1 Samuel 17:47

1Sa 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

Ver. 47. That the Lord sayeth not with sword and spear.] Is not tied to means, but crosseth oft the likeliest projects. See Zec 4:6. {See Trapp on "Zec 4:6"}

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.

1Sa_17:47

The battle is the Lords.

David and Goliath

This familiar dramatic story has much to teach us. One lesson only is our present consideration--Davids heroic and victorious faith. Time would fail me, said the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews in his beautiful chronicle of the worthies of faith, to tell of Gedeon and of Barak, and of Sampson and of Jephthah; of David also. And when does his faith shine with such lustre as when, having single-handed slain Goliath, he turned to fight the armies of the aliens? In this narrative we see--

I. The surprises of faith. Forty days; and is he ever to be met in combat? Who will meet him? No Hebrew veteran. No well-panoplied soldier, but a young shepherd, and he with well-slung stone will be victor! Unlikely warrior! unlikely weapon! unlikely victory! A victory of faith. A surprise of faith. So has it ever been. The surprises of history are the surprises of faith. Who are the men who have entered the kingdom of influence wherein with abiding sceptre, they rule the human generations? Men of faith. The great men whose names are in the Old and New Testament chronicles were less likely, according to human judgment, to leave the impress they have upon the ages. And what surprises await us if we but emulate such faith? We can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth us!

II. The hindrances to faith. It is easy to go in company. It is easy among the faithful to deem our faith strong. But solitude tries the spirit. Celebrated is the poets Abdiel, because faithful found among the faithless, faithful only he. And where was another faithful beside David through all the camp of Israel.? It was no ordinary foe against whom his courage kindled. Much, too, had he to hinder him in the craven spirit of Israel. Nothing in this to help David. His eye, lit with indignant courage, met no answering light in any other. Israels only answer to Goliaths challenge was--flight! Enough in this to arrest David from offering himself for the combat. Who is he to stand forth as the pick of the nations valour? He is brought into the presence of the king. But David had to beat down hindrance sharp and strong before he reached Sauls tent. Sharper, I think, than from any other. To be thus rebuked and slandered by a brother! But his faith stood fast. He answered not bitter with bitter. Eliab was his brother, not his Lord. The battle was the Lords, the battle within him as well as against Goliath And the Lord gave him the inner victory before the outer. Had his faith failed him before Eliab he had never stood before Goliath. Hindrances to faith! How many hindrances we meet in the way of our hearts supreme surrender to, and reliance on, Christ! Hindrances from tyrannic evil habit whose power Christ only can break. Hindrances from our circumstances; our business methods; the worldly faithless atmosphere in which we long have lived. From those who nearest us can affect us the most, from kindred as close as--closer than--was Eliab to David. What then? All the more need for earnestness. But whether within or without, the battle is the Lords.

III. The argument of faith. Faith has varied arguments. Gods promises are one. Gods character is another But experience is the argument of David. This he urges with Saul. A valid argument is that of experience. Has God ever forsaken David even when life depended upon well-aimed blow against wild beast? As He had never forsaken him, so he never would. One victory carried with it the assurance of another. One enemy slain that all enemies should be destroyed. We too have personal memories of deliverance. These are to be cherished. They are silent promises. To the listening heart they speak of goodness to come as well as past. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

IV. the simplicity of faith. With what naturalness David enters and moves through this wondrous story! He runs into the camp and against Goliath with a boys eagerness, and yet stands among the soldiers, before the king, and face to face with the loud-tongued foe with the calm heroism of seasoned warrior. He will have no controversy with Eliab. He presumes not on his former service to the king; others open for him the way; the king sends for him. He is not boastful, but tells enough of his previous prowess to secure the kings assent to his championship. If faith be simple, not marred by any self-seeking, fixed only in the Lord, set only on His glory, difficulties drop asunder into a pathway for our feet. No matter of what kind they may be. Only trust in God and do the right; let that be the constant rule of life, and you can safely leave the result with Him. Be fearful of criticism; be swayed by the opinions of men, and then the path darkens, troubles gather, and even when the right thing is done it has no acceptance with God, being done to please men and not Him.

