A Dramatic Reading of David and Goliath from
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
(the Hebrew Bible reading for Proper Seven in Ordinary Time)
Four readers are needed for this reading:
morning if they can arrive in time to do so well before the congregation arrives.
The aim of this approach to reading the text is to tell the story with some measure of
drama and vitality. Exaggeration is not called for, but expressiveness playing with the
humor, faith, and contrasts inherent in the text will help the hearers enter into the story.
Many people will be familiar with this story and so need to hear it freshly. Others will not
know it and be hearing it for the first time. Tell it well!
If desired, the characters could have contrasting instruments in their hands, for example,
Goliath with a huge spear or sword and David with a sling or slingshot.
NARRATOR: Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at
Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-
dammim. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on
his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand
shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung
between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's
head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He
stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel,
Goliath: "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."
Narrator: And the Philistine said,
Goliath: "Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together."
Narrator: When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were
dismayed and greatly afraid. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the
valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
(brief pause to change the scene)
Narrator continues: David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took
the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as
the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines
drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the
baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers.
As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up
out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David
heard him. David said to Saul,
David: "Let no one's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this
Philistine."
Narrator: Saul said to David,
Saul: "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a
boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth."
Narrator: But David said to Saul,
David: "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear
came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb
from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and
kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall
be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God."
Narrator: David said,
David: "The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
will save me from the hand of this Philistine."
Narrator: So Saul said to David,
Saul: "Go, and may the LORD be with you!"
Narrator: (with a little humor) Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet
on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul's sword over the
armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul,
David: "I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them."
Narrator: So David removed them. (pause) Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose
five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his
sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth,
ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David,
Goliath: "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"
Narrator: And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David,
Goliath: "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild
animals of the field."
Narrator: But David said to the Philistine,
David: "You come to me with sword and spear and 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 very
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 Philistine army this very day to the birds of
the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a
God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by
sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand."
Narrator: When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the
battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it,
and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell
face down on the ground.
(pause to let the story come to a close in the hearer’s ears and minds)
Narrator and readers together: This is the Word of God.
This dramatization was prepared by Daniel Benedict and may be used by any
congregation.
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
(the Hebrew Bible reading for Proper Seven in Ordinary Time)
Four readers are needed for this reading:
- Narrator (man or woman; this person will read the most and needs to be a good
reader)
Goliath (someone with ability to communicate a certain ferocity)
David (could be a child or junior high age)
Saul (this is a very small part with just a couple of lines; perhaps a male, but it
could be a female voice.)
morning if they can arrive in time to do so well before the congregation arrives.
The aim of this approach to reading the text is to tell the story with some measure of
drama and vitality. Exaggeration is not called for, but expressiveness playing with the
humor, faith, and contrasts inherent in the text will help the hearers enter into the story.
Many people will be familiar with this story and so need to hear it freshly. Others will not
know it and be hearing it for the first time. Tell it well!
If desired, the characters could have contrasting instruments in their hands, for example,
Goliath with a huge spear or sword and David with a sling or slingshot.
NARRATOR: Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at
Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-
dammim. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on
his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand
shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung
between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's
head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He
stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel,
Goliath: "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."
Narrator: And the Philistine said,
Goliath: "Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together."
Narrator: When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were
dismayed and greatly afraid. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the
valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
(brief pause to change the scene)
Narrator continues: David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took
the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as
the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines
drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the
baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers.
As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up
out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David
heard him. David said to Saul,
David: "Let no one's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this
Philistine."
Narrator: Saul said to David,
Saul: "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a
boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth."
Narrator: But David said to Saul,
David: "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear
came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb
from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and
kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall
be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God."
Narrator: David said,
David: "The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
will save me from the hand of this Philistine."
Narrator: So Saul said to David,
Saul: "Go, and may the LORD be with you!"
Narrator: (with a little humor) Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet
on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul's sword over the
armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul,
David: "I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them."
Narrator: So David removed them. (pause) Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose
five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his
sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth,
ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David,
Goliath: "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"
Narrator: And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David,
Goliath: "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild
animals of the field."
Narrator: But David said to the Philistine,
David: "You come to me with sword and spear and 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 very
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 Philistine army this very day to the birds of
the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a
God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by
sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand."
Narrator: When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the
battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it,
and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell
face down on the ground.
(pause to let the story come to a close in the hearer’s ears and minds)
Narrator and readers together: This is the Word of God.
This dramatization was prepared by Daniel Benedict and may be used by any
congregation.
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