Lexical Summary yalqut: Bag, sack, pouch Original Word: יַלְקיּט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance a travelling pouch From laqat; a travelling pouch (as if for gleanings):-scrip. see HEBREW laqat NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom laqat Definition receptacle, perhaps a wallet NASB Translation pouch (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יַלְקוּט noun [masculine] receptacle, wallet (?) (properly collector) (on form compare LagBN p.127 BaNB § 156 b Köii.1, § 76, 4) — only in 1 Samuel 17:40 and he put them [the stones] בִּכְלִי הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁרלֿוֺ וּבַיַּלְקוּט in the shepherd's receptacle which he had, even (?) in the wallet (? such as every shepherd carried, hence article); but probably strike out ו before ׳בַּיַּל (ᵐ5 The We Klo Bu HPS), and regard בִּכְלְי ֗֗֗ לוֺ as gloss (We Bu HPS). Topical Lexicon Definition and Occurrence יַלְקִיט designates a small pouch carried by a shepherd. Scripture records one explicit use, in David’s armament as he approaches Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40). Cultural and Historical Background Ancient shepherds commonly fastened a light pouch to the girdle for dried food, medicinal herbs, and the rounded stones required for sling defense. Constructed of leather or rough cloth, its accessibility allowed quick retrieval while the shepherd’s eyes stayed on the flock. Such everyday gear contrasted sharply with the cumbersome military equipment of regular soldiers. Role in David’s Confrontation with Goliath “Then he took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:40). The single appearance of the word sets it in one of the most decisive moments of redemptive history. The shepherd’s bag: 1. Highlights David’s vocation: he faces a warrior still dressed for tending sheep. Symbolic and Theological Insights 1. Divine preference for the ordinary: God employs an unremarkable bag and smooth stones to overthrow the Philistine champion, echoing later truths such as “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Practical Ministry Implications • Ordinary tools consecrated to God can achieve extraordinary ends. Related Biblical Motifs and References While יַלְקִיט itself appears only once, other terms for bags (for example, “keli” in Genesis 42:25; “sak” in Proverbs 1:14) reinforce the theme of portable provision. Together they illustrate how God equips His servants with precisely what is needed for each assignment. Christological and Redemptive Themes David’s victory, achieved with stones drawn from the pouch, anticipates the greater Son of David who would defeat sin and death without sword or spear. The modest shepherd’s bag becomes a quiet signpost to the upside-down kingdom where power is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Summary יַלְקִיט, though mentioned only once, carries weighty theological freight. Nestled in the narrative of David and Goliath, it magnifies the Lord who exalts the lowly, equips His people with unassuming instruments, and declares His supremacy through means the world discounts. Forms and Transliterations וּבַיַּלְק֖וּט ובילקוט ū·ḇay·yal·qūṭ ūḇayyalqūṭ uvaiyalKutLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 17:40 HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ ל֛וֹ וּבַיַּלְק֖וּט וְקַלְּע֣וֹ בְיָד֑וֹ NAS: which he had, even in [his] pouch, and his sling KJV: bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling INT: the shepherd's which in pouch and his sling his hand 1 Occurrence |
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