1 Samuel 17:25 kjv
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
1 Samuel 17:25 nkjv
So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel."
1 Samuel 17:25 niv
Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel."
1 Samuel 17:25 esv
And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."
1 Samuel 17:25 nlt
"Have you seen the giant?" the men asked. "He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man's entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!"
1 Samuel 17 25 Cross References
h2| Verse | Text | Reference ||---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|| 1 Sam 17:26 | "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" | David identifies Goliath's defiance as against God. || 1 Sam 17:36 | "...this uncircumcised Philistine, who has defied the armies of the living God." | David reiterates Goliath's direct challenge to God. || 1 Sam 17:45-47 | David to Goliath: "You come to me with a sword... but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts... that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." | Contrast: David's reliance on God vs. Saul's material offers. || Jdg 1:12-13 | Caleb promised his daughter Achsah to the man who would strike Kiriath-sepher. | Parallel to royal marriage reward for valor. || Num 32:20-22 | God's promise to grant land/rest to those who fight with Israel. | Example of rewards for fulfilling military duty. || 1 Kgs 3:13 | God grants Solomon riches and honor for his wisdom and choice. | Divine blessing, contrasted with man-made rewards. || 2 Sam 18:11 | Joab offers a reward for killing Absalom (silver and belts). | Example of military incentives by leaders. || Psa 74:10 | "How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?" | Lament over enemies defying God, like Goliath. || Isa 37:23 | Sennacherib defies the Holy One of Israel, similar to Goliath's defiance. | Foreign rulers defaming God's name. || Exo 5:2 | Pharaoh’s defiance: "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice...?" | Another instance of a leader defying God. || Lev 25:39-40 | Regulations for Israelites becoming bondservants and their release. | Highlight value and concept of "freedom" in Israel. || Deut 15:12-14 | Command to release Hebrew servants after seven years with provision. | Importance of release and freedom from servitude. || Rom 6:22 | "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." | Spiritual freedom in Christ, contrasting earthly exemption. || Gal 5:1 | "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." | Spiritual liberation, a deeper freedom. || 1 Cor 7:22-23 | "For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord... You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." | True freedom found in serving Christ, not man. || Psa 146:3 | "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation." | Caution against reliance on human power/promises, like Saul's. || Jer 17:5 | "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength..." | Echoes the danger of trusting in earthly sources over God. || 1 Sam 17:47 | "...the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.” | David's counter-narrative; God fights for His people. || Zec 4:6 | "'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts." | God’s power is spiritual, not reliant on human strength or reward. || Phil 4:13 | "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." | Empowerment for seemingly impossible tasks through divine strength. || Matt 6:19-21 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Heavenly rewards vs. earthly incentives. || Heb 11:6 | "...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." | God as the ultimate source of reward for faith. || Phil 3:7-8 | "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." | Value of spiritual pursuit over worldly gain. |
1 Samuel 17 verses
1 Samuel 17 25 Meaning
The verse reveals the pervasive fear and desperation among the Israelite men concerning Goliath's defiant challenge. It describes the extraordinary rewards King Saul promised to anyone who would defeat Goliath: immense wealth, a marriage into the royal family by receiving the king's daughter, and the perpetual exemption of the victor's entire household from all taxes and burdens in Israel. This profound offer underscores the gravity of the threat and Saul’s inability to find a champion, reflecting his state of fear and his focus on earthly incentives.
1 Samuel 17 25 Context
This verse is set during a tense confrontation between the Philistines and the Israelites in the Valley of Elah. For forty days, the Philistine champion Goliath, a giant, had repeatedly stepped forward to defy the armies of Israel, challenging them to send a single champion to fight him. This method of single combat was intended to settle the conflict without a full-scale battle. However, no Israelite, including King Saul himself, dared to answer the challenge due to overwhelming fear of Goliath's size and reputation. The immediate context shows the profound discouragement and paralysis gripping the Israelite army and their king, leading Saul to offer an unprecedented set of incentives in a desperate attempt to motivate a champion.
1 Samuel 17 25 Word analysis
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- And the men of Israel said,: Signifies a collective expression of observation and discussion among the Israelite soldiers. This phrase establishes the viewpoint of the fearful Israelite troops.
