1 Samuel 17:35

35 I would go after it, strike it, and rescue the animal from its mouth. If it turned on me, I would grab it at its jaw, strike it, and kill it.

1 Samuel 17:35 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:35

And I went out after him
Whether a lion or a bear; but mention after being made of his beard, a lion rather is meant:

and smote him;
with his fist, or rather with his shepherd's staff:

and delivered [it] out of his mouth;
snatched it out from thence, or obliged him to drop it, by beating him:

and when he arose against me;
after he had let go the lamb, threatening to tear him in pieces for attempting to disturb him in his prey, and take it away from him;

I caught [him] by his beard;
such as lions have; hence a lion is often called in Homer ^F7 (liv heugeneiov) , the well-bearded lion. Kimchi thinks the beard with the nether jaw is meant, which David caught hold on:

and smote him, and slew him;
tore him to pieces, as Samson did, ( Judges 14:5 Judges 14:6 ) , or slew him with some weapon in his hand.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Iliad. 17. ver. 109. & Iliad. 18. ver. 318.

1 Samuel 17:35 In-Context

33 "You can't go out and fight this Philistine," Saul answered David. "You are still a boy. But he's been a warrior since he was a boy!"

34 "Your servant has kept his father's sheep," David replied to Saul, “and if ever a lion or a bear came and carried off one of the flock,

35 I would go after it, strike it, and rescue the animal from its mouth. If it turned on me, I would grab it at its jaw, strike it, and kill it.

36 Your servant has fought both lions and bears. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them because he has insulted the army of the living God.

37 "The LORD, " David added, "who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine." "Go!" Saul replied to David. "And may the LORD be with you!"