Bethlehem. About ten miles to the south-west of that city lay Shochoh (or Sochoh), the modern Shuweikeh.

Here a broad wady, or valley, marking a water-course, runs north for about an hour's distance. This is the

modern Wady-es -Sumt, the valley of the acacias, the ancient valley of Elah, or of the terebinth. At the

modern village of Sakarieh, the ancient Shaarim, the wady divides, turning westwards towards Gath, and

northwards by the Wady Surar towards Ekron. Shochoh and Ephes -Dammim, the modern Damum, about

three miles north-east of Shochoh, between which two points the Philistine camp was pitched, lay on the

southern slope of the wady, while the host of Israel was camped on the northern slope, the two being

separated by the deep part of the wady. But no longer did the former God-inspired courage fire Israel. The

Spirit of God had departed from their leader, and his followers seemed to share in the depression which this

consciousness brought. In such a warfare, especially among Easterns, all depended on decision and

boldness. But unbelief makes cowards; and Saul and his army were content with a merely defensive

position, without venturing to attack their enemies. Day by day the two armies gathered on the opposite

slopes, only to witness what was for Israel more than humiliation, even an open defiance of their ability to

resist the power of Philistia - by implication, a defiance of the covenant-people as such, and of Jehovah, the

covenant-God, and a challenge to a fight between might in the flesh and power in the Spirit. And truly Israel,

under the leadership of a Saul, was ill prepared for such a contest. But herein also lay the significance of the

Philistine challenge, and of the manner in which it was taken up by David, as well as of his victory. It is not

too much to assert that this event was a turning-point in the history of the theocracy, and marked David as

the true king of Israel, ready to take up the Philistine challenge of God and of His people, to kindle in Israel a

new spirit, and, in the might of the living God, to bring the contest to victory.

Forty days successively, as the opposing armies had stood marshaled in battle -array, Goliath of Gath - a

descendant of those giants that had been left at the time of Joshua (Joshua 11:21, 22) - had stepped out of

the ranks of the Philistines to challenge a champion of Israel to single combat, which should decide the fate

of the campaign, and the subjection of either Israel or the Philistines. Such challenges were common enough

in antiquity. But it indicated a terrible state of things when it could be thrown down and not taken up, - a

fearful "reproach" when an "uncircumcised Philistine" could so "defy the armies of the living God" (1

Samuel 17:8-10, 26, 36). And yet as Goliath left the ranks of his camp, and "came down" (ver. 8) into the

valley that separated the two hosts, and, as it were, shook his hand in scorn of high heaven and of Israel,

not a man dared answer; till at last the Philistine, rendered more and more bold, began to cross the wady,

and "came up" the slopes towards where Israel stood (ver. 25), when at sight of him they "fled," and "were

sore afraid."

For, where the realizing sense of God's presence was wanting, the contest would only seem one of strength

against strength. In that case, the appearance and bearing of the Philistine must have been sufficiently

terrifying to Orientals. Measuring about nine feet nine inches ,166 he was covered front and back by a coat of

mail of brass, consisting of scales overlapping each other, such as we know were used in ancient times,167

but weighing not less than about one hundred and fifty-seven pounds.168

That armor, no doubt, descended to his legs, which were cased in "greaves of brass," while a helmet of the

same material defended his head. As weapons of offense he carried, besides the sword with which he was

girded (ver. 51; 21:9), an enormous javelin  169 of brass, which, after the manner of the ancient soldiers, was

slung on his back, and a spear, the metal head of which weighed about seventeen or eighteen pounds.

Such was the sight which David beheld, when sent by his father to the army to inquire after the welfare of

his three elder brothers,170 who had followed Saul into the war, and at the same time, in true Oriental fashion,

to carry certain provisions to them, and to bring a present from the dairy produce171 to their commanding

officer. The description of what follows is so vivid that we can almost see the scene. All is truly Oriental in

its cast, and truly Scriptural in its spirit.

David, who had never been permanently in Saul's service, had, on the outbreak of the war, returned to his

Israel was being put in battle -array against that of the Philistines on the opposite hill.