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W7J68 (2006): 321-30

DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLACE:


THE NARRATIVE-GEOGRAPHICAL SHAPING OF 1 SAMUEL 17
JOHN A. BECK
T
he details that 01 the story of David and Goliath are vivid and memorable.
Even those less than familiar with the Bible as a whole can typically picture
the lightly armed David running towards the weapon-laden Goliath. Given the
colorful detail within the narrative, the reader can almost hear the whirling
sling, the whistle of the smooth stone as it sails through the air, and the thud that
marks the collapsing frame of the gigantic opponent.
While the popular recollection of the story focuses on such details, scholarly
interest has been attracted to yet another set of details in the story. These are
matters associated with the textual history of the story and apparent inconsisten-
cies that may trouble the readers of 1 Samuel. For example, there is the drama-
tic difference in length between the Septuagint version (LXX
B
) of this story and
the Hebrew account. The latter is 80 percent longer than the former giving rise
to a conversation about the compositional history of the narrative.
1
Then there
is the matter of Saul's acquaintance with David. The introduction of David in
1 Sam 16:21-22 as the armor bearer of Saul, whom Saul knew personally,
stands in some tension with 1 Sam 17:55-58 which implies Saul did not know
David so well at all.
2
And then there is the question of how to harmonize the
story in 1 Sam 17 which celebrates David's victory over Goliath and 2 Sam
21:19 which apparently attributes this victory to Elhanan.
3
Most of the scholar-
ly attention directed to this narrative is consumed by matters such as these.
But all the scholarly energy expended on such topics has left another dimen-
sion of this story virtually unaddressed. That is the tendency of the author to
report on the geography of the event in great detail. In the fifty-four verses of
John A. Beck is a consultant with Bible World Seminars and afreelance writer in Germantown, Wis.
1
In particular, see the essays in The Story of David and Goliath: Textual and Literary Criticism (ed.
Dominique Barthlmy et al.; OBO 73; Fribourg/Gttingen: Editions Universitaires A^andenhoeck
& Ruprecht, 1986). See also Ralph W. Klein, 1 &wiw/(WBG 10; Waco: Word, 1983), 173-74; Stanley
Isser, TTuSwMdof Goliath: DatrnHenklAto Society of Biblical Literature,
2003), 29-34; Simon J. de Vries, "David's Victory over the Philistine as Saga and as Legend," JAL
92 (1973): 23-36; Emanuel , "The David and Goliath Saga: How a Biblical Editor Combined
Two Versions," BRev 11 (Winter 1986): 34-41; A. Graeme Auld and Craig Y. S. Ho, "The Making
of David and Goliath," JSOT56 (1992): 19-39.
2
Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York: Basic Books, 1981), 147-48; Robert F.
Youngblood, "1-2 Samuel," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 703.
3
Klein, 1 Samuel, 175; Hans Wilhelm Hurtzburg, 1 and 2 Samuel'A Commentary (OTL; Philadel-
phia: Westminster, 1964), 146.
321
322 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
this story,
4
the reader meets twenty specific geographical references (not in-
cluding the geographical allusions found in the reference to "Philistine" and
"Philistines" that occur thirty-five times in the story). Given the frequency with
which specific geographical detail is deployed, the story of David and Goliath is
clearly a story of place. While literary scholars such as Alter, Bar-Efrat, and
Miscall have noted the "well-delineated setting" of the story, none has ventured
beyond this observation to explain the literary function and interpretive impor-
tance of this geography.
5
This investigation will employ the narrative-geographical method in a bid to
fill that scholarly gap. Narrative-geographical inquiry is an interdisciplinary
approach that seeks to blend the insights offered by both narrative criticism and
the study of geography. It is related to the studies of physical, historical, and
human geography but distinct from them. Physical geography investigates the
land through the lens of topography, geology, hydrology, climate, forestation,
land use, urbanization, and transportation.
6
Historical and human geography
examine the role such physical geography plays in the shaping of history and
culture.
7
By contrast to these more traditional forms of geography, narrative
geography analyzes the literary function of geographical references within a
story. It acknowledges that the author may strategically use, reuse, and nuance
geography in order to impact the reading experience. Of course, the biblical
author's choice of setting was powerfully influenced by the traditional setting of
the reported event. Nevertheless, "these authors controlled the selectivity of
detail in the description of settings, requiring the reader to pay close attention to
these textual signals."
8
That is why Bar-Efrat concludes, "Places in the narrative
are not merely geographical facts, but are to be regarded as literary elements in
which fundamental significance is embodied."
