Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Six
Chapter 9
How The Philistines Made Another Expedition
Against The Hebrews Under The Reign Of Saul; And How They Were
Overcome By David's Slaying Goliath In Single Combat
1. Now the Philistines gathered themselves together again no
very long time afterward; and having gotten together a great
army, they made war against the Israelites; and having seized a
place between Shochoh and Azekah, they there pitched their camp.
Saul also drew out his army to oppose them; and by pitching his
own camp on a certain hill, he forced the Philistines to leave
their former camp, and to encamp themselves upon such another
hill, over-against that on which Saul's army lay, so that a
valley, which was between the two hills on which they lay,
divided their camps asunder. Now there came down a man out of
the camp of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath, of the city
of Gath, a man of vast bulk, for he was of four cubits and a
span in tallness, and had about him weapons suitable to the
largeness of his body, for he had a breastplate on that weighed
five thousand shekels: he had also a helmet and greaves of
brass, as large as you would naturally suppose might cover the
limbs of so vast a body. His spear was also such as was not
carried like a light thing in his right hand, but he carried it
as lying on his shoulders. He had also a lance of six hundred
shekels; and many followed him to carry his armor. Wherefore
this Goliath stood between the two armies, as they were in
battle array, and sent out aloud voice, and said to Saul and the
Hebrews, "I will free you from fighting and from dangers; for
what necessity is there that your army should fall and be
afflicted? Give me a man of you that will fight with me, and he
that conquers shall have the reward of the conqueror and
determine the war; for these shall serve those others to whom
the conqueror shall belong; and certainly it is much better, and
more prudent, to gain what you desire by the hazard of one man
than of all." When he had said this, he retired to his own camp;
but the next day he came again, and used the same words, and did
not leave off for forty days together, to challenge the enemy in
the same words, till Saul and his army were therewith terrified,
while they put themselves in array as if they would fight, but
did not come to a close battle.
2. Now while this war between the Hebrews and the Philistines
was going on, Saul sent away David to his father Jesse, and
contented himself with those three sons of his whom he had sent
to his assistance, and to be partners in the dangers of the war:
and at first David returned to feed his sheep and his flocks;
but after no long time he came to the camp of the Hebrews, as
sent by his father, to carry provisions to his brethren, and to
know what they were doing. While Goliath came again, and
challenged them, and reproached them, that they had no man of
valor among them that durst come down to fight him; and as David
was talking with his brethren about the business for which his
father had sent him, he heard the Philistine reproaching and
abusing the army, and had indignation at it, and said to his
brethren, "I am ready to fight a single combat with this
adversary." Whereupon Eliab, his eldest brother, reproved him,
and said that he spoke too rashly and improperly for one of his
age, and bid him go to his flocks, and to his father. So he was
abashed at his brother's words, and went away, but still he
spake to some of the soldiers that he was willing to fight with
him that challenged them. And when they had informed Saul what
was the resolution of the young man, the king sent for him to
come to him: and when the king asked what he had to say, he
replied, "O king, be not cast down, nor afraid, for I will
depress the insolence of this adversary, and will go down and
fight with him, and will bring him under me, as tall and as
great as he is, till he shall be sufficiently laughed at, and
thy army shall get great glory, when he shall be slain by one
that is not yet of man's estate, neither fit for fighting, nor
capable of being intrusted with the marshalling an army, or
ordering a battle, but by one that looks like a child, and is
really no elder in age than a child."
3. Now Saul wondered at the boldness and alacrity of David, but
durst not presume on his ability, by reason of his age; but said
he must on that account be too weak to fight with one that was
skilled in the art of war. "I undertake this enterprise," said
David, "in dependence on God's being with me, for I have had
experience already of his assistance; for I once pursued after
and caught a lion that assaulted my flocks, and took away a lamb
from them; and I snatched the lamb out of the wild beast's
mouth, and when he leaped upon me with violence, I took him by
the tail, and dashed him against the ground. In the same manner
did I avenge myself on a bear also; and let this adversary of
ours be esteemed like one of these wild beasts, since he has a
long while reproached our army, and blasphemed our God, who yet
will reduce him under my power."
4. However, Saul prayed that the end might be, by God's
assistance, not disagreeable to the alacrity and boldness of the
child; and said, "Go thy way to the fight." So he put about him
his breastplate, and girded on his sword, and fitted the helmet
to his head, and sent him away. But David was burdened with his
armor, for he had not been exercised to it, nor had he learned
to walk with it; so he said, "Let this armor be thine, O king,
who art able to bear it; but give me leave to fight as thy
servant, and as I myself desire." Accordingly he laid by the
armor, and taking his staff with him, and putting five stones
out of the brook into a shepherd's bag, and having a sling in
his right hand, he went towards Goliath. But the adversary
seeing him come in such a manner, disdained him, and jested upon
him, as if he had not such weapons with him as are usual when
one man fights against another, but such as are used in driving
away and avoiding of dogs; and said, "Dost thou take me not for
a man, but a dog?" To which he replied, "No, not for a dog, but
for a creature worse than a dog." This provoked Goliath to
anger, who thereupon cursed him by the name of God, and
threatened to give his flesh to the beasts of the earth, and to
the fowls of the air, to be torn in pieces by them. To whom
David answered, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a
spear, and with a breastplate; but I have God for my armor in
coming against thee, who will destroy thee and all thy army by
my hands for I will this day cut off thy head, and cast the
other parts of thy body to the dogs, and all men shall learn
that God is the protector of the Hebrews, and that our armor and
our strength is in his providence; and that without God's
assistance, all other warlike preparations and power are
useless." So the Philistine being retarded by the weight of his
armor, when he attempted to meet David in haste, came on but
slowly, as despising him, and depending upon it that he should
slay him, who was both unarmed and a child also, without any
trouble at all.
5. But the youth met his antagonist, being accompanied with an
invisible assistant, who was no other than God himself. And
taking one of the stones that he had out of the brook, and had
put into his shepherd's bag, and fitting it to his sling, he
slang it against the Philistine. This stone fell upon his
forehead, and sank into his brain, insomuch that Goliath was
stunned, and fell upon his face. So David ran, and stood upon
his adversary as he lay down, and cut off his head with his own
sword; for he had no sword himself. And upon the fall of Goliath
the Philistines were beaten, and fled; for when they saw their
champion prostrate on the ground, they were afraid of the entire
issue of their affairs, and resolved not to stay any longer, but
committed themselves to an ignominious and indecent flight, and
thereby endeavored to save themselves from the dangers they were
in. But Saul and the entire army of the Hebrews made a shout,
and rushed upon them, and slew a great number of them, and
pursued the rest to the borders of Garb, and to the gates of
Ekron; so that there were slain of the Philistines thirty
thousand, and twice as many wounded. But Saul returned to their
camp, and pulled their fortification to pieces, and burnt it;
but David carried the head of Goliath into his own tent, but
dedicated his sword to God [at the tabernacle].
Continue on to
Book
Six,
Chapter 10,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
Return to the
Christians Standing with Israel
*******************************************************************
Christians Standing with Israel
About Christians Standing with Israel
Israel Resources
Israel Media
Israel News
Israel Blog
Israel Pictures
Friends of Israel
Contact Christians Standing with Israel
site map
http://www.christiansstandingwithisrael.com/