1 Samuel 21:9

HE TAKES GOLIATH'S SWORD. (Sa1 21:9)

sword of Goliath--(See on Sa1 17:54).

behind the ephod--in the place allowed for keeping the sacred vestments, of which the ephod is mentioned as the chief. The giant's sword was deposited in that safe custody as a memorial of the divine goodness in delivering Israel.

There is none like that--not only for its size and superior temper, but for its being a pledge of the divine favor to him, and a constant stimulus to his faith.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

1Sa 21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take [it]: for [there is] no other save that here. And David said, [There is] none like that; give it me.

Ver. 9. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath.] This priest had no other weapon: the high priest of Rome is a great warrior: professeth to hold both the swords: and is herein the picture and successor of Timotheus Herulus, that warlike bishop of Alexandria, A.D. 467.

Wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod,] i.e., Behind the vestry, or priest’s wardrobe; kept there for a monument of that famous victory; dedicated by David, and therefore some {a} think, neither lawful nor fit for him, being to go among the Philistines, who could not but know it. But necessity hath no law; and why he desired it, see on 1Sa 21:8.

There is none like that.] Say we so of the sword of the Spirit, the word, when preached especially. As milk warmed is fitter for nourishment, and as the rain from heaven hath a fatness with it, and a special influence more than standing waters: so there is not that life, operation, and blessing in the word read as preached.

{a} Pellican.

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_21:9

And David said, There is none like that: give it me.

Goliaths sword

I. First, then, the history of Goliaths sword. See it, in the first instance, hanging at the giants side. The man himself is mighty. Hark how he challenges the hosts of Israel. The after history of this sword is interesting. What became of it after David, having no sword of his own, put it to the giants throat and cut off his head with it? It was Goliaths no longer; it was Davids, really. It is evident that he was not content to have it ornamenting his own residence--he would give it to the Lord. He found it in his heart to hang the sword in the Holy Place, that God might have the glory. What happened next? Why, long afterwards, when David wanted a sword, God gave this very weapon back to him. Nobody is ever the poorer for lending to the Lord. God gave the sword back to David in the hour of his extremity. Now I want to say to you, surely you remember some great deliverance of days gone by. You remember the weapons with which God enabled you to carve your way through obstacles which you supposed must overwhelm you. You are getting into a tight place again, are you? Well, call to mind the previous experience; grasp the old sword, and trust the same, unchanging God. Use the promise that helped you out before.

II. But we shall, I hope, get still further blessing when we think of this sword from a spiritual point of view. These things may well be called an allegory. The war is still waging. The Philistine is still in the land. And what is Davids sword? The sword is Gods Word, Divine Truth, the Gospel of the Grace of God. The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We do not want another weapon. There is nothing to induce us to try another. We have watched the others trying them. They have had such poor success that it makes us the more content with the old Jerusalem blade. (Thomas Spurgeon.)

Tried Weapons

We propose to treat this text with special reference to the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

1. There is none like it for variety of adaptation.

2. As for argument, where can we find a blade more keenly argumentative?

3. I would impress all young readers with the comprehensiveness of the Bible, with its universality of adaptation to all the circumstances and necessities of human life.

4. There is none like it for ease of carriage. There are weapons that are very difficult to carry, but the sword of the Lord is not one of them.

5. There is none like it for universality of use. Children and sick persons can use it; the poorest man can avail himself of it; the busiest man may find a moment for its exercise.

6. The sick can use this sword of the Lord. (J. Parker, D. D.)

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

21:9 The sword of Goliath, which David used to decapitate the giant (17:51), had been taken as war spoils, as had Goliath’s head (17:54). • The ephod mentioned here might not have been the priestly garment of the same name; some passages give the impression that an ephod could also be a statue (Judg 8:27; 18:17).

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

Behind that place, where the high Priest’s garment lay.

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

Verse 9. The sword of Goliath] It has already been conjectured (see 1Sa 17:1-58) that the sword of Goliath was laid up as a trophy in the tabernacle.

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

(9) The sword of Goliath the Philistine.—It was in safe guardianship, that trusty sword of the mightiest of the Philistines, stained perhaps with the blood of the brave but unworthy priests, Hophni and Phineas, the sons of Eli, whom Goliath was believed to have slain in the fatal battle when the Ark was taken, and the power of Israel shattered for many a long year. It was wrapped up and lying in a place of honour behind the sacred ephod with the Urim and Thummim—wrapped up, it has been suggested, in the blood-stained war cloak of the dead Philistine, for the word translated “cloth” is used in Isa_9:5 of military attire.

