Five Smooth Stones (1 Samuel 17:40)
One of the most notorious, heroic events of the Old Testament is the courage and faith of David in the slaying of Goliath. David was a humble lad and the youngest among eight brothers. The Philistines were an ominous foe and it took the strongest and bravest to stand against the enemy. There has been much written about this conquest. There are also two fine articles found on Reprint pages 3230 and 5662. We highly recommend these.
It is interesting to note that the terror which the Philistines were able to inflict was due to their use of some imposing statures in their army. The foremost of these was Goliath of Gath. It is assumed that he was descended from Anak among the Canaanites. But in the Hebrew mind the Anakim became associated with the giants (Nephilim) that were destroyed in the flood of Noah’s day. Not believing the record that these were all destroyed, ten of the spies sent by Moses returned with the false report that the large inhabitants of the land were descendants of the Nephilim and could not be conquered (Numbers 13:28-33, Dent. 9:2, E104). This fear and lack of faith lingered with Israel even after they entered the land. So this Philistine was able to defy the an-nies of Israel evening and morning for forty days.
In the spirit of Joshua and Caleb, young David championed the cause of faith amidst a world of doubt and fear. David went onto the field of battle only with the tools of his shepherd trade: his staff and shepherd’s bag. The shepherd’s crook was for the aid of sheep, but in close quarters and in the hands of a skilled shepherd it could be used as both a defensive and offensive device. Nevertheless, this was the mark of his trade and he would not go into battle without it. The small bag usually draped over a shoulder carried daily provisions and probably his sling. He had not been equipped with anything more when he defended his flock against a lion and a bear (vs. 34). David carried only these now into the battle.
FIVE STONES FROM THE BROOK
As David advanced toward the field he stopped at a brook and gathered five smooth stones and put them into the shepherd’s bag. When he approached within voice distance, Goliath mocked David (vs. 44). It is noteworthy that David did not simply launch his artillery, but first delivered a message and then a stone (vs. 44-49). The first part of the message states his confidence in the God of the armies of Israel and a stronger weapon than that of sword and spear. David then delivered a prophecy that Goliath would be slain that day and his carcass would be given to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth. Finally he declared this would be so that the nations may learn that God does not suffer himself to be mocked, but will espouse the cause of his covenant people. The battle is the Lord’s. He will deliver them not with sword and spear.
After the message, David drew out but one of the stones. A sling and stone in the hands of a skillful shepherd is a lethal weapon. Many in the tribe of Benjamin could throw such sling stones to a hair’s breadth (judges 20:16). This stone hit its mark and Goliath fell to the earth. At this point, David not having a sword ran to the Philistine, drew Goliath’s own sword and severed his head from his body.
We have pondered the detail of the record concerning “five smooth stones out of the brook” We understand why they were “smooth” This facilitated their use as dependable bullets as they passed through the air at high velocity. They would have been naturally polished by the working of the water in the brook. But does the “five” have any significance?
Why “five” instead of four or six or twelve? If it is incidental, why record it? After all, one did the job, what were the others for?
We will suggest two thoughts in this connection. The first is that they may represent the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch). Today these are known as the Torah. In David’s time they were the bread of life and word of God. Certainly David delivered his message with the confidence based on the records of these five books. Some notable examples and promises where God gave deliverance to his people are: Gen. 14:20, Exod. 14:14, Exod. 23:27, Deut. 1:30, Deut. 3:22. So it is a stone (a word) from the brook (of truth) that can smite the enemies of the Lord. While we are armed with the whole counsel of God, the right message at the right time will silence the oppressor.
GOLIATH’S FOUR BROTHERS
The second suggestion is that Goliath had four brothers. According to Israel’s own laws, blood vengeance was allowed by the family of the murdered. This is mentioned several places but detailed in Numbers 35:9-34. The act of revenge was likely practiced also by the Philistines. If they were to descend on David upon Goliath’s death, he had a single stone for each of them also.
To establish that there were four next-of-kin takes a little analysis of two texts. The first is 2 Samuel 21:15-22. The second is 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. In the 2 Samuel context there are four persons listed as “born to the giant of Gath ‘ “ We can deduce this was Goliath’s father, for one of them is assumed to be the brother of Goliath. The persons listed are: (1) Ishbibenob, (2) Saph, (3) “the brother of (supplied) Goliath, and (4) another unnamed son who had six fingers and toes on each extremity.
There appears to be a copyist problem in verse 9. For if it is read that Elhanan slew Goliath the Gittite, then there were two giants named Goliath, or a mistake in saying he was slain by Elhanan instead of David. To accord with I Chronicles the translators supplied the added words: “the brother of Goliath” I Chronicles 20:5 clearly says that Elhanan “slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite’ “ Here the author gives the brother’s name. He then also records the death of another unnamed giant with the six fingers and toes, apparently the same one recorded in Samuel. So now we know three of the four brother’s names. One of them is Lahmi, who is clearly identified as a brother of Goliath. Goliath must have been the fifth brother, but having died first was not listed among the four slain later.
It is a reasonable deduction that David picked up just five stones to account for Goliath and each of his brothers should they seek to avenge his mission. The beauty of this proposition is that by faith David did not overstock his arsenal. He had but one stone for each of the enemies of God. He knew each would be guided to its mark if necessary. But in the record of 1 Samuel 17 we find that with the first stroke the enemies of God were scattered and the Israelites prevailed.
The first lesson is that David drew stones of truth from the five books of the word of God to face his enemy. The second lesson is that his faith was sufficient that each would be directed by God, that he did not have to prepare anything extra. We see in David a picture of the antitypical David, Christ at his second advent. There is also evidence for the stone being a representation of the church empowered with the message of truth. We note that “five” was chosen for the number of the wise virgins. In Daniel 2 there were four parts to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of universal powers. The fifth symbolizes Christ and those saints which are beyond the veil. They are shown by a stone growing into an everlasting kingdom which, like David’s stone, smites, breaks and destroys the oppressor.
The word of truth is the weapon of our returned Lord. Hebrews 4:12: “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit” Revelation 19:21: “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations … and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.’ This last phrase is just what David prophesied of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:46. So we see in David the vindication and victory over the godless forces of our day that Christ brings to Israel, natural and spiritual.
– Jerry Leslie