Curious about David and Goliath

I focused on David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) in my lectio divina last week. A couple of questions piqued my curiosity as the week progressed. I really don’t know what significance they may have, if any, but I wonder if anyone else has thoughts.

First, the story seems to suggest Goliath’s challenge was to hand-to-hand combat (vv. 8-9), which made David coming with his staff (v. 40) prompting Goliath’s taunt about coming with sticks (v. 43). So as Goliath and David approached the battle line (v. 48), Goliath does not seem to expect to be attacked until they are both there, but David slings the stone before getting close enough for Goliath to get a hand on him. Was that a violation of the expectations if not rules? Was David “cheating” with a preemptive attack?

As a kid, I fooled around with my own homemade sling and some small stones, trying to imitate David. Not only was my precision grossly inadequate to hit a moving target while was moving too, I wondered if it was possible to develop enough skill to hit someone in the forehead. We are told Goliath was wearing a helmet, so the opening for such a direct hit would be even smaller. So I am wondering, was David really that good a shot, or did God guide and propel the stone?

Second, what actually killed Goliath? The text has some ambiguity. “David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it.” (vv. 50-51)

Did the stone to the forehead actually kill Goliath or just render him unconscious and defenseless when David took Goliath’s sword? Did David kill the unconscious Goliath by running him through with his own sword, or was it the beheading that killed Goliath?

I am not arguing for any particular answers to these questions, nor for their great significance. Only musing about thoughts that linger after spending a week with the story.