Introduction to the Bible
The Message within the Message
David R. Hayes
Introduction to the Bible RELS311, Section B001 Win 13
Mark D. Wessner
February 10, 2013
The Message within the Message Even though some may say that there is nothing more to a narrative than what one may see and read on the pages before them, I believe that some stories are more than just historical narratives. For example, in the story of David and Goliath I believe that the example David sets by his faith and trust in God to give both him and Israel the victory against this ominous foe as well as David's words of wisdom to combat the menacing taunts from Goliath are more than meets the eye. In this paper, I intend to dissect this passage from the Bible by explaining where it is located, I will analyze the literary style and characteristics of this passage, and I will give a detailed and thoughtful interpretation of this passage by using the appropriate exegetical approach. The story of David and Goliath is found in the first book of Samuel which is located between the book of Ruth and the second book of Samuel in the Old Testament. This narrative encompasses the entire 17th chapter of this book and is made up of fifty-eight verses. The first book of Samuel is one of thirty-nine books that make up “the canon of the Old Testament”, taken from the Greek word kanon which “means a rule—[or] a standard for measurement”, and is part of the Christian “authoritative list of the books belonging to the Old Testament or New Testament (Comfort, 2003, p. 51). In this case, it is part of the Old Testament canon. This narrative is just one of many that make up “over 40 percent of the Old Testament...[which] constitutes three-quarters of the bulk of the Bible” (Fee, 2003, p. 89). Besides the writings of Moses, a major prophet and author of the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch, it is believed that after Moses and the other prophets and prophetesses during his lifetime: the great outbursts of
David R. Hayes
Introduction to the Bible RELS311, Section B001 Win 13
Mark D. Wessner
February 10, 2013
The Message within the Message Even though some may say that there is nothing more to a narrative than what one may see and read on the pages before them, I believe that some stories are more than just historical narratives. For example, in the story of David and Goliath I believe that the example David sets by his faith and trust in God to give both him and Israel the victory against this ominous foe as well as David's words of wisdom to combat the menacing taunts from Goliath are more than meets the eye. In this paper, I intend to dissect this passage from the Bible by explaining where it is located, I will analyze the literary style and characteristics of this passage, and I will give a detailed and thoughtful interpretation of this passage by using the appropriate exegetical approach. The story of David and Goliath is found in the first book of Samuel which is located between the book of Ruth and the second book of Samuel in the Old Testament. This narrative encompasses the entire 17th chapter of this book and is made up of fifty-eight verses. The first book of Samuel is one of thirty-nine books that make up “the canon of the Old Testament”, taken from the Greek word kanon which “means a rule—[or] a standard for measurement”, and is part of the Christian “authoritative list of the books belonging to the Old Testament or New Testament (Comfort, 2003, p. 51). In this case, it is part of the Old Testament canon. This narrative is just one of many that make up “over 40 percent of the Old Testament...[which] constitutes three-quarters of the bulk of the Bible” (Fee, 2003, p. 89). Besides the writings of Moses, a major prophet and author of the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch, it is believed that after Moses and the other prophets and prophetesses during his lifetime: the great outbursts of