1 Samuel 17:3
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
The two armies held opposing heights with a low valley dividing them, the Philistines occupying the mountain on one side and Israel the mountain on the other in a fixed standoff. That array formed the setting for the challenge the Philistines pressed upon Israel through their champion, leading directly to the confrontation between Goliath and David. The encounter stands as a contrast between boastful confidence in human strength on the one hand and humble trust in God on the other. So ministers are warned not to provoke debate and then lean on prepared arguments instead of depending on God, for such self-confidence can end in failure and bring harm both to themselves and to others.