Eli, Samuel, Saul, +
David & Goliath

David and Goliath Cartoons

1 Samuel 17 in the Old Testament tells the classic tale of an underdog triumphing over a giant through faith and courage. It’s set during a war between the Israelites and the Philistines, likely around 1000 BCE.

The Philistines have a champion, Goliath,

Goliath was a towering warrior from Gath, standing over nine feet tall (approximately 2.9 meters, according to the Hebrew text’s measurement of "six cubits and a span"). He’s decked out in heavy bronze armor, wielding a massive spear, and taunting the Israelites daily for 40 days, challenging them to send a fighter. The Israelite army, led by King Saul, are all paralyzed with fear.

THE THRILLA IN PALESTINIA!

As GOLIATH lumbers forward, DAVID runs to meet him, slings a stone that plugs the giant square in the forehead. Goliath drops face-first to the ground, where David, with Goliath’s own sword, beheads him. The Philistines freak out and flee, and the Israelites chase them down for a big win.

Enter David, a young shepherd

from Bethlehem, not yet a soldier. He is sent by his father, Jesse, to bring food to his older brothers on the battlefield. Hearing Goliath’s boasts and seeing Israel’s cowardice, David’s outraged—how dare this "uncircumcised Philistine" defy the living God? He volunteers to fight, despite being a teenager with no military credentials.

Saul offers David his armor, but it’s too clunky. Instead, David grabs his shepherd’s staff, five smooth stones from a stream, and his trusty sling. Facing Goliath, the giant mocks him, cursing by his gods and promising to feed him to the birds. David’s unfazed, declares that God, who saved him from lions and bears while tending sheep, will deliver him now—no sword needed.

Key Takeaway:

It’s less about David’s skill (though he’s a crack shot) and more about his trust in God against impossible odds. The story’s a morale booster for Israel, showing divine power trumps human might. Later, David’s victory catapults him to fame, setting him up as Saul’s eventual successor—and rival. No Antichrist here, just a shepherd boy proving faith packs a punch.