And when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth — David's narrative of pastoral combat (*va'yavo ari vav dov*, when lion and bear came) recalls genuine dangers, not imagined threats. His recital of *akhazti b'alunav*, I seized it by its beard, and *va'hirgo*, I struck it (killed it), demonstrates hands-on experience with lethal force. The verb *amaltzeihu* (delivered it) emphasizes rescue, the protection of the vulnerable—a foretaste of David's future role as deliverer of Israel. David's testimony appeals to a specific past, a concrete history of faith proven in action.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse