge with fierce anger – "And the spirit of God came mightily upon Shaul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly" (11:6) – in our chapter, it is David who responds with furor to Golyat's words: "For who is this uncircumcised Pelishti, that he should have taunted the armies of the living God?" Shaul, in contrast, responds in an entirely different manner:

(11) And when Shaul and all Israel heard those words of the Pelishti, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

II DAVID II YOSEF (& Brothers):

A) Both stories open with the absence of the older brothers from their home:

And his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shekhem. (Bereishit 37:12)

And the three eldest sons of Yishai had gone after Shaul to the battle. (I Shmuel 17:13)

B) In both episodes, the father sends his younger son to see how his older brothers are faring:

And he said to him, "Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brothers, and well with the flocks." (Bereishit 37:14)

And Yishai said unto David his son, "Take now for your brethren an efa of this parched corn… and to your brethren shall you bring greetings." (I Shmuel 17:17-18)

C) The younger brother is a shepherd:

Yosef being seventeen years old was feeding the flock with his brethren. (Bereishit 37:2)

Now David went to and fro from Shaul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem. (I Shmuel 17:15)

D) In both stories, a discussion is conducted between the brother and people whose words he hears, to whom he poses a question, and from whom he receives an answer:

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, "What do you seek?"

And he said, "I seek my brothers; tell me, I pray you, where they feed their flocks."

And the man said, "They are departed from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dotan.'" (Bereishit 37:15-17)

And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man that is come up? Surely to taunt Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches…"

And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man that kills this Pelishti…"

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, "So shall it be done to the man that kills him." (I Shmuel 17:25-27)

E) In both cases, the brothers respond harshly to their younger brother who came to seek out their welfare. Of course, the reaction of Yosef's brothers is much harsher:

And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now, therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, 'An evil beast has devoured him.' And we shall see what will become of his dreams." (Bereishit 37:19-20)

And Eliav's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why are you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumptuousness, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you came down that you might see the battle." (I Shmuel 17:28)

F) In the end, the two missions end in a close relationship with the king, which ultimately leads to marriage:

And Pharaoh called Yosef's name Tzafnat Pa'ane'ach; and he gave him to wife Asenat the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. (Bereishit 41:45)

And Shaul gave him Mikhal his daughter to wife. (I Shmuel 18:27)

G) The close connection to the king also finds expression in the distinguished standing that is achieved in the highest echelons of the regime:

And Yosef went out over all the land of Egypt… And Yosef went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt. (Bereishit 41:45-46)

And he made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people… But all Israel and Yehuda loved David; for he went out and came in before them. (I Shmuel 18:13-16)

H) In addition to the parallels in the substance of the story, there are also unique parallels in the descriptions of Yosef and David.

a) These are the only two individuals described by Scripture as "navon" (discerning, prudent):

And Pharaoh said to Yosef, since God has shown you all this, there in none so discerning (navon) and wise as you are. (Bereishit 41:39)

Then answered one of the young men, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Yishai the Beth-Lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent (navon) in affairs, and a comely person." (I Shmuel 16:18)

b) These are also the only two males in Scripture described as "yefeh mar'eh" (handsome, of fair countenance):

And Yosef was a good-looking person and of a fair countenance (yefeh mar'eh). (Bereishit 39:6)

And when the Pelishti looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance (yefeh mar'eh). (I Shmuel 17:42)

I) Result:

And they stripped Yosef of his coat, the striped coat that was on him. (Bereishit 37:23)

(38) And Shaul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. (39) And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he essayed to go, [but could not]; for he had not tried it. And David said unto Shaul, "I cannot go with these; for I have not tried them." And David put them off him.

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. (I Shmuel 22:1)

J) Name of God:

(26) And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man that kills this Pelishti, and takes away the taunt from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Pelishti, that he should have taunted the armies of the living God?"

III "THE MAN WHO KILLS HIM"

(25) And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man that is come up? Surely to taunt Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."

(26) And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man that kills this Pelishti and takes away the taunt from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Pelishti, that he should have taunted the armies of the living God?"

Ralbag: Now David volunteered to fight the Pelishti as soon as he heard what would be done to the man who kills him… For he relied on the fact that Shmuel had designated him for the kingship, and it was as if he thought that this would be the means to fulfill the will of God regarding the flowering of his kingdom. For as the son-in-law of the king it would be possible for him to successfully reach kingship.

(27) And the people answered him after this manner, saying, "So shall it be done to the man that kills him…" (30) And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him after the former manner.

(31) And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Shaul; and he was taken to him.

(32) And David said to Shaul, "Let no man's heart fail within him; your servant will go and fight with this Pelishti."

(33) And Shaul said to David, "Your are not able to go against this Pelishti to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

(34) And David said unto Shaul, "Your servant kept his father's sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, (35) I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. (36) Your servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Pelishti shall be as one of them, seeing he has taunted the armies of the living God."

(37) And David said, "The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Pelishti."

(40) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his scrip; and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Pelishti.

