# Samuel (1st and 2nd) commentary

The book of Samuel is a historical narrative, so it is best seen as a series of [symbolic](symbols.md) patterns that represent theological truths.

- David represented all things of man: a great shepherd, great warrior, great king, great sinner
  - His sin with Bathsheba and killing Uriah effectively broke all ten commandments.
- David's son's death (Bathsheba's pregnancy) is a Christological parallel

## 2-17

There is some cross-reference that Goliath had brothers, who were giants as well:

- 1 Chronicles 20:5 indicates Lahmi as his brother.
- 2 Samuel 21:18-22 indicates that Goliath had 4 brothers.
- The connection here is that David brought 5 stones because he was planning ahead for Goliath's brothers (who would be very angry at their brother dying), *not* because he thought he'd miss.

One unique interpretation of the David & Goliath story is that Goliath had Marfan syndrome.

- Marfan syndrome is a genetic defect that makes people tall and thin, with a weak heart, bad eyesight, and many other side effects from that circumstance.
- Goliath needed someone else to lead him down to the valley they'd fight in.
- He moved very slowly for some reason.
- He didn't seem to understand David was an experienced slinger, and seemed to misinterpret David's sling as a stick.

While this viewpoint takes away from the mythology of the story and God's empowerment of an underdog, it adds to God's power in another way.

- God clearly planned for the encounter, and He knew beforehand no matter how we take it.
- The wisdom to be gained in this approach is that evil people really have no power, and they have to summon it from elsewhere (cross-reference [Job 1-2](https://biblehub.com/job/1.htm) where the Satan has to ask permission, as well as multiple Gospel instances of demons asking Jesus for permission to act).