1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 17:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Fear and despair enveloped everyone; no one was bold enough to lift his gaze, for the entire situation was perilous. Death loomed large before them all; each day brought the expectation of demise, and their existence was more wretched than that of those condemned to the pit.

When all human efforts failed, then the Lord revealed His assistance. This is the nature of God, who ensures that no one can claim His glory as their own. Thus, when human circumstances become dire, it is at that moment that God dispatches His help. He acted similarly with Goliath, as well as with the apostles. This is why Paul stated, ‘they had in themselves the sentence of death, that they might not hope in themselves, but in God who raises the dead’ (2 Cor. 1:9).