Why did King David choose only 5 smooth stones?

Answer 1

God told David to take up five stones in his name. These stones are in our hands today and they represent prayer, fasting, confession, The Bible, and the Eucharist.

-----------------------

He was confident that he could "slay the giant", yet recognized the possibility that he might miss. He didn't want to carry too many stones, since that would have been difficult to manage in the course of battle, and he didn't want to be arrogant and select only one stone. I'm sure he figured that if he couldn't get the job done with 5 stones, he was in trouble anyway.

Jesus and His Jewish followers would disagree that the Bible is about YOU. For example, Jesus rebuked His own Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, who saw the Bible as a moral code book about their behavior. He said, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. " (John 5:30-40). He later said to they were "of their father the devil" (John 8:44). Jesus defined eternal life as "knowing the ONE TRUE GOD" (John 3:17). Those who desire to know God will believe in Jesus' authority and realize that the Bible is God's revelation of Himself through redemptive history climaxing in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Those who want to find other uses and interpretations of the Bible (and there are many) are free to do so. And on the last day they will be among those to whom Christ says, "I never knew you, depart from me..." (Matthew 7:23). One can either know the one true God through Jesus Christ and the revealed Word about Him. Or one can believe the lie of the garden and live as though we are the center of our universe and interpret the Bible from a man-centered perspective. Personally, I think it wise to ground ones view of Scripture in the authority of Jesus as did His Jewish followers who wrote the New Testament with the person and work of Christ as central to their writings. Frankly, a Bible isn't need if one is simply looking for a moral code, good advice, Jewish history, a metaphysical or spiritual experience, a scholarly exercise, or any other man-centered purpose. There are plenty of other books and sources for these. But if the Bible is how God has revealed Himself to His covenant people through redemptive history, it is the way He provided to know the one TRUE God cognitively, to know the one TRUE God passionately, and to know the one TRUE God relationally through His Son, Jesus Christ. There are many choices of how to view the Bible. But, based on the words of Jesus, viewing David and Goliath as a foreshadowing of the work of Christ and an example of the enmity between the two seeds of Genesis 3:15 fits the theme of redemptive history. And making much of the number five seems like one of many possible diversions that come from reading too much into the text. I'd rather make much of Christ, who said Scripture is about Him.

Answer 2

5 books of the Bible. T o r a h

AnswerDavid selected 5 stones because one was for Goliath and the others for his 4 sons.

Goliath was from Gath, and Goliath had four sons -the name of one son is unknown, but the others were Ishbibenob, Saph, and Lahmi,
-

1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

2Sa 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath,and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

Ishbibenob:-

2Sa 21:16-17 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, ...thought to have slain David. (v.17) But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him....

Saph:-

2Sa 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.

Name Unknown :-

2Sa 21:20-21 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature,... and he also was born to the giant.[that is, he was Goliath's son] (v.21) And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

Lahmi:-

2Sa 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite [that is, 'Lahmi'- see 1Chron 20:5],... 1Ch 20:5 There was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

In the King James [KJV] of the Bible 2Sam 21:22 says Goliath had 4 sons, and other verses state specifically they were each killed in battle. This means the four killed were not 3 of his own sons and also his brother Lahmi. Lahmi is called the 'brother' of Goliath in both 2Sa 21:19 and 1Ch 20:5 . However, the word 'brother' is in italics, meaning it was not in the original Hebrew text but was added by the KJV translators to help non-Hebrews understand the meaning. In this particular case they got it wrong: it should have been "son" and not "brother".

The word "brother" is Strong's H251 meaning ''A primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance ..."

For example, although it may help to think of Lahmi as Goliath's brother warrior, he was not the brother of Goliath, that is, not Goliath's sibling.

Answer 3

1 Samuel 17:40 says he "chose him five smooth stones of the brook". He only used one stone to kill Goliath. The Bible does not say what the significance of the five stones represented. People often "spiritualize" passages in Scripture and can make this passage mean a number of things.

Answer 4

One for each of goliath's brothers...