1 Samuel 17:43

1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Ver. 43. Am I a dog?] {a} No, not so good as a dog, said David, very stoutly and sternly, if Josephus may be believed; and this so maddened the Philistine, that he cursed him, saying, Dagon destroy thee, or, The devil take thee: but David knew that cursing men are cursed men. He remembered likely the promise made to Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him that curseth thee." Basil {b} of Selencia bringeth in David hereupon, saying, Maledicam inimici linguam victoriae pignus teneo, I take Goliath’s curse for a pledge of victory. "Let him curse, Lord, but do thou bless," &c. {Psa 109:28}

{a} Had David taken him for any better, he would never have come out with a staff and a stone.

{b} Orat. 15.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:43 a dog: A metaphor for a compliant, bowing servant (cp. 2 Sam 9:8). • a stick: David had concealed his sling, and Goliath could see only his staff. • by the names of his gods: Since Goliath appealed to his gods, David’s victory over Goliath would also symbolize God’s victory over Dagon, the chief god of the Philistines (1 Sam 5:2, 5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He sware by his gods that he would destroy him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 43. Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?] It is very likely that Goliath did not perceive the sling, which David might have kept coiled up within his hand.

Cursed David by his gods.] Prayed his gods to curse him. This long parley between David and Goliath is quite in the style of those times. A Hindoo sometimes in a fit of anger says to his enemy, The goddess Kalee shall devour thee! May Doorga destroy thee! Homer's heroes have generally an altercation before they engage; and sometimes enter into geographical and genealogical discussions, and vaunt and scold most contemptibly.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(43) Am I a dog?—The Philistine warrior—as the shepherd boy, all unarmed, drew near—rose apparently, for he was seated, as was often the custom with these heavily-clad warriors of antiquity when not actually engaged in combat, and coming towards David, taunted him and his cause with the most contemptuous expressions. “Am I a dog,” he asked—and dogs are animals held in many parts of the East in great contempt—“that you come against me with sticks and staves?” The LXX. missed the force of this plural “of contempt,” and altering the text, translates “with staff and with stones.”

By his gods.—This should be rendered by his God. No doubt the idolator here made use of the sacred Name, so dear to every believing Israelite, thus defying the Eternal of Hosts.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

43. Am I a dog] The Sept. (B) reads: “Am I a dog that thou comest to me with a staff and stones? And David said, Nay but worse than a dog.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Philistine said unto David, am I a dog?.... Truly David did not think him much better, because of his impudence, impurity, and barking blasphemy against God, and the armies of Israel; the Targum is,"am I a despised dog?''

verily he was by David:

that thou comest to me with staves? or with a staff, the plural for the singular, to beat him with it as a dog is beaten, and as David used to beat his dog with, while keeping his father's sheep, when the dog he had with him did not do his business as he should; he says nothing of his sling and stones, they being out of sight:

and the Philistine cursed David by his gods: by Dagon and others; he made an imprecation by them, and wished the greatest evils might befall him from them; he devoted him to them, and doubted not to make a sacrifice of him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Gods. Dagon or Baalim. (Menochius) -- Septuagint (Alexandrian) has, "idols." The beauty and accoutrements of David, made the rough warrior suppose that he was not coming to fight, but only to laugh at him and run away. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

With staves, i.e. with a staff; the plural number for the singular; as Gen 21:7; 46:7.

The Philistine cursed David; he prayed that his god Dagon, and Ashtaroth, &c., would destroy him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

43-47. Such parleying and threats as these verses record were common in ancient times between contending heroes. Numerous examples may be found in Homer.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dog - Dost thou think to beat me as easily as thou wouldst thy dog?

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.