9
My previous investigations have
demonstrated that biblical authors may employ geography as a tool to shape the
plot,
10
develop the characterization,
11
offer ironic energy to a story,
12
and pro-
vide emphasis that encouraged travel to an ancient worship site.
13
4
T. A. Boogaart rightly sees a natural break in the story unit occurring at v. 54 ("History and
Drama in the Story of David and Goliath," Re 38 [1985]: 204).
5
Alter, Art of Biblical Nanatioe, 151 ; Shimon Bar-Efrat, Nanatioe Art in the Bible (JSOTSup 70;
Sheffield: Almond, 1989), 35; Peter D. Miscall, 1 Samuel: A Literary Reading (Indiana Studies in Bib-
lical Literature; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986), 115.
6
Barry J. Beitzel, The Moody Bible Atlas of Bible Lands (Chicago: Moody, 1985), 25-69.
7
Ibid., xv.
8
Tremper Longman III, "Biblical Narrative," in A Complete literary Guide to the Bible (ed. Leland
Ryken and Tremper Longman III; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), 75.
9
Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible, 194. See also John A. Beck, "The Storyteller and Narrative
Geography," in Translators as Storytellers: A Study in Translation Technique (Studies in Biblical Literature
25; New York: Peter Lang, 2000), 165-96.
10
John A. Beck, "Geography and the Narrative Shape of Numbers 13," BSac 157 (2000): 271 -80.
1
John A. Beck, "Faith in the Face of Famine: The Narrative-Geographical Function of Famine
in Genesis," The Journal of Biblical Storytelling 11 (2001): 58-66; Beck, "Why Did Moses Strike Out?
The Narrative-Geographical Shaping of Moses' Disqualification (Num 20:1-13)," WTJ65 (2003):
135-41; Beck, "Why Do Joshua's Readers Keep Grossing the River? The Narrative-Geographical
Shaping of Joshua 3-4," J&7S48 (2005): 689-99.
1 2
John A. Beck, "Geography as Irony: The Narrative-Geographical Shaping of Elijah's Duel
with the Prophets of Baal (1 Kgs 18)," SJOT17 (2003): 291-302.
1 3
John A. Beck, "Mizpah and the Narrative-Geographical Shaping of 1 Samuel 7:5-13," BSac
162 (2005): 299-309.
DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLAGE 323
Following a brief overview of the literary context of the story, this investiga-
tion will survey the three portions of the narrative where geographical data col-
lects into units: in the exposition, in the body of the story, and in the conclusion.
In each case, we will identify the geographical place names used in the story,
discuss their geographical significance, and explore their literary role and how
it informs the meaningfulness of the narrative. We will conclude that the author
is using geography as a primary element in shaping the conflict of the plot that,
in turn, shapes the reader's perception of Saul and David.
I. The Literary Context of 1 Samuel 17
1. National Security
As the reader enters the first verses of ch. 17, he or she does so with a growing
uneasiness. The nascent Kingdom of Israel has two problems that loom like fore-
boding shadows over the verses of ch. 17. There is the problem with the Philis-
tines, and there is the uncertainty about just who is running the country. The
close of the period of the Judges and the rise of the monarchy in Israel was closely
attended by the Philistine presence. This is evident in the fact that 1 Samuel men-
tions the Philistines more than any other book in the Bible,
14
casting the Philistine
presence over nearly every narrative as the Israelites wrestle with their identity
and security.
15
The Ark Narratives in chs. 46 detail the Philistine victory that
brought the Ark of the Covenant into the hands of the Philistine Pentapolis for
a time. And although the Ark was subsequently returned to Israel, the destruc-
tion of the worship center at Shiloh, unmentioned in 1 Sam 4, endures as a pain-
ful memory to the time of Jeremiah (Jer 7:12).
16
And despite subsequent victories
by Samuel and Saul (1 Sam 7 and 14), the power of this rival on the coastal plain
remained the chief national security issue for the Israelites residing in the central
mountains.
17
2. Ladership
The Philistine threat to national security was compounded by questions sur-
rounding leadership in Israel. As sitting king, Saul was responsible for national
security. When the people requested a king to lead them, they were very specific
about wanting a king who would go out before them and fight their battles ( 1 Sam
8:20). The threat of the Philistines was surely on their minds. But by the close of
ch. 15, the reader receives word that Saul has been rejected by God. This notice
of rejection is followed by David's anointing in ch. 16, creating a tension that
carries the reader into the very first verses of ch. 17 seeking an answer to one
question: Who is the real leader of Israel, the sitting king or the anointed king?
1 4
David Jobling, 1 Samuel^cnt Olam; Gollegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1998), 212.
15
Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography (trans. . E Rainey; 2d ed.;
Philadelphia: Westminster, 1979), 275.
1 6
K. A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 83.
1 7
John Bright, A History of Israel (3d ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1981) 189.
324 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
The answer to that question is delivered throughout the rest of the book,
18
but
in particular is addressed for the reader in ch. 17. Thus the Philistine threat joins
with the question surrounding the leadership of Israel to push the reader into
1 Sam 17 looking for resolution.
3. Geography
The exposition of the story begins with a barrage of place names:
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah.
They pitched their camp at Ephes Darnmim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and
the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle
line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites the
other, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, who was from
Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. (1 Sam 17:1-4 NIV)
Within the first four verses of this story, we meet seven specific geographical refer-
ences and another six geographical allusions. We will begin by examining the
physical location and realities associated with this geography and then discuss the
literary value of their use.
Cities. Three cities are named in the exposition of this story, and we are confi-
dent of the location of all three. Socoh has been identified with Khirbet Abad
within the Elah Valley.
19
Just three miles from this site lying 384 feet above the
Elah Valley is Azekah, Tell Zakariya.
20
And while the identification of Gath has
been linked to a variety of sites, today there is a firm consensus that this Philistine
city is the current Tell es-Safi (Tel Zafit). This site rises 328 feet above the western
end of the Elah Valley, just beyond a ridge that blocks direct access to the valley.
21
By carefully drawing a map with words, the author of the story places the Philis-
tine army in Ephes Darnmim, an S-shaped valley that lies between Socoh and
Azekah.
The Elah Valley. All of the cities mentioned so far have a direct link to the
Elah Valley (also called the Valley of the Terebinth).
22
Gath is the Philistine city
that guards the western entrance. Azekah lies in the interior of the valley, with
Socoh east of both.
23
Given the precise location of the Philistine camp in Ephes
18
Waiter Bmeggemaxm,Ffot and Second Sam^ 1990),
119; Antony E Campbell, / Samuel (FOTL; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 167; V Philips Long,
The Art of Biblical History (Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation 5; Grand Rapids: Zonder-
van, 1994), 169; Alter, Art of Biblical Narrative, 152-53; P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., 1 Samuel (AB; Garden
City, N.Y: Doubledays 1980), 296.
19
Joe D. Seger, "Azekah," OEAM 1:243.
20
Ibid. See also J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament (Studia
Francisa Schlten memoriae dicata 2; Leiden: Brill, 1959), 318; and Ephraim Stern, "Azekah,"
MAEHLUm.
21
Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 271; Ephraim Stern, "Zafit, Tel," JVE4ffl4:1522; Seger, OEAM
1:243.
22
Also called the Wadi es-Sant, the Acacia Valley; Simons, Geographiealand Topographical Texts, 90.
23
David A. Dorsey, Tiu Roads and Highivqys of Arimt I^ael^dlm
versity Press, 1991), 189-90; Harold Brodsky, "The Shephelah: Guardian of Judea," BR (Winter
1987): 50.
DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLACE 325
Darnmim, this means that Saul and his forces are packed into the eastern por-
tion of the Elah Valley near Socoh. These details allow the reader to form a
very precise picture, one that would send shivers down the spine of every Isra-
elite living in the hill country, that is, if the reader fully comprehends the critical
importance of this terrain.
The importance of the Elah Valley is difficult to overestimate both in terms of
its natural resources and military value. The Elah Valley is part of the Judean
Shephelah that extends fiOmthe Aijalon VaUey southforthirtymiles. The Sheph-
elah is a transition zone (from six to ten miles in width) between the relatively flat
Mediterranean coast and the central mountains of Judah. It consists of foothills
rising from three hundred to twelve hundred feet (humble hills, as the Hebrew
name Shephelah implies). These hills are arranged in east-west ridges with wide,
U-shaped valleys extending westward from the central mountains towards the
Mediterranean Sea.
24
Control of these ridges and valleys has both economic and
security implications that the reader of 1 Sam 17 cannot miss.
The Elah Valley, like the other valleys of the Shephelah, produced very valu-
able forest and agricultural products.
25
The low ridges of the Elah Valley were
covered with trees in this period, particularly the sycamore and the terebinth.
Sycamores were so abundant that the biblical writers made special mention of
them (1 Kgs 10:27; 2 Chron 1:15; 9:27), and King David actually appointed an
overseer to make sure that this natural resource was protected (1 Chron 27:28).
The sycamore produced a fig, but because its quality and taste were inferior to
the true fig, the fruit of the sycamore was not its claim to fame.
26
The great eco-
nomic value of this tree was its wood. Since the porous structure of the wood
kept the weight of the limb to a minimum while at the same time providing the
limb with considerable strength, it was harvested for use as roof beams in the
construction of homes and public buildings.
27
In a land where construction-
grade lumber was rare, the sycamore was a prized possession.
The name of the valley, "Elah," recalls another tree that covered the low
ridges of this region. That was the terebinth. While the sycamore had prime
value as a source of timber, the terebinth produced turpentine. This brownish-
yellow resin was collected and used for caulking, shellacking wall paintings, and
in the mummification process.
28
24
Cari G. Rasmussen, MV Alias of Ou Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989), 47.
25
Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 25.
26
Michael Zohary, Plants of the Bible (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982), 68.
27
Aharon Kempinski and Ronny Reich, The Architecture of Ancient Israel (Jerusalem: The Israel
Exploration Society, 1992), 7. The persistence and regenerative powers of this tree made it possible
to manipulate the tree into producing even more timber than it would naturally. If a single limb is
cut from the tree, it will restore itself by producing multiple limbs at the same spot. In an ancient
form of timber management, ancient forestry practice dictated that a mature sycamore tree be cut
down. From the stump, numerous limbs would grow and be ready for harvest and use as roof beams
within six years. Nogah Hareuveni, Tree and Shrub in Our Biblical Heritage (Lod, Israel: Neot
Kedumim, 1984), 87-89.
28
Philip J. King and Lawrence . Stager, life in Biblical Israel (Library of Ancient Israel; Louis-
ville: Westminster John Knox, 2001), 109.
326 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Turning from the ridges to the wide floor of the Elah Valley, we give our
attention to field crops and livestock. Blessed with sufficient rainfall and soil rich
in nutrients, the Elah Valley yielded strong grain fields and well-fed livestock.
29
These large open valleys were particularly important to the Israelites who were
living in the mountains of Judah where large tracts of land suitable for field
crops and for grazing were virtually non-existent.
While the economic value of the Elah made its control highly desirable, its
value for the national security of those living in the mountains made its control
an absolute necessity.
30
The mountains of Judah rising to over thirty-three hun-
dred feet offered their residents security from the better-equipped and better-
organized Philistines living on the coastal plain.
31
But the east-west valleys of the
Judean Shephelah were the weak link in the Judeans' chain of defense, offering
invaders attack routes leading to the interior of the hill country. To feel fully
secure, the residents of the mountains needed to control the Shephelah valleys.
While the portion of the Shephelah called the Aijalon Valley was considered to
be the most critical valley in this regard, the Elah Valley was a close second.
32
Thus the Elah became an essential buffer zone lying between the heartland of
Judah and the heartland of Philisa, guarded in subsequent generations by forts
such as Gath, Socoh, and Azekah (2 Chron 11:5-10; Jer 34:7) which sought to
preserve national interests, either of those living on the coastal plain or of those
living in the Judean Highlands.
33
It is no wonder that the Elah frequently became
a battleground not only during OT times but also during the Maccabean wars
with the Syrians as well as during the conflicts between Saladin and the Cru-
saders.
34
4. Literary Implications of the Geography
Now that we have a sense of the geographical setting, we turn to the literary
use of these geographical references. Perhaps it strikes the reader that the
amount of geographical detail we find in the first four verses of this story far
exceeds what would be necessary to establish the setting of the story.
35
Certainly
29
Amihai Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000-586B.C.E. (New York: Doubleday,
1992), 4.
30
Efraim Orni and Elisha Efrat, Geography of Israel (3d ed.; Jerusalem: The Jewish Publication
Society of America, 1973), 65.
31
Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 273.
32
William M. Schniedewind, "The Geopolitical History of Philistine Gath," BASOR 309
(1998): 74. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 25, calls it "a most valued part of the kingdom."
33
George A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (New York: A. G. Armstrong & Son,
1907), 209; Anson F. Rainey, "The Biblical Shephelah of Judah," BASOR 251 (1983): 3; Denis Baly,
The Geography of the Bible (London: Lutterworth Press, 1957), 144. While some have dated the
remains of the fortress at Azekah to the time of the Judges, the scholarly consensus now identifies
those ruins with the eighth century B.C.; Stern, "Azekah," JAEHL1:124. Scarabs of Thutmose
and Amenhotep mention this city; Seger, OEAJ1:243; David A. Dorsey, The Roads and Highways
of Ancient Israel, 190. Azekah is mentioned in the Lachish letters as a key fortification designed to
protect access to Jerusalem; Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 459.
