I Shmuel 17: A Metaphor is Born

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Aug 12, 2026 · 2m

David defeats Goliath. The weak defeats the strong. The upstart team that defeats the number one seed. The ragtag army that defeats a superpower. The story of chapter 17 is one of the most retold, repackaged, repurposed stories in Tanach. It is no surprise that this encounter has been depicted many times in famous works of art. The upstart Goliath is often depicted as a giant man, with heavy armor, and a large spear or sword. David is a young child with only a tunic or fabric cloths on him. An example of artwork that depicts the scene later in the story is Caravaggio’s David and Goliath…