Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:43
And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
43. Am I a dog ] The Sept. (B) reads: “Am I a dog that thou comest to me with a staff and stones? And David said, Nay but worse than a dog.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 43. Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?] It is very likely that Goliath did not perceive the sling, which David might have kept coiled up within his hand.
Cursed David by his gods.] Prayed his gods to curse him. This long parley between David and Goliath is quite in the style of those times. A Hindoo sometimes in a fit of anger says to his enemy, The goddess Kalee shall devour thee! May Doorga destroy thee! Homer’s heroes have generally an altercation before they engage; and sometimes enter into geographical and genealogical discussions, and vaunt and scold most contemptibly.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With staves, i.e. with a staff; the plural number for the singular; as Gen 21:7; 46:7.
The Philistine cursed David; he prayed that his god Dagon, and Ashtaroth, &c., would destroy him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the Philistine said unto David, [am] I a dog?…. Truly David did not think him much better, because of his impudence, impurity, and barking blasphemy against God, and the armies of Israel; the Targum is,
“am I a despised dog?”
verily he was by David:
that thou comest to me with staves? or with a staff, the plural for the singular, to beat him with it as a dog is beaten, and as David used to beat his dog with, while keeping his father’s sheep, when the dog he had with him did not do his business as he should; he says nothing of his sling and stones, they being out of sight:
and the Philistine cursed David by his gods: by Dagon and others; he made an imprecation by them, and wished the greatest evils might befall him from them; he devoted him to them, and doubted not to make a sacrifice of him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(43) Am I a dog?The Philistine warrioras the shepherd boy, all unarmed, drew nearrose apparently, for he was seated, as was often the custom with these heavily-clad warriors of antiquity when not actually engaged in combat, and coming towards David, taunted him and his cause with the most contemptuous expressions. Am I a dog, he askedand dogs are animals held in many parts of the East in great contemptthat you come against me with sticks and staves? The LXX. missed the force of this plural of contempt, and altering the text, translates with staff and with stones.
By his gods.This should be rendered by his God. No doubt the idolator here made use of the sacred Name, so dear to every believing Israelite, thus defying the Eternal of Hosts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
43-47. Such parleying and threats as these verses record were common in ancient times between contending heroes. Numerous examples may be found in Homer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 17:43. Am I a dog See Exo 22:31. As nothing can be more insolent and impious than the words of Goliath, so nothing can afford us a fairer idea of firm faith and heroic confidence in God, than David’s reply to him. We see the arm of God in this whole event. He it was who guided the hand; He it was who gave force to the arm of David: and who can resist the force of a stroke inflicted by this divine hand, though the hand of a David were not the instrument?
With staves Or, with a staff.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
Ver. 43. Am I a dog? ] a No, not so good as a dog, said David, very stoutly and sternly, if Josephus may be believed; and this so maddened the Philistine, that he cursed him, saying, Dagon destroy thee, or, The devil take thee: but David knew that cursing men are cursed men. He remembered likely the promise made to Abraham, “I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him that curseth thee.” Basil b of Selencia bringeth in David hereupon, saying, Maledicam inimici linguam victoriae pignus teneo, I take Goliath’s curse for a pledge of victory. “Let him curse, Lord, but do thou bless,” &c. Psa 109:28
a Had David taken him for any better, he would never have come out with a staff and a stone.
b Orat. 15.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Am: 1Sa 24:14, 2Sa 3:8, 2Sa 9:8, 2Sa 16:9, 2Ki 8:13
cursed: Gen 27:29, Num 22:6, Num 22:11, Num 22:12, Jdg 9:27, Pro 26:2
Reciprocal: Jdg 4:21 – took 1Sa 14:12 – Come up to us 2Sa 16:5 – cursed Neh 4:2 – feeble Psa 12:3 – tongue Zec 11:7 – staves
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine {o} cursed David by his gods.
(o) He swore by his gods that he would destroy him.