1 Samuel 17 44

1 Samuel 17:44 kjv

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

1 Samuel 17:44 nkjv

And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

1 Samuel 17:44 niv

"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!"

1 Samuel 17:44 esv

The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."

1 Samuel 17:44 nlt

"Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled.

1 Samuel 17 verses

1 Samuel 17 44 Meaning

In 1 Samuel 17:44, the Philistine champion, Goliath, makes a direct and contemptuous threat to David. Having already cursed David by his gods, Goliath now explicitly vows to defeat David and leave his body unburied and dismembered, to be consumed by scavenger birds and wild animals. This pronouncement was the gravest insult and curse in ancient Near Eastern culture, designed to strip David of any honor even in death and demonstrate Goliath's absolute confidence in his impending victory. It underscores a worldview based on physical might and brutal conquest, in stark contrast to David's reliance on the living God.

1 Samuel 17 44 Context

The verse is part of the pivotal encounter between David and Goliath described in 1 Samuel chapter 17. The Philistines and Israelites have encamped on opposing hillsides in the Valley of Elah, locked in a standoff. For forty days, Goliath, the Philistine champion, a giant nearly ten feet tall, has emerged daily to challenge any Israelite to single combat, thus determining the outcome of the war. Saul and the entire Israelite army are terrified and paralyzed by fear.

David, a young shepherd boy from Bethlehem, arrives at the battlefield to deliver provisions to his brothers. Upon hearing Goliath's defiant challenge and the despair of the Israelite army, David is indignant at the Philistine's defiance of the armies of the living God. Verse 44 represents the peak of Goliath's taunts towards David, occurring immediately after Goliath sees David and disdains him, cursing him by his gods (v. 43). Goliath's words here are intended to terrorize and psychologically break David, leveraging a common ancient Near Eastern custom where the lack of proper burial and consumption by scavengers was the ultimate indignity and curse, denying the defeated warrior honor in this life and the next. This cultural understanding of a proper burial versus desecration by scavengers amplifies the weight of Goliath's threat.

1 Samuel 17 44 Word analysis

• And the Philistine said to David,: Establishes the specific parties involved: Goliath (the formidable adversary representing pagan strength) directly addressing David (the young, unassuming Israelite representing divine anointing and faith).
• "Come to me,:
  • Hebrew: לַה (lah), an imperative from the verb bo (בוא), "to come."
  • A confident, arrogant command. Goliath sees David as a prey, beckoning him forward for the inevitable demise. It implies total control over the situation and outcome from Goliath's perspective.
• and I will give:
  • Hebrew: וְאֶתְּנָה (v'etnah), from נָתַן (natan), "to give," "to put," "to place."
  • Signifies a deliberate action, a grant of fate. Goliath presumes absolute power over David's life and his afterlife fate by dictating his end. The verb choice asserts a god-like authority to deliver a person over to a gruesome end.
• your flesh:
  • Hebrew: בְּשָׂרְךָ (b'sarekha), "your flesh," from בָּשָׂר (basar), "flesh," "body."
  • This term is very graphic and visceral, indicating not just death but the dismemberment and consumption of the physical body. It’s a deliberate effort to dehumanize David and portray his fate as ignominious and vile. It avoids more honorable terms like "body" (guf or nefesh often used in relation to the soul, but not "body" in the physical sense alone) to heighten the disgust.
• to the birds of the air:
  • Hebrew: לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם (l'of hashshamayim), "to bird of the heavens/sky." עוֹף (of) refers to winged creatures, specifically carrion birds.
  • In the ancient Near East, a proper burial was paramount for honor and, by some beliefs, for the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife. Being left unburied for scavengers was a severe curse, signifying utter disgrace, divine abandonment, and a horrific end. Goliath is promising David a cursed death, denying him a dignified farewell and consigning him to utter oblivion. This resonates with Old Testament curses (e.g., Deut 28:26).
• and to the beasts of the field!":
  • Hebrew: וּלְבֶהֶמֶת הַשָּׂדֶה (u'l'bhemeth hassadeh), "and to beast of the field." בְּהֵמָה (behemah) refers to beasts or domestic animals, but in this context with "field" (sadeh), it points to wild animals.
  • This further amplifies the disgrace and reinforces the image of the body being completely consumed and scattered, ensuring no part of David's remains would be recoverable for a respectful burial. It underscores the severity of the threatened dismemberment and defilement.

Word Group Analysis:

• "Come to me, and I will give": This phrase reflects Goliath's commanding, presumptuous posture. He speaks from a position of perceived superiority and absolute power, arrogantly claiming dominion over David's very existence. This is a declaration of intent to utterly crush, not just defeat, his opponent.
• "your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field!": This is a direct curse and a prophecy of ignoble death. The imagery vividly paints a picture of extreme degradation, a desecration that was worse than death itself in ancient cultures. It signifies a complete stripping of dignity, an utter vanquishing that extends beyond mere physical death to the annihilation of reputation and lineage. This type of threat serves to underscore the profound spiritual battle being waged between the proud boasts of pagan might and the humble faith of God's chosen.

1 Samuel 17 44 Bonus section

• Polemics against Pagan Beliefs: Goliath curses David by his "gods" in the preceding verse (v. 43) and then makes this gruesome threat. This sets up a clear theological contest. David's victory over Goliath is not merely a military triumph, but a powerful polemic against the efficacy of Philistine deities and their perceived champions, demonstrating that YHWH, the God of Israel, is superior to any other god.
• Foreshadowing Divine Judgment: The detailed imagery of the body being consumed by birds and beasts is often found in Old Testament prophecies of divine judgment against wicked individuals or nations (e.g., Deut 28:26, Jer 7:33, 1 Kgs 14:11). Goliath unwittingly pronounces a judgment that will be carried out upon himself, highlighting the irony of God’s perfect justice.
• The Power of Words: Goliath uses words as a weapon to demoralize and terrorize. His language is coarse, contemptuous, and filled with a dehumanizing intent. This contrasts sharply with David's response in v. 45-47, where David uses words to proclaim the power and glory of the living God. The passage implicitly teaches about the potent, often self-fulfilling, nature of speech, especially when rooted in either arrogance or faith.

1 Samuel 17 44 Commentary

Goliath's utterance in 1 Samuel 17:44 is more than a simple death threat; it is a calculated psychological attack designed to strip David of courage, dignity, and any hope of a respectable end. In ancient cultures, the denial of burial and the consumption of the body by scavengers represented the ultimate dishonor and a profound curse, signifying that the deceased was unworthy of rest and effectively annihilated. By proclaiming this fate, Goliath attempts to assert his overwhelming physical and spiritual dominance, implying that even the gods have abandoned David. This threat stands in stark contrast to David's unwavering faith in the Lord.

Ironically, Goliath’s curse becomes a prophecy against himself. This specific, detailed threat highlights the dramatic reversal of fortune that is about to unfold. Goliath’s confidence, rooted in his immense size, formidable weaponry, and perceived strength, blinds him to the true power operating through David. The scene is a powerful demonstration of how God opposes the proud and exalts the humble, ensuring that those who defy His name will suffer the very fate they wished upon His servants. The battle, far from being a physical contest between two men, becomes a theological confrontation where the living God demonstrates His sovereignty over the boasting of mere mortals and the gods they worship.