Give it me.—David grasped the sword with a childlike expression of joy; its sight and touch revived the old bright faith and the sure trust in the strength of Israel on which he leaned when, as a boy, he fought with the wild beasts which infested the wild pasture-lands where he kept his father’s flocks (the Shepherd of David was the Holy One; blessed be He.—Midrash Rabbah, 59), and which guided his trembling hand the day he slew the giant in the face of the watching hosts. The sight and touch of the glorious trophy revived the old sure trust which in these dark days of betrayal and persecution was beginning to fail that gallant spirit of David’s. It does not appear from the story that the Philistine’s sword was of extraordinary size; that it was a tried weapon of approved temper and strength is certain, but its chief preciousness consisted, of course, in its storied associations. The Dean of Canterbury suggests it was probably of the ordinary pattern imported from Greece. The LXX. adds here, “and he gave it to him.”

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

9. behind the ephod] Hung up in a secure place, behind the most sacred part of the high-priestly vestments. It was probably dedicated as a memorial of the victory on the conclusion of the Philistine war. See 1Sa_17:54.

There is none like that] The monument of God’s deliverance in the past was a pledge of His help for the future.

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 priest said, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah,.... See Sa1 17:2,

behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; the garment of the high priest, in which were the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, or the linen vestments of the priests; see Sa1 22:18; which were laid up in a chamber for their use; and behind them the sword of Goliath was wrapped up in a linen cloth, and reserved as a monument of the goodness of God to Israel, and the salvation of them wrought by the hands of David, who slew Goliath with this his own sword, and brought it with him. The Targum understands this word, rendered "behind", not of the place where the sword was, but of the time when the priest said this, and paraphrases the words,"after he had inquired for him by the ephod;''see Sa1 22:10,

if thou wilt take that, take it; as if he should say, it is not mine to give thee, but thou mayest take it if thou pleasest; none has a better right to it; it is what thou tookest from the Philistine, and may take it again for thy use if thou art so inclined; and thou must either take this or none:

for there is no other save that here; in the tabernacle, nor even in the priest's house, nor in the city; for it was a city of priests, who did not wear swords:

and David said, there is none like that, give it me; and which, as he was capable of wielding and making use of, as it is plain he was by cutting off Goliath's head with it; so it might serve to strengthen his faith in God, as often as he looked upon it, that he would keep and preserve him, and in due time deliver him out of the hands of Saul, and all his enemies.

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

Wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod - Rather, “in the cloak,” Goliath’s military cloak, which was part of the dedicated trophy. The ephod was naturally hung up where the high priest alone could get at it.

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

This. Chaldean observes, he gave this sword "after he had consulted the Lord with the ephod." In a just war, the ornaments of the temples may be used. Pro republic i plerumque templa nudantur. (Seneca) (Grotius, Jur. iii. 5, 2.) (Calmet) --- Tostatus believes that David would restore this sword, as soon as he had procured other arms.

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).

Behind the ephod, i.e. behind that holy place allotted for the keeping of the sacred or priestly garments; all which are here comprehended under the ephod; which, as the chief of the kind, is put for all the rest. Here it was laid up as a sacred monument of God’s power and goodness, and that famous victory, related 1Sa 17.

There is none like that; because it not only served him for his use, for he was a strong and tall man, and one that could wield that sword, as we saw, 1Sa 17, but was also a pledge of God’s favour to him, and a great encouragement to his faith.

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

9. Wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod — It is probable that, after he had exhibited Goliath’s sword at his own home, (1Sa_17:54,) David had it deposited in the sanctuary as a dedicatory offering. Here it had now been hanging many years, carefully kept behind the high priest’s shoulder-dress. David now thought that he might justly claim it as his own. Ahimelech’s allowing him to take it was construed by Doeg as further evidence of collusion between them.

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

Ephod - That is, behind that holy place allotted for the keeping of the sacred, or priestly garments; all which are here comprehended under the ephod; which, as the chief is put for all the rest. Here it was laid up as a sacred monument of God's power and goodness. None like it - Because it not only served him for his use, for he was a strong and tall man, and one that could wield that sword, but was also a pledge of God's favour to him. Whenever be looked upon it, it would be a support to his faith, by reminding him of what God had already done.

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

Perhaps you have in your possession. And if there is here.

Urgent. Hurried.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.