The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:36 Explained

1 Samuel 17:36

KJV: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

YLT: Both the lion and the bear hath thy servant smitten, and this uncircumcised Philistine hath been as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of the living God.'

Darby: Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

ASV: Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thy servant  slew  both the lion  and the bear:  and this uncircumcised  Philistine  shall be as one  of them, seeing he hath defied  the armies  of the living  God. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:36 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 17:31-40 - David Trusts His Former Deliverer
David was conducted into Saul's presence-his soul aglow with heroic faith-avowing that he was willing to go alone to fight the Philistine. Saul, however, had no thought of power save that which comes from long practice, 1 Samuel 17:33, or from helmets and coats of mail, 1 Samuel 17:38-39; so he endeavored to dissuade the stripling. It was no small temptation to David to take a lower ground and retreat from his offer. Let us never listen to flesh and blood! They always say to us, after the manner of Peter at Caesarea Philippi, when our Lord spoke of His crucifixion and death, "This shall not be unto thee; spare thyself." See Matthew 16:22.
The point of David's narrative of his encounter with the lion and the bear was entirely lost on Saul. The king regarded these exploits as solely the result of superior agility and sinewy strength. He did not fathom David's meaning when the lad ascribed his success to the direct interposition of Jehovah, 1 Samuel 17:37. Already the underlying note of Psalms 27:1-14 may have been haunting the young psalmist's soul. Saul had no idea that faith opens new sources of power, touches new stops in the great organ, and accomplishes alliance with the Almighty. See Psalms 20:7-8. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 17

1  The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4  Goliath challenges a combat
12  David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28  Eliab chides him
30  He is brought to Saul
32  shows the reason of his confidence
38  and slays the giant
55  Saul takes notice of David

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 17:36 mean?

Both - lion and bear has killed Your servant and will be Philistine uncircumcised this like one of them seeing he has defied the armies of the God living -
גַּ֧ם אֶֽת־ הָאֲרִ֛י גַּם־ הַדּ֖וֹב הִכָּ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽ֠הָיָה הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֨י הֶעָרֵ֤ל הַזֶּה֙ כְּאַחַ֣ד מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י חֵרֵ֔ף מַעַרְכֹ֖ת אֱלֹהִ֥ים חַיִּֽים ס

גַּ֧ם  Both 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאֲרִ֛י  lion 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
הַדּ֖וֹב  bear 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּב  
Sense: bear.
הִכָּ֣ה  has  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ  Your  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְֽ֠הָיָה  and  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֨י  Philistine 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
הֶעָרֵ֤ל  uncircumcised 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָרֵל  
Sense: uncircumcised, having foreskin.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כְּאַחַ֣ד  like  one 
Parse: Preposition-k, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵהֶ֔ם  of  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
כִּ֣י  seeing 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חֵרֵ֔ף  he  has  defied 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרַף 
Sense: to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid.
מַעַרְכֹ֖ת  the  armies 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַעֲרָכָה  
Sense: row, rank, battle-line.
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
חַיִּֽים  living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation