The Story of Jesus in David & Goliath

What's in a Name? Part 2

Sep 09, 2023

Grievers, Burrowers, and Weakeners

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle... (1 Samuel 17:1 ESV)

The name Philistine (פלשי) means griever, burrower, or weakener. Picture a worm eating away at the roots of a plant until the plant becomes malnourished and unstable.

The name Philistine comes from the verb Palash (פלש), which means to burrow or grieve loudly. Palash also means to roll around in ashes or dust due to intense grief.

So when we look at the fullness of the name Philistine — the name and the words it is derived from — we get this picture of a creature so empty and tortured that it can only wail and try to bury itself in a futile attempt to escape its own misery.

If that sounds like hell to you, you’re right.

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:47-48 ESV)
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42 ESV)
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41 ESV)

The Philistines in this story represent the denizens of hell: Satan, the demons, and the wicked who reject God. They are those who are destined to grieve for all eternity, forever separated from the love of Christ.

The Burrowers Invade

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. (1 Samuel 17:1 ESV)

It was no coincidence that the Philistines set up camp where they did. Socoh (שוכה) means hedge or thicket. It’s derived from the root word Sakak (סכך), which means to weave a protection. It’s where we get the word Tabernacle from, which was the meeting place between God and man.

Judah (יהודה) means praised, or let him be praised. It comes from the verb Yada (ידה), which means to praise. Everything about this name has to do with praise and songs of praise.

When the Bible says that Socoh belongs to Judah, it means protection belongs to those who praise the Lord.

The Philistines gathered at this place. They camped between Socoh and Azekah in a place called Ephes-dammim.

Azekah (עֲזֵקָה) means dug over. This could be interpreted a few different ways, but if we remember that Philistine means Burrower, we see the significance.

The Burrowers camped between Socoh (protection) which belongs to Judah (praise). It’s as if they were burrowing into praise and worship in order to separate God’s people from the protection praise offers.

We see that happening today in modern worship. The music in many churches is growing increasingly more self-focused. Rather than praising the Lord, they dig into their own hearts and identities for answers. But praise is only as powerful as who or what is being praised. When we praise the Almighty God, our worship becomes empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we praise ourselves, our worship becomes severely limited. (For an in-depth discussion around this topic, check out this video.)

The result is discouragement, and that’s exactly what happened to Israel. When Saul and his soldiers arrived to repel the Philistine invasion, they lost hope. They abandoned praise and forgot to put their faith in God. That left them discouraged, weakened, and easily intimidated.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s look at where the enemy set up camp.

The Enemy Camp

Ephes-dammim (אֶפֶס דַּמִּים) means boundary of blood. This is where the Grievers, Burrowers, and Weakeners pitched their tents. This is where they staked their claim.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22 ESV)

Now when we look at this symbolically, two things become clear.

First, there was a boundary line — a boundary of blood — that the enemy could not cross. The enemy was on one side, and God’s people were on another. Between them was the boundary line.

But second, “without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins,” and, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

The Burrowers encamped on this idea. The people had sinned and had no business being on God’s side of the boundary line. A blood debt was owed, and the Burrowers were out to claim it.

There would be a reckoning.

A Desperate King

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. (1 Samuel 17:2 ESV)

When King Saul heard that the Philistines had invaded, he gathered the men of Israel together for battle. In order to understand the deep symbolism woven into this story, it is really important to understand the significance of Saul’s name.

The name Saul (שאול) literally means asked for. It comes from the verb Sha'al (שאל), which means to ask for.

This name is related to a few other words, such as the noun She'la (שאלה), meaning request or petition, and the noun Mish'ala (משאלה), which means petition or desire. But there’s another word it’s related to that is of much more significance.

Saul (שאול) is spelled in the exact same way as Sheol (שאול). Sheol means grave, pit, or hell. The only way to tell which name is which is to listen to the way that it’s pronounced.

If we take the wholeness of Saul’s name into consideration, it could mean a petition from the grave, or a plea from hell.

This is who led Israel into battle — someone desperate to be delivered from the grave.

A Desperate People (The Story So Far)

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. (1 Samuel 17:2 ESV)

The people Saul led into battle were named Israel.

The name Israel (ישראל) has incredible depth of meaning. Most literally, it means he retains God. This was the new name given to Jacob, who wrestled with God and famously said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

They met for battle in the Valley of Elah (אלה), which means terebinth or oak.

This is a good place to recap the symbolism that we’ve unpacked so far:

The demons invaded praise and worship to drive a wedge between God and the protection He offered to his people. They encamped at the boundary of blood, claiming that a blood debt was owed and that the people were therefore not worthy of protection from God. The people, whose only hope was to cling to God, met the demons at the boundary line, led by a petition asking God to save them from the grave. God’s people gathered in the valley of the tree.

Then the enemy sent forth a champion.

Goliath of Gath

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath… (1 Samuel 17:4 ESV)

Goliath, the fearsome giant, had a terrible, evil name. Goliath (גלית) means exposer. It comes from the verb Gala (גלה), which means to uncover, expose, or remove. Exposure is different from revealing. Exposure is when something is uncovered in a violating way.

