1 Samuel 17:40

Bishop's Bible

And toke his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoth stones out of a brooke, and put them in a shepheardes bagge which he had, that is in a scrippe, and his sling was in his hande, and he went to the Philistine.

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

New Living Translation
He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

English Revised Version
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

New Century Version
He took his stick in his hand and chose five smooth stones from a stream. He put them in his shepherd's bag and grabbed his sling. Then he went to meet the Philistine.

New English Translation
He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

World English Bible
He took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Amplified Bible
Then he took his [shepherd's] staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the stream bed, and put them in his shepherd's bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd's pouch. With his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

English Standard Version
Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he took his staaf, which he hadde euere in the hondis. And he chees to hym fyue clereste stonys, that is, harde, pleyn, and rounde, of the stronde; and he sente tho in to the schepherdis scrippe, which he hadde with hym; and he took the slynge in the hond, and yede forth ayens the Filistei.

Young's Literal Translation
And he taketh his staff in his hand, and chooseth for him five smooth stones from the brook, and putteth them in the shepherds' habiliments that he hath, even in the scrip, and his sling [is] in his hand, and he draweth nigh unto the Philistine.

Berean Standard Bible
And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.

Contemporary English Version
and picked up his shepherd's stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.

American Standard Version
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Bible in Basic English
Then he took his stick in his hand, and got five smooth stones from the bed of the stream and put them in a bag such as is used by sheep-keepers; and in his hand was a leather band used for sending stones: and so he went in the direction of the Philistine.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then he took his stick in his hand and picked five smooth stones from the riverbed, putting them in his shepherd's bag, in his pouch. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the P'lishti.

Darby Translation
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag that he had, into the pocket; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

Easy-to-Read Version
He took his walking stick in his hand and went to find five smooth stones from the stream. He put the five stones in his shepherd's bag and held his sling in his hand. Then he went out to meet the Philistine.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his scrip; and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

King James Version (1611)
And hee tooke his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoothe stones out of the brooke, and put them in a shepheards bag which he had, euen in a scrip, and his sling was in his hande, and he drew neere to the Philistine.

New Life Bible
He took his stick in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the river. He put them in his shepherd's bag. His sling was in his hand, and he went to the Philistine.

New Revised Standard
Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then tooke he his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoothe stones out of a brooke, and put them in his shepheards bagge or skrippe, and his sling was in his hand, and he drewe neere to the Philistim.

George Lamsa Translation
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the gravel, and put them into his shepherds bag, even into his wallet, and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

Good News Translation
He took his shepherd's stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then took he his stick in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the torrent-bed, and put them in the shepherd's-pouch which he had - even in the wallet, and had his sling in his hand, - and so drew near unto the Philistine.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd’s scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine.

Revised Standard Version
Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag or wallet; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s scrip which he had for his store, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Christian Standard Bible®
Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

Hebrew Names Version
He took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Pelishti.

King James Version
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Lexham English Bible
Then he took his staff in his hand, picked out for himself five smooth stones from the wadi, and he put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch. And with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

Literal Translation
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the valley. And he put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to thePhilistine.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and toke his staff in his hande, and chose fyue slighte stones out of the ryuer, and put them in the shepardes bagge which he had by him, and toke a slynge in his hande, and made him to the Philistyne.

THE MESSAGE
Then David took his shepherd's staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.

New American Standard Bible
Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd's pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

New King James Version
Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Contextual Overview

⁴⁰ And toke his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoth stones out of a brooke, and put them in a shepheardes bagge which he had, that is in a scrippe, and his sling was in his hande, and he went to the Philistine. ⁴¹ And the Philistine came and drewe neare against Dauid, and the man that bare the shielde went before him. ⁴² And when the Philistine loked about & sawe Dauid, he disdayned him: for he was but young, ruddie & of a comly face. ⁴³ And the Philistine sayd vnto Dauid: Am I a dogge, that thou commest to me with staues? And the Philistine cursed Dauid in ye name of his goddes. ⁴⁴ And the Philistine sayde to Dauid: Come to me, and I wyll geue thy fleshe vnto the foules of the ayre, and to the beastes of the fielde. ⁴⁵ Then sayde Dauid to the Philistine: Thou commest to me with a sword, a speare, & a shielde: But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hoastes, the God of the hoast of Israel, whom thou hast rayled vpon. ⁴⁶ This day shal the Lorde close thee into my hand, and I shall smite thee, & take thyne head from thee, & will geue the carkases of the hoast of the Philistines this daye vnto the foules of the ayre, & to the beastes of the earth, that all they which be in the worlde, maye knowe that there is a God in Israel: ⁴⁷ And all this congregation shal know that the Lorde saueth not with sword, & speare (For the battaile is ye Lordes) and he shall geue you into our handes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

