servants: but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be
our servants, and serve us." Every day, morning and evening for forty
days, the Philistine stood forth and repeated his challenge, yet in
vain. Saul, the king, and all Israel, were "dismayed and greatly
afraid."

[Footnote 6: 1 Samuel, chapter xvii. verses 8, 9.]

Now it happened that David's three elder brothers were in the
Israelite army, and one day their father sent him to them with a
present of some provisions. While the lad was talking with his
brothers, Goliath came out with his usual call of defiance. David
listened with wonder and indignation. "Who is this Philistine?" he
asked scornfully, "that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
The brothers were angry at what they thought foolish bravado on the
part of David; but there were others who reported his words to Saul,
who forthwith sent for the lad. Then David amazed the king by boldly
offering to go and fight with the Philistine.

"And Saul said to David, 'Thou art not able to go against this
Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man
of war from his youth.' And David said unto Saul, 'Thy servant kept
his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb
out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and
delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught
him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both
the lion and the bear.... The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of
the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of
the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said unto David, 'Go, and the
Lord be with thee.'