1 Samuel 17:50 (ASV)

Passage

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1 Samuel 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

1 Samuel 17:51 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.

1 Samuel 17:52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "david", "prevailed", "over", "philistine", "sling", "stone", and "smote". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "david" and "prevailed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 49's "And David put his hand in his..." into verse 51's "Then David ran and stood over the...", so "david" and "prevailed" 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 "david" and "prevailed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.