The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.
Parallel Translations
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The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.
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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.
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And the Philistine said unto David: 'Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?' And the Philistine cursed David by his god.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to 1 Samuel 17:43 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Samuel 24:14 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
- 2 Samuel 3:8 Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to Saul’s house your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!
- 2 Samuel 9:8 He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?”
- Genesis 27:29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
- 2 Samuel 16:9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.”
- 2 Kings 8:13 Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he could do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”
- Proverbs 26:2 Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.
- Numbers 22:6 Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
- Judges 9:27 They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, celebrated, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
- Numbers 22:11-12 ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’ ” God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain He sware by his gods that he would destroy…
He sware by his gods that he would destroy him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am]…
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}
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{a} Had David taken him for any better, he would never have come out with a staff and a stone.
{b} Orat. 15.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain With staves, i.e. with a staff; the plural number…
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.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And the Philistine said unto David, am I a…
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:
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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.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Dog - Dost thou think to beat me as…
Dog - Dost thou think to beat me as easily as thou wouldst thy dog?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 43. Am I a dog, that thou comest…
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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Gods. Dagon or Baalim. (Menochius) -- Septuagint (Alexandrian) has,…
Gods. Dagon or Baalim. (Menochius) -- Septuagint (Alexandrian) has, "idols." The beauty and accoutrements of David, made the rough warrior suppose that he was not coming to fight, but only to laugh at him and run away. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 43-47. Such parleying and threats as these verses record…
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.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 43. Am I a dog] The Sept. (B) reads:…
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.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (43) Am I a dog?—The Philistine warrior—as the shepherd…
(43) Am I a dog?—The Philistine warrior—as the shepherd boy, all unarmed, drew near—rose 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 asked—and dogs are animals held in many parts of the East in great contempt—“that 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.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 17:43 a dog: A metaphor for a compliant, bowing…
17:43 a dog: A metaphor for a compliant, bowing servant (cp. 2 Sam 9:8). • a stick: David had concealed his sling, and Goliath could see only his staff. • by the names of his gods: Since Goliath appealed to his gods, David’s victory over Goliath would also symbolize God’s victory over Dagon, the chief god of the Philistines (1 Sam 5:2, 5).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.