The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:51 Explained

1 Samuel 17:51

KJV: Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

YLT: and David runneth and standeth over the Philistine, and taketh his sword, and draweth it out of its sheath, and putteth him to death, and cutteth off with it his head; and the Philistines see that their hero is dead, and flee.

Darby: And David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him completely, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.

ASV: Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore David  ran,  and stood  upon the Philistine,  and took  his sword,  and drew  it out of the sheath  thereof, and slew  him, and cut off  his head  therewith. And when the Philistines  saw  their champion  was dead,  they fled. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:51 Mean?

Context Summary

1Samuel 17:41-54 - He Wins The Lord's Battle
David did not wait until his enemy had crossed the valley, but hastened to the streamlet to select the pebbles needed for his sling. Goliath scouted such a champion and cursed him. To this boasting and blaspheming, David opposed the name of Jehovah of Hosts-the unseen hosts of heaven, the twelve legions of angels, of which our Lord spoke. That God-the God of Israel-would assuredly take up the challenge, and vindicate His servant's faith. Thus all Gentile nations would see that the God of Israel was a living reality, while Israel also would learn the too-long-forgotten lesson that Jehovah saveth not by sword nor spear.
So confident was the Philistine that he did not trouble to draw his sword nor let down the visor of his helmet. One thrust of his heavy spear, he reckoned, was all that would be required. But in a moment more Goliath was lying helpless on the ground. It is thus that God's champions, in every age, have gone out against giant wrongs, as Luther against Tetzel, or Garrison against slavery; and it is thus that we may confidently over-throw the inbred sins that claim supremacy over our lives. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1Samuel 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 17:51 mean?

Therefore ran David and stood over the Philistine and took - his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off with it his head and when saw the Philistines that was dead their champion and they fled
וַיָּ֣רָץ דָּ֠וִד וַיַּעֲמֹ֨ד אֶל־ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜י וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־ חַ֠רְבּוֹ וַֽיִּשְׁלְפָ֤הּ מִתַּעְרָהּ֙ וַיְמֹ֣תְתֵ֔הוּ וַיִּכְרָת־ בָּ֖הּ רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּרְא֧וּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֛ים כִּֽי־ מֵ֥ת גִּבּוֹרָ֖ם וַיָּנֻֽסוּ

וַיָּ֣רָץ  Therefore  ran 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
דָּ֠וִד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיַּעֲמֹ֨ד  and  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
אֶל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜י  the  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.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חַ֠רְבּוֹ  his  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וַֽיִּשְׁלְפָ֤הּ  and  drew  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַף  
Sense: to draw out or off, take off.
מִתַּעְרָהּ֙  out  of  its  sheath 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תַּעַר  
Sense: razor, sheath (making naked).
וַיְמֹ֣תְתֵ֔הוּ  and  killed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַיִּכְרָת־  and  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בָּ֖הּ  with  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
רֹאשׁ֑וֹ  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וַיִּרְא֧וּ  and  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֛ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵ֥ת  was  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
גִּבּוֹרָ֖ם  their  champion 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
וַיָּנֻֽסוּ  and  they  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.