1 Samuel 17 explained

The WEB's champion in 17:4 is in Hebrew the man of the benayim, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as the space between two armies. Goliath, the man of that in-between space, defied the armies of Israel (17:10). David called them the armies of the living God (17:26), and came in the name of the LORD of Armies (17:45).

The Philistines gathered for battle "at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim" (17:1). Saul and the men of Israel "encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines" (17:2) (tap battle). "The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them" (17:3). Then one man came out: "A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out" (17:4) (tap champion). The chapter describes his armor: a helmet, a coat of mail, shin armor and a javelin, all of bronze, and a spear whose head was iron (17:5-7). He offered to settle it with one fight: "Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me" (17:8), and the side that lost would serve the other (17:9). "I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!" (17:10) (tap defy and armies). "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid" (17:11). "The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days" (17:16).

Two Hebrew words are behind the WEB's champion. In 17:4 and 17:23 Goliath is ish habbenayim, and for benayim Brown-Driver-Briggs gives "space between two armies"; the verse before has said, "there was a valley between them" (17:3). In 17:51, where "the Philistines saw that their champion was dead", the word is gibbor, "strong, mighty" (Brown-Driver-Briggs).

1 Samuel 17:3-4 · 1 Samuel 17:23 · 1 Samuel 17:51

1 Samuel 17:47→leads to1 Corinthians 15:57

David told Goliath, "the LORD doesn’t save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand" (17:47). Paul, writing of the day when "Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54), says, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). No New Testament passage cites 1 Samuel 17, so setting the two side by side is a reading. Some hear the same thing in both: the victory is God's to give (17:47; 1 Corinthians 15:57). Others read each in its own setting: David speaks of one battle against the Philistines in the valley of Elah (17:2, 17:46), and Paul of death and sin: "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:56).

חָרַףcharafsay kha-RAF

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "reproach", and "say sharp things against,—taunt". Strong's: "figuratively, to carp at, i.e. defame", with defy among the English words it lists. Goliath says it first: "I defy the armies of Israel today!" (17:10). The men of Israel say he has come up "to defy Israel" (17:25). David asks, "who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (17:26), says it again to Saul, "since he has defied the armies of the living God" (17:36), and to Goliath: "the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (17:45). Those are its five uses in 1 Samuel, all in this chapter. The reproach of 17:26 is cherpah, which Strong's gives as coming from this verb (tap reproach).

For forty days Goliath came out "morning and evening" (17:16), and Israel "were dismayed and greatly afraid" (17:11). What has been standing in front of you so long that you've stopped expecting it to move?