34
Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land, 201.
35
Given the detail, it is somewhat shocking that early Christian visitors to the region identified
the contest between David and Goliath with a variety of other locations. In the sixth century, Theo-
dosius placed the battle scene near Mount Gilboa. In the fourteenth century, Sigoli placed the battle
DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLACE 327
we would concur that this geographical detail communicates a sense of lively
realism.
36
But, as we have noted above, geography can also play a key role in
contributing to the structure and meaning of the story.
37
All the geographical
details in the exposition slow the reading process and draw the informed reader
to the conclusion that this battle is over an absolutely critical piece of land with
overwhelming economic and security implications. Thus, control of this valley
is a key goal of both the Israelites and the Philistines.
38
Since the victory of Samuel at Mizpah (1 Sam 7:14), the reader has assumed
that the Elah Valley lay in the hands of the Israelites. While Saul was engaged
in a skirmish with the Philistines north of the Elah Valley (1 Sam 14), Israelite
control of the Shephelah seemed to be intact (1 Sam 14:47). However, the geo-
graphical details provided in the very first verses of this story make it clear that
things have changed. The Philistine military has penetrated the Elah Valley and
is encamped in Ephes Darnmim between Socoh and Azekah. This geographi-
cal detail strategically informs the reader that the Elah Valley is not only threat-
ened but occupied by the enemy. Thus, the economic benefits of this valley are
lost and the security of those in the hill country is in jeopardy. This becomes the
key crisis requiring resolution in the plot of this narrative.
But the crisis also casts its shadow over the characterization in this story. If ever
there was a time to act, a time for valor and faith to come forward, this is it. Surely
the king who came to power under the mandate that he go before the people and
fight their battles (1 Sam 8:20), the king who had an obligation to manage the
Philistine problem, would make his presence felt.
39
But conspicuous by their
absence are the voice, the valor, and the inspiration of the king. The battle lines
have been drawn up for forty days (17:16). The insults of Goliath have stung the
ears of the Israelites for over a month. But Saul's soldiers are arrayed for a battle
they are unwilling to join.
40
As Goliath blusters and impugns the name of the
living God, the soldiers of Israel tremble with fear (1 Sam 17:11,24). "The spirit
of God had departed from their leader and his followers seemed to share in the
depression which this consciousness brought."
41
Thus the geographical detail in
the exposition plays a critical role in developing the conflict within the plot. As
just outside Bethlehem. In the nineteenth century, Condor portrayed David selecting stones from
the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem. John Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades (Jerusalem:
Ariel, 1977), 105;B.Basggati, ed., Visit to the Holy Places of Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, and Syria in 1384 by
Frescobaldi, Gucci, andSigoU (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum 6; Jerusalem: Franciscan Press, 1948),
200; G. R. Condor, "The City of Jerusalem," in Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society (London, 1897; repr.,
New York: AMS Press, 1971), 2:39.
36
Yairah Amit, Reading Biblical Mrratives: Literary Criticism and the Hebrew Bible (Minneapolis:
Fortress, 2001), 118.
37
Longman, "Biblical Narrative," 74.
38
Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 306.
39
Brueggemann, First and Second Samuel, 127.
40
Barbara Green, How Are the Mighty Fallen? A Dialogical Study of King Saul ini Samuel (JSOTSup
365; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2003), 287.
41
Alfred Edersheim, Bible History Old Testament (1876-1887; repr., Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1979), 87.
328 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
readers are led to appreciate the grave nature of this national security crisis, they
are also persuaded to reflect negatively upon the character of Saul as a leader
who fails to address this crisis in a meaningful way.
. The Body of the Narrative
The rush of geographical data fed to the reader within the first verses of the
story looms as large as Goliath over all the words and actions that follow, allow-
ing the formal use of geography to subside through the body of the narrative
itself. We will briefly visit three places where geography appears in the heart of
this story and discuss their literary role.
As David is introduced to the reader in w. 12-15, we learn that David is from
Bethlehem (v. 12) and that he was in the habit of going and returning between
the Israelite camp and Bethlehem (v. 15). This small village where David was
born lies in the Judean hills that rise immediately above the Elah Valley. Twice
in David's brief introduction the eyes of the reader are lifted from the Elah Valley
to Bethlehem in the hills, and the reader gasps. An enemy moving up the Elah
Valley would be able to climb the Husan ridge and arrive in Bethlehem in less
than one day. This double mention of Bethlehem brackets David's introduction
and places him personally within the geographical context of the crisis.
