1 Samuel 17:40 (KJV)

Passage

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

1 Samuel 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "took", "staff", "hand", "chose", "five", "smooth", "stones", and "brook". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "took" and "staff", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "And David girded his sword upon his..." into verse 41's "And the Philistine came on and drew...", so "took" and "staff" belong inside that flow. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "took" and "staff" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.