King James Bible

Back to Reader

1 Samuel

Note Journal Prayer

17

:

40

“

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.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
And he took accept Verb H3947 וַיִּקַּ֨ח vai·yik·kach
his staff rod Noun H4731 מַקְלֹ֜ו mak·lov
in his hand able Noun H3027 בְּיָדֹ֗ו be·ya·dov
and chose acceptable Verb H977 וַיִּבְחַר־ vai·yiv·char-
him five fif Noun H2568 חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה cha·mi·shah
Analysis:

Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
smooth smooth Noun H2512 חַלֻּקֵֽי־ chal·lu·kei-
stones build Noun H68 אֲבָנִ֣ים a·va·nim
out of the brook brook Noun H5158 הַנַּ֡חַל han·na·chal
and put appoint Verb H7760 וַיָּ֣שֶׂם vai·ya·sem
them in a shepherd's break Verb H7462 הָרֹעִ֧ים ha·ro·'im
bag armour Noun H3627 בִּכְלִ֨י bich·li
which after Particle H834 אֲשֶׁר־ a·sher-
which he had even in a scrip travelling pouch Noun H3219 וּבַיַּלְק֖וּט u·vai·yal·kut
and his sling hanging Noun H7050 וְקַלְּעֹ֣ו ve·kal·le·'ov
[was] in his hand able Noun H3027 בְיָדֹ֑ו ve·ya·dov;
and he drew near approach Verb H5066 וַיִּגַּ֖שׁ vai·yig·gash
to the Philistine Philistine Adjective H6430 הַפְּלִשְׁתִּֽי׃ hap·pe·lish·ti.

Locations

Put

PUTput (puT; Phoud, in Genesis and Chronicles, variant for Genesis Phout, for Chronicles, Phouth):1. Renderings:In consequence of the identification at the time, the prophets have "Libya" (Libues), except Nab 3:9, where the Greek renders the word as phuge, "flight." The Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has "Phut," "Phuth," and in the Prophets "Li... View Details

People

Put

a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
King James Bible 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.
Hebrew Greek English And he He took his staff stick in his hand, hand and chose him for himself five smooth stones out of from the brook, and put them in a the shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; his pouch, and his sling was in his hand: hand; and he drew near to approached the Philistine.
New American Standard Bible 1995 And he He took his staff stick in his hand, hand and chose him for himself five smooth stones out of from the brook, and put them in a the shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; his pouch, and his sling was in his hand: hand; and he drew near to approached the Philistine.