Gath (גת), where Goliath was from, means winepress. There is a sense of beating and crushing associated with this word.

Goliath’s name means violent rapist and abuser. This is who was sent forth as hell’s champion to expose Israel’s weakness and to remove them from the land. He meant to beat the life out of God’s people, to humiliate them and force them into submission.

He did this by calling out their guilt.

The Claim of the Enemy

[Goliath] stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
(1 Samuel 17:8-11 ESV)

When Goliath shouted at the Israelites, he was not merely taunting them. He was laying claim to them.

Remember how Saul and Sheol are spelled the same way? Look at what Goliath said:

“Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul?”

What was he really saying here? Knowing the meanings of the names, what implications was he making?

“Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not the champion of hell, and are you not servants of hell?”

This was no mere taunt. It was a claim of ownership. Goliath viewed Israel as his rightful slaves. He might as well have said, “How dare you defy your master?”

The Contest of Champions

And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. (1 Samuel 17:10-11 ESV)

Goliath, in his pride, made a wager. There would be a contest of champions. Whichever champion lost would doom his people to serve the victors for all eternity.

This was when Israel broke. They had no champion, no one who could stand against Goliath. They couldn’t run, but they were too scared to attack. They simply froze, and for 40 days they were subjected to the flood of condemnation raining down from the enemy abuser.

What were they to do?

The Lord’s Beloved

Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. (1 Samuel 17:12 ESV)

The name David (דוד) is a complex name in the sense that the etymology of the word is disputed. Most scholars agree that it at least means beloved, but it is also closely associated with the words weak or flowing, specifically in the sense of the flow of blood.

The word Ephrathah (אפרתה) is significant here. It probably means fruitful, but it can also mean exhausted in the sense of being depleted of inner strength. But look at the other root words that Ephrathah is associated with:

The noun Par (פר) means young bull and Para (פרה) means young heifer.
- Bulls were commonly used in sacrifice. Hebrews 10:14 says of Jesus, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
The noun Para' (פרא) is a word for donkey.
- Donkeys often symbolize humility. Zechariah 9:9 says of the Messiah, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The noun Pur (פור) means lot and is where we get the word Purim, which is when God’s people were saved from annihilation at the hands of Haman the Agagite.
- For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. (Esther 9:24-26 ESV)

So we have David the son of an Ephrathite, meaning Beloved who has become weak, from whom blood flows, who is fruitful, who will humbly be depleted of strength as a sacrifice to save his people from annihilation.

Not only that, but David was from Bethlehem in Judah. We already know that Judah means let him be praised, but what about Bethlehem?

Bethlehem (בית לחם) is another name rich in meaning, but it primarily means two things. The first is house of bread.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19 ESV)

The second is house of war.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11 ESV)

Finally, David was the son of Jesse (ישי), which means, my husband or God exists. This is awesome, especially knowing that Goliath’s name leans towards rapist.

God, the protective husband to Israel, was not about to let an enemy dare to lay claim to His bride. He sent a champion — a champion with a great name — to destroy the enemy and protect His people.

“David, the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah” means, “The Beloved, who has become weak, from whom blood flows, who is fruitful, will humbly be depleted of strength as a sacrifice to save His people from annihilation. Let Him be praised who is of the house of bread and the house of war, that all may know that the people who cling to God belong to Him.”

Challenge Accepted

Upon meeting David, Saul accepted the enemy’s wager. The King of Israel sent forth a champion to fight on their behalf. David met the exposer in the valley of the tree, and there he struck down hell’s champion.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”
When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. (1 Samuel 17:45-50 ESV)

Centuries later, the battle played out again. The enemy was out for blood. Once again, the enemy was trying to lay claim to God’s people.

But the Lord sent a champion.

Jesus Christ humbled Himself and allowed Himself to be crucified. He gave His life on the tree and became the stone hurled at the head of the enemy.

Luke 20:17-18 ESV - But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
Genesis 3:15 TLV - I will put animosity between you and the woman—between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

The wager was won. The debt of blood was paid in full, and three days later Jesus rose again. Death was defeated, and the wicked were doomed to bend a knee.

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV - Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Whole Story

Hidden within 1 Samuel 17 is the story of Jesus’s victory over death. If we put all the pieces together, it reads something like this:

The enemy tried to separate God’s people from His protection. They staked their claim on the blood debt owed for sin.

God’s people had no way of achieving victory on their own. They cried out desperately for salvation and went to fight the enemy at the valley of the tree.

The enemy sent forth an accuser to lay claim to God’s people and expose their weakness. God sent forth His beloved Son to pay the blood debt and save His people from annihilation. In doing so, Jesus conquered sin and death and won the victory on behalf of all who cling to Him.

Jesus willingly gave up His life, and in His resurrection struck a fatal blow against the enemy. The wager was won, and God has bestowed on Jesus the Name above every other name, that at His Name every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Closing Thoughts

All of Scripture points to Jesus. He is the incarnate Word of God, and it is so incredible to see His story woven into every part of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire book is about Him.

What other mysteries could be hiding in His word, waiting to be discovered?

Things Above

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