A second and third formal use of geography in the body of the story follow in
w. 19 and 23. First, as Jesse gives David directions for visiting his brothers, the
author has Jesse remind the reader that Saul and all the men of Israel are "in
the Elah Valley fighting with the Philistines" (v. 19). Then, as David arrives at
the front and gets his first glimpse of Goliath, the narrator reintroduces Goliath
as the Philistine from Gath, recalling his earlier introduction in v. 4.
After the first four verses of this story, the detailed use of geography is set aside,
presumably having done its job of establishing the critical nature of the conflict.
The reader now is permitted to focus more on the words and actions of Saul and
David against that backdrop. But while the author pulls back from the extensive
use of geography in these verses, small reminders are planted here and there in
the narrative. We further note that the direction of the geographical details in the
body of the narrative moves from east to west, from Bethlehem to the Elah Valley
to Gath. From the Israelite perspective, this sweep of the landscape says it all.
The Israelites in the hill country are looking down from the mountains on the
Elah Valley at an enemy in that valley who comes from the coastal plain.
III. The Conclusion of the Narrative
The next place that we find geographical data clustering is in v. 52. After the
Philistine champion lies headless and defeated in the dirt of the valley, the Philis-
tine army turns in headlong flight. Finding their courage in the words and actions
of David, the Israelite army pursues the retreating Philistines. As the narrator
reports on this portion of the day, geography again comes to the foreground:
"Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the
Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were
strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron" (1 Sam 17:52 NIV).
DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLAGE 329
Again there is no doubt as to the location of the two cities mentioned within
this verse. Gath is located at the site of Tell es-Safi (Tel Zafit). Ekron is located at
Tel Miqne.
42
The details offered in the story suggest that many of the Philistine
soldiers were unable to flee effectively down the Elah Valley, resorting instead to
a less direct route using a valley east of Azekah called the Shaaraim Road.
43
But
what is absolutely critical to note for what follows is that both Gath and Ekron
lie outside the Elah Valley.
The literary importance of the geography in this verse stands in concert with
the way the geography was used in the first four verses of this narrative. Since
the very first verses when the scene of battle was introduced, the reader has
been acutely aware that the Philistines have invaded and are holding a critical
valley. So as to prevent the reader from forgetting about this enemy presence,
the writer has mentioned, re-mentioned, and mentioned again the Philistine
presence. The word "Philistine" or "Philistines" has occurred thirty-three
times since the first verse of the story. And within the twelve verses leading up to
v. 52, the Philistine presence is alluded to eighteen times in twelve verses. Again
and again we hear about the Philistines, knowing all the while that from the
Israelite perspective they are in the wrong place. The situation changes, how-
ever, when we reach v. 52 because now the repetition of Gath and Ekron signals
to the reader that the Philistines have been removed from the Elah Valley. While
there may be dead bodies lying along the Shaaraim road, there are no living
Philistines in the territory so highly prized by the Israelites.
What naturally follows is praise for the one who has brought about this turn
of events. The reader entered the story feeling the tension of knowing that
within Israel two leaders were functioning, a sitting king and an anointed king.
The use of geography in the story has established the conflict and detailed the
resolution. But en route, the geography has also contributed to the positive
characterization of David. At the end of this day it is clear that "while Saul was
nominally king, David was already Israel's leader."
44
IV Conclusion
While the geographical data has received meager attention from interpreters
of this famous story, it clearly has something to offer the geographically
informed reader who engages the text. The story of David and Goliath is
clearly a story of place. By using an interdisciplinary approach called narrative-
geographical analysis, we have been able to uncover the deeper connotations of
the geographical references used by the author and see how they function both
to raise the level of conflict found in the plot and lead to resolution. And more
importantly, we have been able to see that the geographical setting allows the
reader to draw an unmistakable contrast between the characters of David and
42
ititchcn, Cm the Reliability of the Old Testammt,^
Ephraim Stern, "Miqne, Tel (Ekron)," NEAEHL 3:1051.
43
Rzsmxis&en, NIV Atlas of the Bible, 113.
44
Klein, 1 Samuel, 183.
330 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Saul. The economic and national security issues associated with an invasion of
the Elah Valley by the Philistines opened the door to greatness, and it was David
rather than Saul who walked through that door.
^ s
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