V. The victory of faith. Calmly forth went David, a spectacle to two armies. On he went alone, yet not alone, being, in the words of Josephus, accompanied with an invisible assistant, who was no other than God Himself. He teaches us to fight. He assures us of victory. Under His banner the weakest saint shall win the day. He helps to every prayer and effort of resistance. (G. T. Coster.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 17:47. Saveth not with sword and spear — That is, that he can save without these arms, and with the most contemptible weapons, and that he needs not human force to effect his designs. For the battle is the Lord’s — The events of war are wholly in his power. And he will give you into our hands — David speaks thus confidently, because he was assured of success, by particular inspiration. How great is the difference between the speech of Goliath and that of David! The former consists of the vain- glorious boasting words of a man proudly confiding in his own strength, and thinking of nothing but his own glory. The words of the latter, although expressing an equal assurance of victory, are humble and modest, attributing nothing to himself, but all to the power and goodness of God; building his hopes upon, and rejoicing in, the honour that would accrue to God from his success, instead of puffing himself up with the glory that would arise to himself therefrom.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 47. For the battle is the Lord's] It is the Lord's war: you are fighting against him and his religion, as the champion of your party; I am fighting for God, as the champion of his cause.

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

(47) For the battle is the Lord’s . . .—Although we possess no special ode or psalm composed by David on the occasion of this mortal combat, in which, owing to his sure trust in Jehovah, he won his never-to-be-forgotten victory, yet in many of the compositions attributed to him in the Psalter we find memories of this, his first great triumph. So in Psa_44:6-8 we read—

“I will not trust in my bow,

Neither shall my sword save me.

In God we boast all the day long,

And praise thy Name for ever.”

And in Psa_33:16-20,

“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host,

A mighty man is not delivered by much strength.”

* * * * *

“Our soul waiteth for the Lord,

He is our help and our shield.”

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

47. the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, &c.] A lesson which is needed at all times, when men are tempted to fall down and worship brute force. It is a leading thought in Hannah’s song (1Sa_2:1-10); cp. also 1Sa_14:6; Psa_44:6-7; Hos_1:7; Zec_4:6; 1Co_1:27-28.

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 all this assembly shall know,.... The congregation of Israel, and church of the living God, great part of which were now gathered together, and were spectators of this wonderful event:

that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; that is, by outward means and instruments, by arms and armed men; he does not save by them only, or by them always; he can save as well without them as with them:

for the battle is the Lord's; it is under his direction; the issue and event of it depend on his will, and are owing to him; or, as the Targum,"from the Lord is the victory of wars,''it is he that gives it to whom he pleases:

and he will give you into our hands; not only this Philistine into the hands of David, but the army of them into the hands of the Israelites; David knew, and was assured of this by the Lord, and it was on this he relied, and was what animated him to engage with this champion in the manner he did.

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

The Lord saveth not with sword ... - Observe the consistent teaching of such passages as 1Sa 14:6; Exo 14:13-18; Jdg 7:2, Jdg 7:4,Jdg 7:7; Psa 44:6, etc., and their practical use to the Church as lessons of trust in God, and distrust of ourselves.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Battle, whose armies thou hast defied, (ver. 45.; Haydock) or in general, He is the God of war, who grants victory to whom He pleases. (Calmet)

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).

That the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, i.e. that he can save without these arms, and with the most contemptible weapons, such as mine seem to thee.

The battle is the Lord’s, i.e. the events of war are wholly in his power, to give success to whom and by what means he pleaseth.

He will give you into our hands: David speaks thus confidently, because he was assured of it by a particular inspiration from God.

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

The battle is the Lord"s.

Many of the battles which are waged on earth are not the Lord"s. They are unnecessary and unrighteous. The end they seek and the means they adopt to attain it are evil. Other conflicts are only the Lord"s in an inferior sense. Although not unnecessary, nor in themselves unrighteous, they are waged with secular aims and carnal weapons. But there is one which is the Lord"s in the highest sense. It is a holy war; a conflict of the kingdom of light with the kingdom of darkness. Observe that

1. The obligation is imposed by the Lord. "Fight the good fight of faith.

2. The adversaries are the adversaries of the Lord. "Principalities and powers," etc.

3. The soldiers are the people of the Lord. Those in whose hearts the principles of the kingdom of God are implanted peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

4. The Commander is the Anointed of the Lord. "The Captain of our salvation." "The Leader and Commander of the people.

5. The weapons are provided by the Lord. "Put on the whole armour of God armour of light.

6. The success is due to the Lord. He gives the strength which is needed: "teacheth our hands to war, and our fingers to fight," and "he will give you into our hands.

7. The end is the glory of the Lord. When it is over God will be "all in all." "Who is on the Lord"s side? D.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Saveth - That is, that he can save without these arms, and with the most contemptible weapons. The battle - That is, the events of war are wholly in his power. He will - David speaks thus confidently, because he was assured of it by a particular inspiration.

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