The Philistine Troops Gathered Up For War
The Philistine troops gathered up for war,
Between Azekah and Socoh amassed.
Israel encamped near in Elah vale
And drew a line against the number vast.
There Saul, upon one mountain, made a stand,
To face the other tribe across the way,
The vale between expecting blood-soaked sand,
The dogs of war yet leashed, restrained, at bay.
Philistia put forth their champion:
Goliath, giant he, who haled from Gath,
At half a dozen cubits and a span.
His helm of bronze, his torso, brazen wrath,
Five thousand shekels was that armor’s weight.
His legs, tightly encased in bronze that gleamed,
His javelin of bronze was long and straight,
The shaft of which was like a weaver’s beam.
He stood and shouted to the ranks of men,
“Why have you come to draw up for a fight?
Am I not Philistine? I’ll surely win,
But choose yourselves a man of strength and might.
If he brings my demise, then bound we’ll be,
But if against him, I indeed prevail,
Then you shall be our slaves, our property,
For I defy the ranks of Israel.
So choose a man; it’s Judah’s blood I crave.”
When Saul and all his men received these words,
Dismay befell the troops, their courage waved,
No raucous laughs throughout the camp were heard.
Now, Jesse was a man, an Ephrathite
Who had eight sons and David was his last.
Three now were men, were old enough to fight,
For Jesse’s youth was long years in the past.
Eliab and his brothers followed Saul,
But David fed his father’s sheep as asked.
For forty days, Goliath lumbered forth,
To taunt Saul’s men each morning and each night.
And Jesse said to David, “Take this bread,
Go to your brothers, see if they’re all right,
And after that, please tell me what they said.”
For they, in Elah Valley, hunkered tight.
So David left his sheep in other’s care,
Took the supplies just as his father said,
And came to the encampment as the host
Was sounding battle cries, both loud and dread.
Supplies, he left in care of keeper’s charge,
Ran to the ranks, and there his brothers met.
Opposing armies flanked the vale between,
Just like the prior forty days of sport,
Out steps the champ, the giant Philistine,
To hurl his taunts at Saul’s unsure cohort;
This David heard, then saw their shamed retreat.
“A king’s reward, both rich and free,” they said,
“For him who hands this giant a defeat,
The king will give his daughter to be wed.”
His interest piqued, he let his hand be seen:
“He who removes reproach: the same reward?
For who is this, this unclean Philistine,
That he defies the armies of our Lord?”
The people answered him in the same way:
“Likewise to one who kills their champ today.”
Now Eliab, his brother, heard him speak;
His anger flared, his tongue he failed to keep.
“Just why exactly have you traveled here,
When you should be home tending Father’s sheep?
I know your guile, the evil of your heart.”
Said David, “It was mostly just for show,”
And turning from his brother to depart,
He spoke more with the men about this foe.
When Saul heard of the boy who sought reward,
They ushered the young lad upon the scene,
And David said, “Let no man’s heart go weak,
For I will surely fight this Philistine.”
Then Saul replied, “’Tis not a proper plan!
It’s plain to see that you are but a youth,
And he, a man of war gargantuan.
Come back when you are longer in the tooth!”
Retorted he, “I keep my father’s flock,
And when there came a lion or a bear,
I slung at him a well-delivered rock.
Or, if it was a lamb that he ensnared,
I chased him down and loosed it from his teeth.
And if, perchance, he rose against me then,
I caught him by his mane and struck the thief,
And if he was not dead, I struck again!
Your servant has struck down both bear and lion,
This unclean Philistine will likewise fall,
For he’s defied the living God of Zion,
Who shielded me from bear’s and lion’s maul.”
Then Saul said, “Go, and Yahweh be with you!”
And put a helm of bronze on his young head,
Clothed him in mail, and strapped a sword on too.
He tried in vain to go, but soon he shed
Them all, replacing them with staff and sling.
And from the brook, he chose smooth stones to keep
In shepherd’s pouch till they, mid-flight, might sing,
And leave the giant vanquished, in a heap.
His sling in hand, to Goliath, did he
Advance, the shield-bearer out front deployed,
And when the man of Gath did David see,
He snarled disdain, for he was but a boy.
“Am I a dog that you with sticks come near?”
The Philistine cursed David unconcealed:
“Approach, I’ll feed the birds your flesh and smear
Your blood for all the creatures of the field.”
“You come to me with spear and sword and shield,
I come in Yahweh’s name, the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel this day revealed,
For He delivers you, though still you boast!
With naught but sling in hand, I’ll bring you down,
Cut off your head, and feed you to the birds.
Blood spilled today accords our God renown,
The Lord who saves has given us His Word!”
The giant lumbered forth across his line,
Lept David quickly towards him from his own,
And as he ran, his hand went to his pouch,
Then whirling overhead, he slung his stone.
That rock then flew betwixt his eyes, between,
And then he fell stone dead onto his face.
Thus, shepherd prevailed over Philistine
With sling and stone; no blade had David raised.
Then, rushing forth, he grabbed that awful sword
And drew it from its sheath and gave a swing;
The giant lost his head forevermore.
The men of Saul arose; the rout was great,
For soon, the Philistines, in panic, fled:
Goliath’s men beat back to Ekron’s gate,
The path to there lay littered with their dead.
A shepherd boy thus with a stone well placed,
Salvation for his tribe did briefly bring,
Provide a tiny glimpse, a brief foretaste,
Of Jesse’s root, and of the greater King.
(from 1 Samuel 17)
Copyright ©
Jeff Kyser
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