1 Samuel 17:43 (GNV)

Passage

And the Philistim sayde vnto Dauid, Am I a dog, that thou commest to me with staues? And the Philistim cursed Dauid by his gods.

Nearby Context

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.

1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistim sayde vnto Dauid, Am I a dog, that thou commest to me with staues? And the Philistim cursed Dauid by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:44 And the Philistim sayd to Dauid, Come to me, and I will giue thy flesh vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the field.

1 Samuel 17:45 Then sayd Dauid to the Philistim, Thou commest to me with a sword, and with a speare, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hostes, the God of the hoste of Israel, whom thou hast rayled vpon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "philistim", "sayde", "vnto", "dauid", "thou", "commest", and "staues". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "philistim" and "sayde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 42's "Now when the Philistim looked about and..." into verse 44's "And the Philistim sayd to Dauid Come...", so "philistim" and "sayde" 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 "philistim" and "sayde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.