1 Samuel 17:48-54
17:49 a Goliath’s forehead remained exposed beneath his enormous helmet.• stumbled and fell face down: The stone only incapacitated Goliath; David killed him by decapitating him (17:51 b).
17:52 c The Israelites chased the Philistines to Gath, some six miles to the west.
• Ekron was a Philistine city five miles north of Gath.
• Shaaraim was a city of Judah near Azekah (17:1 d).
17:53 e Unless expressly prohibited (e.g., 15:3 f; Josh 6:18 g), victory in battle allowed for the taking of war spoils (Deut 2:35 h; Josh 8:2 i).
17:54 j Jerusalem became an Israelite city later, when David captured it from the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6-7 k). Jerusalem was probably the final destination of Goliath’s head, after David had become king. But David might have taken it to Jerusalem earlier to intimidate the non-Israelite occupants.
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