I (41) And the Pelishti came nearer and nearer unto David; and the man that bore the shield went before him.

II (42) And when the Pelishti looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance.

III (43) And the Pelishti said unto David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with staffs?" And the Pelishti cursed David by his god.

IV (44) And the Pelishti said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field."

(45) Then said David to the Pelishti, "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 hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. (46) This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Pelishtim 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. (47) And that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hand."

So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Shaul and Yonatan; but with Shaul and with Yonatan his son was there found. (13:22)

And David played with his hand, as he did day by day; and Shaul had his spear in his hand. And Shaul cast the spear. (18:10-11)

And an evil spirit from the Lord was upon Shaul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand. And Shaul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Shaul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. (19:9-10)

And Yehonatan answered Shaul his father, and said unto him, "Wherefore should he be put to death? What has he done?" And Shaul cast his spear at him to smite him. (20:32-33)

And, behold, Shaul lay sleeping within the barricade, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Avner and the people lay round about him. (26:7)

The contrast between Shaul's trust in his sword and spear and his lack of trust in God, which found expression in several of Shaul's battles, creates a difficult parallel between Shaul and Goiat. The ironic tragedy is that Shaul's end was similar to that of Goliat – dying by his own sword, which had failed to protect him:

Then said Shaul to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make a mock of me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Shaul took his sword, and fell upon it. (31:4)

IV DAVID AND YONATAN

For there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. (14:6)

That the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hand. (17:47)

(51) … And when the Pelishtim saw that their mighty man was dead, they fled. (52) And the men of Israel and of Yehuda arose, and shouted, and pursued the Pelishtim, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Pelishtim fell down by the way to Sha'arayim, even unto Gat, and unto Ekron. (53) And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Pelishtim, and they spoiled their camp.

(54) And David took the head of the Pelishti, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his equipment in his tent.

And David said unto Achimelekh, "And is there perhaps here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." And the priest said, "The sword of Golyat the Pelishti, whom you slew in the vale of Ela, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the efod; if you will take that, take it, for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me." (21:9-10)

V EPILOGUE:

(55) And when Shaul saw David go forth against the Pelishti, he said unto Avner, the captain of the host, "Avner, whose son is this youth?" And Avner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell." (56) And the king said, "Inquire you whose son the stripling is." (57) And as David returned from the slaughter of the Pelishti, Avner took him, and brought him before Shaul with the head of the Pelishti in his hand. (58) And Shaul said to him, "Whose son are you, you young man?" And David answered, I am the son of your servant Yishai the Beth-lehemite."

Rashi: Shaul was not asking about the boy's identity, but rather about his genealogy and his fitness to serve as king.

Ralbag: "It seems that owing to his many affairs and the many people who come before him, a king is incapable of recognizing each one of them individually."

Rabbi Yosef Kara: "I am unable to reconcile Scripture according to its plain sense."

1) In the previous chapter, David was anointed king "in the midst of his brothers" (v. 13), whereas in our chapter there is no hint to his having been anointed. On the contrary, as we have seen, David's oldest brother Eliav patronizes and mocks him.

2) In chapter 16, David's family is described in detail. It is mentioned there that Yishai the Beth-lehemite had eight sons, the first three being Eliav, Avinadav and Shama, and the last one being David. Why, then, does Scripture repeat this detail in our chapter: "Now David was the son of that Efratite of Beth-lehem in Yehuda, whose name was Yishai; and he had eight sons; and the man was an old man in the days of Shaul, stricken in years among men. And the three eldest sons of Yishai had gone after Shaul to the battle; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliav the first-born, and next unto him Avinadav, and the third Shama" (vv. 12-13)?

3) There is also a wide gap between the anonymous and modest figure of David in our chapter (until his victory over Golyat) and the description of him in the previous chapter: "Who is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him' (16:18).

4) David's status is also not clear. At the end of chapter 16, he had been appointed Shaul's arms-bearer; why then does David not go out with Shaul to war? Scripture seems to answer this question: "Now David went to and fro from Shaul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem" (v. 16). The difficulty, however, remains, for it is still not clear why David takes a long walk around the camp before he reaches Shaul, rather than going directly to him.

The Negative Perspective vs The Positive Perspective

1) Following the negative perspective, textually, chapter 16 directly continues chapter 15 (15:1: "And the Lord said unto Shmuel, 'How long will you mourn for Shaul'"). Linguistically, this perspective is evident in the root mem-alef-samekh, which appears 9 times in the book of Shmuel, all instances in the negative perspective: 7 times in chapters 8, 10, and 15, and two more times in chapter 16 (vv. 1, 7).

2) According to the positive perspective, the Pelishtim are the main enemy of Israel (as opposed to Amon or Amalek according to the negative perspective). As was already noted, there is a clear connection between the three battles in which Shaul's decline is evident – from chapter 11, through chapter 13, and until our chapter. This connection also distinguishes between Shaul who received signs; Yonatan – who made signs for himself; and David – who didn't need any signs.