staff: Judges 3:31, Judges 7:16-20, Judges 15:15, Judges 15:16, Judges 20:16, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

brook: or, valley

bag: Heb. vessel, Matthew 10:10

Reciprocal: Isaiah 36:8 - and I Zechariah 11:7 - staves 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took his staff in his hand,.... His shepherd's staff, which he used in keeping his father's sheep, and chose rather to appear in the habit of a shepherd than of a soldier:

and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook; which ran in the valley, which became smooth by lying in the water running over them; and which being smooth were fitter for his purpose, being the more easily cast out of the sling; though De Dieu is of opinion that these were parts or pieces of stones, cleft ones, which were rough and rugged, and which would more easily and firmly be fixed in the forehead of the Philistine:

and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; in which he had been wont to put things he needed for the good of the flock, and was such as travellers put their food in; and this might also be the use of it with shepherds; but, according to the Ethiopic interpreters k, it was that piece of the leather in the midst of the sling, in which the slingers used to put the stones, that they might stick the more firmly:

and his sling [was] in his hand; which he intended to use in slinging the stone or stones he had in his scrip; and which was an exercise he had been accustomed to in all likelihood, and for which the Benjaminites his neighbours, of the next tribe, were very famous:

and he drew near to the Philistine; marched towards him, thereby signifying that he accepted his challenge, and would enter the list with him.

k Apud Ludolf. Lexic. Ethiop. p. 84.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 17:40. He took his staff — What we would call his crook.

Five smooth stones —

1. Had they been rough or angular, they would not have passed easily through the air, and their asperities would, in the course of their passage, have given them a false direction.

2. Had they not been smooth, they could not have been readily despatched from the sling.

A shepherd's bag — That in which he generally carried his provisions while keeping the sheep in the open country.

And his sling — The sling, both among the Greeks and Hebrews, has been a powerful offensive weapon. See what has been said on Judges 20:16. It is composed of two strings and a leathern strap; the strap is in the middle, and is the place where the stone or bullet lies. The string on the right end of the strap is firmly fastened to the hand; that on the left is held between the thumb and middle joint of the fore finger. It is then whirled two or three times round the head; and when discharged, the finger and thumb let go their hold of the left end string. The velocity and force of the sling are in proportion to the distance of the strap, where the bullet lies, from the shoulder joint. Hence the ancient Baleares, or inhabitants of Majorca and Minorca, are said to have had three slings of different lengths, the longest they used when the enemy was at the greatest distance; the middle one, on their nearer approach; and the shortest, when they came into the ordinary fighting distance in the field. The shortest is the most certain, though not the most powerful. The Balearians are said to have had one of their slings constantly bound about their head, to have used the second as a girdle, and to have carried the third always in their hand. See DIOD. Sic. lib. v., c. 18, p. 286, edit. Bipont.

In the use of the sling it requires much practice to hit the mark; but when once this dexterity is acquired, the sling is nearly as fatal as the musket or bow; see on 1 Samuel 17:49. David was evidently an expert marksman; and his sling gave him greatly the advantage over Goliath; an advantage of which the giant does not seem to have been aware. He could hit him within any speaking distance, if he missed once, he had as many chances as he had stones; and after all, being unencumbered with armour, young, and athletic, he could have saved his life by flight. Against him the Philistine could do but little, except in close fight; it is true he appears to have had a javelin or missile spear, (see on 1 Samuel 17:6), but David took care to prevent the use of all such weapons, by giving him the first blow.