1 Samuel 17:40 (GNV)

Passage

Then tooke he his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoothe stones out of a brooke, and put them in his shepheards bagge or skrippe, and his sling was in his hand, and he drewe neere to the Philistim.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:38 And Saul put his rayment vpon Dauid, and put an helmet of brasse vpon his head, and put a brigandine vpon him.

1 Samuel 17:39 Then girded Dauid his sword vpon his rayment, and began to go: for he neuer proued it: and Dauid sayde vnto Saul, I can not goe with these: for I am not accustomed. wherefore Dauid put them off him.

1 Samuel 17:40 Then tooke he his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoothe stones out of a brooke, and put them in his shepheards bagge or skrippe, and his sling was in his hand, and he drewe neere to the Philistim.

1 Samuel 17:41 And the Philistim came and drew neere vnto Dauid, and the man that bare the shielde went before him.

1 Samuel 17:42 Now when the Philistim looked about and saw Dauid, he disdeined him: for he was but yong, ruddie, and of a comely face.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tooke", "staffe", "hand", "chose", "fiue", "smoothe", "stones", and "brooke". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tooke" and "staffe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "Then girded Dauid his sword vpon his..." into verse 41's "And the Philistim came and drew neere...", so "tooke" and "staffe" 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 "tooke" and "staffe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.