The Church Fathers on this verse

1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 17:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And as he talked with them, that baseborn man, whose name was Goliath, the Philistine, of Geth, shewed himself coming up from the camp of the Philistines: and he spoke according to the same words, and David heard them,

Douay-Rheims

וְה֣וּא ׀ מְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמָּ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֣ישׁ הַבֵּנַ֡יִם עוֹלֶ֞ה גָּלְיָת֩ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֨י שְׁמ֤וֹ מִגַּת֙ ממערות מִמַּעַרְכ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִֽד׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

Upon arriving, he discovered that a confrontation was imminent with the outsider Goliath, and the entire Israelite nation, including Saul, was gripped by fear, with the king at risk of losing everything. Initially, David was merely curious to witness this unusual scene, where a single individual dared to challenge thousands.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.