Bible in art · 1 Samuel

David and Goliath

Rembrandt · 1655
National Gallery of Art, Washington

This plate is one of four tiny plates Rembrandt etched for “Piedra gloriosa” (1655), a Spanish book about the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by his Amsterdam neighbour, the rabbi and printer Menasseh ben Israel. It is about 11 cm high, so the soldiers are only a few scratches.

Goliath, huge and armoured, fills the left side with his round shield and plumed helmet. Small David stands at the right and whirls the sling, while the two armies watch from below.

From the text

David approaching with his sling (1 Samuel 17:40)
The Philistine’s armour and weapons (1 Samuel 17:45)
The stone slung at Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49)

The artist’s own

Goliath in armour of Rembrandt’s own time, with a plumed helmet
The armies drawn as rows of helmets below the duel

Details

Goliath

The giant in full armour with a plumed helmet and a round shield.

David

The young man swings his sling.

The armies

Rows of helmeted soldiers watch from below.

A town

A small town stands on the hill behind.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1947.7.101) · Etching, burin and drypoint · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

1 Sam 17:40–50And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome. “Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against 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. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

See it at the museum’s site