David and Goliath: Required reading for second grade public school students in Texas

This story is from The Children's Book of Heroes by William J. Bennett, an American conservative political commentator that served as Secretary of Education in Ronald Regan's Administration. Although he wrote a best-selling book that was popular with Christians called "The Book of Virtues", he ran into some problems with his gambling addiction. He also endorsed Donald Trump for President in 2024.

I haven't yet found a copy of this book, but here's the story in context from The Bible in Fewer Words podcast.

Episode 109: David and Goliath

1 Samuel 17

17 ¹ The Philistines and Israelites gathered their armies on mountain tops, separated by a valley between them.

⁴ Goliath was the Philistine champion, whose height was six cubits and a span.

^5-7 He had a brass helmet, and a coat of mail that weighed 5000 shekels and spear head that weighed 600 shekels.

⁸ Goliath cried out to the armies of Israel, saying,

Choose a man to fight me.

⁹ If he kills me, we will be your servants.

But if I kill him, you will be our servants.

¹¹ When Saul and the Israelites heard Goliath's challenge, they were afraid.

¹⁶ Goliath challenged the Israelites every day, morning and evening, for forty days.

¹⁷ Jesse said to David,

Take some grain, bread, and cheese to your older brothers who are fighting the Philistines in the valley of Elah.

²³ When David arrived, he met with his brothers. Then Goliath showed up.

²⁴ All the Israelites were afraid of Goliath and ran away.

²⁶ David asked the Israelite soldiers,

What is the reward for killing this uncircumcised Philistine?

²⁷ The soldiers said,

The king will give him lots of money and his daughter for a wife.

²⁸ Eliab, David's oldest brother said to David:

Why did you come here anyway? Why did you leave your sheep?

I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart.

^29-31 When Saul heard about this, he sent for David.

³² When David arrived, he said to Saul, "Don't be afraid. I'll fight the Philistine."

³³ Saul said to David,

You can't fight this Philistine. You're just a kid.

He's been a man of war since his youth.

³⁴ David replied,

When I was watching sheep, a lion and a bear took a lamb out of the flock.

³⁵ And I chased after him (them?), grabbed him by his beard, and killed him.

³⁶ I killed the lion and the bear; I can do the same to this uncircumcised Philistine.

³⁷ Saul said, "OK then. Go with God."

³⁸ Saul put his own helmet and armor on David, but David said,

³⁹ I can't use these. I'm not used to them.

⁴⁰ David took his staff, a sling, and five smooth stones that he found in the brook and headed off to meet Goliath.

^41-42 Goliath was surprised to see that the Israelites sent David to fight him, since David was just a good-looking kid.

^43-44 He said to David, "I'll feed your flesh to the birds and beasts."

⁴⁵ David replied:

You come at me with a sword, spear, and shield, but I come in the name of the Lord.

⁴⁶ God will deliver you to my hand, I’ll kill you and cut off your head.

Then I'll give your carcass to the birds and beasts, so that the earth will know there's a God in Israel.

^48-49 When Goliath came near, David slang a stone into Goliath's forehead, killing him instantly.

⁵¹ Then he took Goliath's sword and cut off his head.

^52-54 When the Philistines saw that Goliath was dead, they all ran away. The Israelites chased after them, killing them along the way, while David brought Goliath's head to Jerusalem.

⁵⁵ When David left to fight Goliath, Saul said to his captain, Abner, "Who is this young man?"

Abner said, "I don't know."

⁵⁷ So when David returned after killing Goliath, Abner brought him to see Saul. (David was still carrying Goliath's head.)

⁵⁸ Saul asked David, "Who are you?"

David answered, "I am the son of Jesse."

To get the full context of this story I recommend reading or listening to the previous episode that introduces David, along with the next eight episodes:

David buys his first wife with 200 Philistine foreskins
Jonathan loved David
David runs away from Saul
David cuts off Saul's skirt
God kills Nabal and gives David his wife
David commits random acts of genocide for the Philistines
The death of Saul
David kills the messenger

Questions for students

1. The Bible says that Goliath's height was six cubits and a span, which would be about ten feet tall. (Robert Wadlow, the tallest person in recorded history was eight feet 11 inches.) Do you think Goliath was really that tall or did the Bible exaggerate?
2. Do you think Goliath was a real person or was he just a mythical character like Paul Bunyan?

3. In verse 55, King Saul doesn't know who David is, yet earlier in the story (verses 29-37) Saul has a long conversation with him. How could that be possible? Do you think that maybe there were two different versions of the same story that were rather clumsily put together?