- Have you seen this man who has come up?: A rhetorical question conveying awe, fear, and alarm among the soldiers regarding Goliath's imposing presence and audacity. "Come up" (עָלָה, ’ālāh) suggests his prominent position on the battlefield or his repeated, defiant ascension from the Philistine camp into the valley.
- Surely he has come up to defy Israel;: The men perceive Goliath's direct intent to insult and challenge. "Defy" (חָרַף, ḥārap̄): This Hebrew term means to reproach, scorn, taunt, or defy. Goliath's defiance was not merely a physical challenge but a verbal and psychological attack, specifically against the "armies of the living God" (v. 26), carrying profound religious and national shame.
- and it shall be that the man who kills him,: Introduces the conditions for receiving the king’s extraordinary benefits. This highlights the singular, impossible-seeming task required.
- the king will enrich him with great riches,: First part of the royal reward. "Enrich" (עָשַׁר, ʿāshar): To become rich or make rich. "Great riches" (עֹשֶׁר גָּדוֹל, ‘ōšer gāḏôl): denotes substantial, unprecedented wealth, indicating the depth of the kingdom's desperation. Such a reward would transform a family's status dramatically.
- and will give him his daughter,: Second part of the royal reward, implying marriage to a royal princess. This was a common way for ancient kings to seal alliances or reward loyal and victorious warriors, granting the recipient high social standing, influence, and a connection to the royal lineage. It signifies being brought into the king's household.
- and make his father’s house free in Israel.: Third, and highly significant, part of the reward. "Free" (חָפְשִׁי, ḥopshî): Meaning liberated, exempt, or disburdened. This likely meant freedom from taxes, corvée labor (forced state service), or perhaps military obligations for all generations of his household, an immense privilege that would establish the family's wealth, status, and perpetual security in Israel. It highlights Saul's extreme desperation as such an offer would create a noble class exempt from burdens others bore.ul
- "Have you seen this man... defy Israel;": This phrase captures the Israelites' perception of Goliath's aggressive provocation and its intended aim: to shame and dominate the nation. This defiance is against Israel, but fundamentally, against the God who defends Israel.
- "the king will enrich him... give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free": This entire phrase delineates the lavish triple reward promised by Saul. It shows Saul's human-centric and earthly attempts to solve a spiritual problem through material incentives. The magnitude of these rewards reflects the gravity of the national crisis and Saul's own faithlessness, contrasted with David's later, God-centered motivation.
1 Samuel 17 25 Bonus section
This verse implicitly highlights the declining state of Saul’s kingdom and his personal leadership. His reliance on unprecedented material rewards, rather than faith in God, indicates a departure from true Israelite spiritual leadership. The silence of all Israelite men, including Saul himself (who was physically impressive, 1 Sam 9:2), until David’s arrival underscores the paralyzing fear and spiritual malaise in the camp. The "free in Israel" element of the reward was profoundly significant as it exempted a family from obligations that sustained the monarchy, effectively establishing a new class of nobility, demonstrating how dire the situation was from Saul's perspective. It points to a kingdom trying to manage a spiritual crisis with economic and social leverage rather than by rallying the people under the banner of the LORD.
1 Samuel 17 25 Commentary
1 Samuel 17:25 offers a window into the intense fear and spiritual bankruptcy plaguing King Saul and the Israelite army. Goliath's daily challenge was not merely a test of physical strength but a theological affront to "the armies of the living God" (v. 26). The response from the men of Israel, and especially King Saul, was one of terror and worldly desperation. Saul's triple promise – immense wealth, a royal marriage, and tax exemption for an entire lineage – reveals a leader relying on human incentives to motivate courage rather than divine faith. These incentives, while powerful in an ancient society, highlight Saul's failure to trust God for victory, reflecting his kingdom's spiritual state. It starkly contrasts with David's pure motivation of vindicating God's honor (v. 45-47), setting the stage for a victory rooted not in man's rewards, but in God's power and faithfulness. This episode underscores the human tendency to seek human solutions for spiritual battles and God's consistent ability to use the weak to accomplish His purposes.