Old Testament Literary Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Old Testament Literary Analysis - Research Paper Example As the symbol of the Israelite’s enemies, Goliath is represented as being the taunt of the Israelites; Goliath also is against the God of the Israelites and he actually cursed David by his gods. Goliath believed that physical strength is all what matters and he was sure of killing David and giving his flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the world. On the other hand, David is presented in this narrative as a symbol of faith, trust, and loyalty to the living God of the Israelites. And through this faithfulness, David managed to defeat Goliath, the enemy of the Israelites. The main insight that I gain from this narrative is that, David’s God, Yahweh, is indeed the true God and that Yahweh protects and saves His people. This is because, through his faith in Yahweh, David managed to kill Goliath, who was far stronger to David physically in every respect. The defeat of Goliath, the symbol of the Philistines, is a proof that yeah is the true God. The second major literary feature used in this narrative is metaphor. In this narrative, Goliath asks David while taunting him, â€Å"Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks†1. In this question, dog is used as a metaphor of a weak and helpless person who can easily be beaten to submission by his enemy. This metaphor helps to bring out clearly how David’s weapons were so inferior to the weapons of Goliath. Through this metaphor I learn that it is possible to overcome any manner of challenge in life, as long as we rely on Yahweh, the God of David. David overcame the great challenge ahead of him through very simple weapons because he had faith in Yahweh. One of the main interpretative problem in this narrative is in reconciling 1Samuel 17: 55-58, with 1 Samuel 16:21-22. In 1Samuel 17: 55-58, King Saul did not know the identity of David, and he actually asked Abner, the commander of the Israelites army, whom the father of David was. The main