Chapter 18 - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHAUL AND YONATAN

(1) And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Shaul, that the soul of Yonatan was knit with the soul of David, and Yonatan loved him as his own soul.

(2) And Shaul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

(3) Then Yonatan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. (4) And Yonatan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

(5) And David went out; wherever Shaul sent him, he had good success; and Shaul set him over the men of war…

I "SHAUL HAS SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS, AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS"

(6) And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Pelishti, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Shaul, with timbrels, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments. (7) And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, "Shaul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."

RaDaK:

1) Shaul slew thousands of Pelishtim, whereas David slew ten thousands of them.

2) With his thousands and with his ten thousands – that is to say, when Shaul strikes the Pelishtim, he strikes by himself as if there were thousands with him, and David by himself strikes the Pelishtim as if there were tens of thousands with him.

A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand. (Tehillim 91:7)

(8) And Shaul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and all he lacks is the kingdom!"

(9) And Shaul eyed David with hostility from that day and forward.

II FROM HOSTILITY TO FEAR

A) Spear Attempts:

(10) And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Shaul, and he raved in the midst of the house; and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Shaul had his spear in his hand. (11) And Shaul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David stepped aside out of his presence twice. (12) And Shaul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Shaul.

(12) And Shaul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Shaul. (13) Therefore, Shaul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

(15) And when Shaul saw that he had great success, he dreaded him. (16) But all Israel and Yehuda loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

B) Marriage Attempts?

(17) And Shaul said to David, "Behold my elder daughter Meirav; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be you valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles." For Shaul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Pelishtim be upon him.

(18) And David said unto Shaul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

(19) But it came to pass at the time when Meirav, Shaul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Mecholatite as a wife.

(20) And Mikhal, Shaul's daughter, loved David; and they told Shaul…

… and the thing pleased him. (21) And Shaul said, "I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Pelishtim may be against him." Wherefore Shaul said to David, "You shall this day be my son-in-law through the one of the two."

(23) And Shaul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Does it seems to you to be a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?"

(25) And Shaul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Pelishtim, to be avenged of the king's enemies.'" For Shaul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Pelishtim.

(27) And David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Pelishtim two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Shaul gave him Mikhal his daughter as a wife.

1 - (2) And Shaul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. (3) Then Yonatan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul…

2 - (15) And when Shaul saw that he had great success, he dreaded him. (16) But all Israel and Yehuda loved (ohev) David; for he went out and came in before them…

3 - (28) And Shaul saw and knew that the Lord was with David; and Mikhal Shaul's daughter loved him.

ohev-oyev: (29) And Shaul was yet the more afraid of David; and Shaul was David's enemy (oyev) continually.

(30) Then the princes of the Pelishtim went forth; and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David prospered more than all the servants of Shaul, so that his name was much set by.

MIKHAL AND DAVID

Parallels with Yaakov and Rachel

1) In both stories, the heroes are the groom (Yaakov/David), the father-in-law (Lavan/Shaul), and his two daughters (Lea and Rachel/Meirav and Mikhal).

2) In both stories, the father-in-law breaches an obligation that he had already given regarding the marriage of his daughter: Lavan replaces Rachel with Lea (Bereishit 29:23); and Shaul, who had obligated himself to give his daughter in marriage to the man who kills Golyat (I Shmuel 17:25), gives his daughter to another man.

3) In both cases, the groom is asked to pay for the marriage, and in both cases he pays twice the amount that had been demanded at the outset. Yaakov said to Lavan: "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter" (Bereishit 29:18), but in actual practice, after Lavan replaced Rachel with Lea, Yaakov worked "fourteen years for your two daughters" (ibid. 31:41). Shaul informs David that "the king desires not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Pelishtim" (I Shmuel 18:25), but in actuality: "David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Pelishtim two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins" (ibid. v. 27).

4) Scripture seems to allude to the correspondence between the two stories through the linguistic similarity between them. The book of Shmuel relates that after David heard the condition set for his marriage to Mikhal:

And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired (mal'u ha-yamim). (I Shemuel 18:26)

II "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled (mal'u yamai), that I may go in to her" (Bereishit 29:21).

5) The two stories also continue in parallel manner. The rift between son-in-law and father-in-law continues to expand, until in the end the son-in-law runs away from the father-in-law with the help of his wife, who cooperates with him against her own father: Yaakov's wives join him in his flight (Bereishit 31:14-17), and Mikhal saves David from Shaul's men (I Shmuel 19:11-17). Interestingly, in both cases mention is made of terafim in connection with the woman (Bereishit 31:34; I Shmuel 19:13).

6) In both stories, a meeting occurs in the end between the father-in-law/pursuer and the son-in-law/pursued, and the two parties reconcile, swear to each other by the name of God, and set God as judge between them:

The God of Avraham, and the god of Nachor, the god of their father, judge between us. (Bereishit 31:53)

The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and you. (I Shmuel 24:15)

And David said, "Does it seem to you to be a light thing to be the king's son-in-law?" (ibid. v. 23)

It pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. (ibid. v. 26)

And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. (ibid. v. 27)