1 Samuel

1 Samuel 17:32–36

³²And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”

³³But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, ³⁵I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 17

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 17:32

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Saul	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
Let no	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
man’s	אָדָ֖ם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
heart	לֵב־	lêḇ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
fail	יִפֹּ֥ל	yip·pōl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5307 fall, lie
on account of	עָלָ֑יו	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
this	הַזֶּֽה׃	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
Philistine	הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֥י	hap·pə·liš·tî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6430 Philistine
Your servant	עַבְדְּךָ֣	‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
will go	יֵלֵ֔ךְ	yê·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
and fight him	וְנִלְחַ֖ם	wə·nil·ḥam	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3898 fight, do battle

1 Samuel 17:33

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Saul	שָׁא֜וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
replied	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
You cannot	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
go out	לָלֶ֙כֶת֙	lā·le·ḵeṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1980 go, come, walk
against	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
this	הַזֶּ֔ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
Philistine	הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֣י	hap·pə·liš·tî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6430 Philistine
to fight	לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם	lə·hil·lā·ḥêm	Preposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct	H3898 fight, do battle
him	עִמּ֑וֹ	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with
You are	אַ֔תָּה	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
just a boy	נַ֣עַר	na·‘ar	Noun - masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
and he	וְה֛וּא	wə·hū	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
has been a warrior	אִ֥ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
from his youth	מִנְּעֻרָֽיו׃ס	min·nə·‘u·rāw	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young

1 Samuel 17:34

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
replied	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Your servant	עַבְדְּךָ֛	‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
has been tending	רֹעֶ֨ה	rō·‘eh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7462 pasture, tend, graze
his father’s	לְאָבִ֖יו	lə·’ā·ḇîw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1 father
sheep	בַּצֹּ֑אן	baṣ·ṣōn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
and whenever a lion	הָֽאֲרִי֙	hā·’ă·rî	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion
or a bear	הַדּ֔וֹב	had·dō·wḇ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1677 bear
came	וּבָ֤א	ū·ḇā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and carried off	וְנָשָׂ֥א	wə·nā·śā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry
a lamb	שֶׂ֖ה	śeh	Noun - masculine singular	H7716 one of a flock, a sheep (or goat)
from the flock	מֵהָעֵֽדֶר׃	mê·hā·‘ê·ḏer	Preposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5739 flock, herd

1 Samuel 17:35

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I went	וְיָצָ֧אתִי	wə·yā·ṣā·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H3318 go or come out
after it	אַחֲרָ֛יו	’a·ḥă·rāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H310 behind
struck it down	וְהִכִּתִ֖יו	wə·hik·ki·ṯîw	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
and delivered	וְהִצַּ֣לְתִּי	wə·hiṣ·ṣal·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H5337 strip, plunder
from its mouth	מִפִּ֑יו	mip·pîw	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6310 mouth
If it reared up	וַיָּ֣קָם	way·yā·qām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
against me	עָלַ֔י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height
I would grab	וְהֶחֱזַ֙קְתִּי֙	wə·he·ḥĕ·zaq·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
it by its fur	בִּזְקָנ֔וֹ	biz·qā·nōw	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2206 chin, beard
strike it down	וְהִכִּתִ֖יו	wə·hik·ki·ṯîw	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
and kill it	וַהֲמִיתִּֽיו׃	wa·hă·mî·tîw	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H4191 die

1 Samuel 17:36

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your servant	עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ	‘aḇ·de·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
has killed	הִכָּ֣ה	hik·kāh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
lions	הָאֲרִ֛י	hā·’ă·rî	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion
and	גַּ֧ם	gam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
bears	הַדּ֖וֹב	had·dō·wḇ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1677 bear
this	הַזֶּה֙	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
uncircumcised	הֶעָרֵ֤ל	he·‘ā·rêl	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H6189 having foreskin
Philistine	הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֨י	hap·pə·liš·tî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6430 Philistine
will be	וְֽ֠הָיָה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
like one	כְּאַחַ֣ד	kə·’a·ḥaḏ	Preposition-k; Number - masculine singular	H259 one
of them	מֵהֶ֔ם	mê·hem	Preposition-m; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
for	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he has defied	חֵרֵ֔ף	ḥê·rêp̄	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2778 reproach
the armies	מַעַרְכֹ֖ת	ma·‘ar·ḵōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H4634 row, rank, battle-line
of the living	חַיִּֽים׃ס	ḥay·yîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
God	אֱלֹהִ֥ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God