The dead bodies of the host of the Philistines: literally “the dead body [singular] of the army of the Philistines.” The Septuagint, which is followed here by Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible, says “your dead body and the dead bodies of the Philistines.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, though, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and states that the singular noun “dead body” must be understood in the collective sense as “all the dead bodies.” If this text is accepted, the implication is that many Philistine soldiers would be killed in addition to Goliath.

The host of the Philistines: that is, “the army of the Philistines.” See the comments on verse 20.

By using the words to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, David is saying that he will do to Goliath what Goliath had threatened to do to him (verse 44). As in the earlier verse, the redundant elements in this expression may be left implicit.

All the earth: many take this to mean “the whole world” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New International Version). As elsewhere in the Old Testament, there is some ambiguity as to whether the Hebrew word in this context means “the earth [or, world],” or whether it refers specifically to the land of Israel. New American Bible, based on the second interpretation, translates these words “thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.” Either interpretation is possible, but the more widely accepted interpretation is “the whole world.”

That there is a God in Israel: the Hebrew text says literally “that there is a God for Israel” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with “… in Israel.” But it is preferable to follow the Masoretic Text here. Moffatt, Bible en français courant, and others, like Good News Translation, take this to mean “that Israel has a God.” All towns and nations had at least a god, so the sense is most likely that Israel has a God who really does things for his people.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .