“Who’s That Boy?” — Why Saul Doesn’t Recognize David. When the Older Text Removes a Problem the Later Text Creates (1 Samuel 17:55–58). Some textual questions are minor. This is not one of them. In the plain surface flow of many modern translations, Saul watches David go out against Goliath and then asks Abner, “Whose son is this young man?” Abner claims not to know. Saul presses again. David returns with the Philistine’s head, and Saul asks David directly.

Goliath’s Height — Setting the Record Straight. When the Oldest Evidence Disagrees with the Popular Reading (1 Samuel 17:4). Most Christians know the David-and-Goliath story by heart, and many have also heard the traditional detail that Goliath stood “six cubits and a span,” often repeated as nearly ten feet tall. That number has become part of the legend—so familiar that few pause to ask a simple question: is that actually what the oldest biblical evidence says?

Anointing and Spirit — From Saul to David. When God Chooses the King Before the Crown. Few moments in Scripture are as sobering—and as instructive—as the quiet transfer of divine favor from one leader to another. There is no coup, no rebellion, no public announcement. Saul remains on the throne. The nation still sees him as king. Yet in the unseen realm, everything has already changed.

The Genealogy of Grace: From Ruth to David to Christ. The final verses of Ruth read like a quiet epilogue, yet they form one of the most profound theological statements in Scripture. What begins with famine ends with fullness, what begins in loss concludes in lineage — a genealogy that connects the faith of a Moabite widow to the coming of the Messiah.

1 Chronicles Summary: Genealogies, Glory, and the Coming King At first glance, 1 Chronicles looks like a genealogy overload—chapter after chapter of names. But don’t be fooled: this book is a powerful retelling of Israel’s story with a new focus, written after the Babylonian exile. While 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings told what happened, Chronicles tells what mattered—with hope for a future restoration.

2 Samuel Summary: Rise, Ruin, and Redemption in the Life of David. If 1 Samuel is about Israel's demand for a king, then 2 Samuel is about God’s idea of a king—and what happens when even that king falls. 2 Samuel picks up where 1 Samuel left off—with Saul’s death and David's rise to kingship. It covers approximately 40 years, charting David's reign over Judah and then over all Israel.

1 Samuel Summary: Kings, Giants, and the God Who Sees. 1 Samuel is the turning point between tribal chaos and national monarchy. Israel had no king—just judges and constant failure. But now they’re asking for a ruler like the nations around them. God gives them what they ask for, then shows them what they need.