The unheard story of David and Goliath | Malcolm Gladwell

It's a classic underdog tale: David, a young shepherd armed only with a sling, beats Goliath, the mighty warrior. The story has transcended its biblical origins to become a common shorthand for unlikely victory. But, asks Malcolm Gladwell, is that really what the David and Goliath story is about?

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[cwarner]

The others thought Goliath was too big to beat while David thought he was too big to miss

[lorrinbarth]

When I was a teen I was taken to the country to play with some boys who lived on a farm. A ten year old had a sling and asked if I wanted to see him hit a building in the distance. Off on the horizon I could see a galvanized grain storage building - a long rifle shot. The boy selected a chunk of concrete about the size of a fist, spun it, let go and then we waited and waited. Then - CLANG! At that moment the David and Goliath story changed in my mind.

[mamavee]

Goliath was 6.5 CUBITS...which means he was NINE feet and 7 inches. It says that his shield bearer went before him..the shield bearer was not leading him by the hand..he was carrying his shield. He made his defiance for 40 days...not at all a feeble man walking slow. And when he saw David it says, “He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.” If he couldn’t see well then how would he know that David was glowing with health and was handsome?
Also interesting to note that Goliath had a brother and three sons, also of gigantic proportions..they also had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. David did not pick up five stones for arbitrary reasons. He was prepared to kill Goliath as well as his brother and three sons, who may have been struck with desire for vengeance at seeing Goliath fall.
Nice talk though...I especially like the acknowledgement of slingers as deadly accurate with the weapon. It is very true.

[michaeljosephmouawad]

Dear Malcolm,

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your insight and perspective on this event. Your talk is a fine example of a commentary on Scripture grounded in sound research. As many of your commentators stated, your take may not be the full story about David, but it certainly is worthy of contemplation.

As to the question that you started with: why do we call David the underdog, a Catholic answer might be that Scripture must always be interpreted in light of Scripture and the Living Tradition of the Magisterium. One can therefore fruitfully read Scripture with one of four meanings. For instance, Christ said, "destroy this Temple and I will rebuild it in three days." The literal meaning of the word "temple" is the third temple built by Herod. The typological meaning is Christ's own body. That is the meaning that seeks Christ in the Scripture. The allegorical meaning of the word "temple" is the Church, which was born out of Christ's side on the Cross and the moral meaning is each one of us since as Saint Paul stated, each of us and all of us collectively are to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit. These four senses: literal, typological, allegorical and moral are a very good way to apprehend Scripture.

Typologically, therefore, the reason why David was called the underdog is that he is a forerunner of Christ: He alone goes down into the valley to meet Goliath. Likewise, Christ alone went down into the valley of the dead to defeat Satan. The perfect shot of David represents the perfection of Grace that put an end to the reign of Satan. Like David, Christ had no weapons and no allies when he carried the Cross. Like David, his own people did not believe in his victory. Like David, he faced death with the glory of God and like David, he was triumphant.

In the final analysis: every hero is a reflection of the Son of Man, the one and only Savior of mankind.

[_SamUSA_]

I'm glad to revisit this well known story of David and Goliath.

I do not agree that Goliath was blind and hobbled from disease. There is only two descriptions of Goliath in the Bible.

1. Goliath was a champion.
2. Goliath was a man of war since his youth.

How did Goliath earn the title of "champion"? There is only one way. Goliath experienced many battles in which he proved himself to be champion.

Goliath was a man of war. He was not a shepherd or a carpenter, he was a warrior of renowned reputation trained for battle since he was young.

There are many NBA players that are seven feet tall. None of them suffer from gigantism. They are just healthy men that are also tall.

David did not defeat a blind, diseased and hobbled man.

David defeated an experienced champion man of war.

[patboyd]

I’m so glad to hear what those stones were made of because I picked some up from that valley and they ARE. Very heavy.

[maggienaidoo]

When I talk about David, I always talk about how he never ran into kingship the moment he was chosen. He lived his life and in doing so he was slowly prepared for what was to come. Unlike the average soldier, David faced lions and bears and killed them. He was courageous and fearless but mostly he was faithful in the covering he had. What you belief is very important because what you believe is what you give power to. He had no doubt and no fear!

Lesson: Every difficult situation we face and overcome, seasons us, prepares us and strengthens us, if you learn the lessons it brings! Life is full of lessons! Hammered metal is the toughest! Be confident, brave and fearless! But mostly have FAITH IN GOD!

[thebookworm]

Amazing! I've heard the first part, about how powerful slingshots/slingers could be, talked about before (probably after this talk was originally given 9 years ago), but I'd never heard the second part, and that's what makes it powerful! Just hearing that David wasn't as helpless as people thought just gets rid of the underdog theme without replacing it with a new theme - you need the second piece, that a giant's greatest strength may actually be (or be caused by) his greatest weakness. Valuable lesson for all of us.

[TorrenOglethorpe]

times like this is why i like read the comments before getting invested in a long video

[amechealle]

I never saw David as an underdog. When I grew up hearing the story and they told how he defended his flock and I knew he was no one to mess with. Maybe it’s because I was raised around animals and know their capabilities when hungry or stressed. They are very fast, agile and sneaky. In order for David to be able to kill an hungry animal he would have to have a skill compatible to a trained warrior. Yes he was young but back in those days children didn’t just sit around all day they too had responsibilities. It dismays me that from the start people don’t give David the credit he is due. Youth doesn’t mean incapable.

[victormcleod]

Goliath had four brothers, all of whom were also Giants.
It was also a standard practice for heavy infantry to be accompanied by an armor bearer, as recorded in the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer, single-handedly attacking a Philistine Garrison.
When the Israelites first approached Canaan several hundred years earlier they were initially afraid to enter because it was a land full of giants.
So while the story has an interesting spin to it, probably the giantism so, in the land was due to genetics, rather than pituitary malfunction.

[MrDeppness]

Very good presentation with some thoughtful points. But just for the record:

1. Goliath's height was noted as six cubits (18 inches x 6) and a span (9 inches) which calculates to 9'9", not 6'9".
2. David fought off lions and bears, not lions and wolves.
3. And sometimes David did strike said animals with his hands and kill them. So he did have hand-to-hand combat training in fields and saw Goliath as just another animal who mocks God.

[mulemule]

It's strangely comforting knowing that "TED Talks" occur in my parents' converted-basement family room.

[loveunlimited]

Most athletes in the NBA are giants, and they all seem to display great vision and physical prowess.

[TomiAdewoleAdetom]

Romans 1:22: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

[timothytaylor]

This is a very good take on that event 👏. I heard a preacher say years ago that David had the courage to face him because of all the wild animals he had to fight off to protect his sheep. Defending his sheep established his faith and made him believe that he could take on Goliath.

[ShahidAshraf]

With all that technological and medical advancement we can today measure Goliath’s weaknesses but I’m sure nobody 3, 000 years ago had such knowledge. It was all David’s courage, self believe and probably observation that led him to win against Goliath.

[bobparry]

Goliath didn't have an attendant; he has a "shield bearer". David got the rocks from a brook not the ground. David had already killed a bear and a lion defending the flock.which means he defeated the layers of protective thick matted hair which protects those animals with his sling. David knew exactly what he was facing and how to defeat the problem because he saw Goliath for what he was.



The soldiers were in panic mode at the sight of him. The soldiers had lost their cognitive reasoning because the brain had moved to survival mode and shut down the creative thinking part of the brain. David was not being threatened because he wasn't a soldier. He was just bringing his brother's lunch! so in David's relaxed, unthreatened brain, David could see the solution.



When we panic we lose perspective and the agency to chose the best. Sin makes us panic. And that, for me, is the moral to the story.

[preacherdave]

The true moral of the story: "the battle belongs to the Lord" -- quoted by David in the story.

[adamspringer]

I know this, regardless of anything between David and Goliath, God always referred to David as "a man after his own heart". So take what you want from this biblical fact, but remember to strive to be a man or woman after God's own heart! ♥️