2:251

فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُۥ مِمَّا يَشَآءُۗ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعۡضَهُم بِبَعۡضٖ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Fahazamoohum biithni Allahi waqatala dawoodu jaloota waatahu Allahu almulka waalhikmata waAAallamahu mimma yashao walawla dafAAu Allahi alnnasa baAAdahum bibaAAdin lafasadati alardu walakinna Allaha thoo fadlin AAala alAAalameena

So they defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds.

Word by word
  1. فَهَزَمُوهُمSo they defeated them
  2. بِإِذۡنِby (the) permission
  3. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  4. وَقَتَلَand killed
  5. دَاوُۥدُDawood
  6. جَالُوتَJalut
  7. وَءَاتَىٰهُand gave him
  8. ٱللَّهُAllah
  9. ٱلۡمُلۡكَthe kingdom
  10. وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَand the wisdom
  11. وَعَلَّمَهُۥand taught him
  12. مِمَّاthat which
  13. يَشَآءُۗHe willed
  14. وَلَوۡلَاAnd if not
  15. دَفۡعُ(for the) repelling
  16. ٱللَّهِ(by) Allah
  17. ٱلنَّاسَ[the] people
  18. بَعۡضَهُمsome of them
  19. بِبَعۡضٖwith others
  20. لَّفَسَدَتِcertainly (would have) corrupted
  21. ٱلۡأَرۡضُthe Earth
  22. وَلَٰكِنَّ[and] but
  23. ٱللَّهَAllah
  24. ذُو(is) Possessor
  25. فَضۡلٍ(of) bounty
  26. عَلَىto
  27. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَthe worlds
Al-Baqarah · 2:251Madinah

A young soldier, David, felled the giant by Allah's permission.

How Allah keeps the earth from ruin


The outcome
Davidone of the soldiers
by Allah's leave
Goliath fallsthe army is routed
then
kingship, wisdomprophethood given
Why evil does not win
the strong do as they likeno one checks them
Allah checks people by peopleor the earth would rot

Ibn Kathir notes Israelite reports that David killed Goliath with a sling. Allah then gave him kingship and wisdom and taught him what He willed. If Allah did not push back some people by means of others, the earth would be corrupted; Ibn Kathir links this to 22:40, where houses of worship would be torn down.

The bully in the office who no one stands up to. The neighbor who intimidates the street. Allah often stops harm through ordinary people who step in. Sometimes that person is you.

Someone else will deal with the injustice around me.

Allah protects the earth through people who stand up, and I might be one of them.

Try this

Step in kindly for one person being treated unfairly today, even in a small way.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 2:250)

And when they advanced to meet Jalut (Goliath) and his forces, they invoked: "Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, and set firm our feet and make us victorious over the disbelieving people. (250)So they routed them by Allah's leave and Dawud (David) killed Jalut (Goliath), and Allah gave him (Dawud) the kingdom [ after the death of Talut and Samuel] and Al-Hikmah (prophethood), and taught him of that which He willed. And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is full of bounty to the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)(251)These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) in truth, and surely, you are one of the Messengers (of Allah)(252)

When the faithful party, who were few under the command of Talut, faced their enemy, who were many under the command of Jalut,

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا

(they invoked: "Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience...") meaning, send down patience on us from You.

وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا

(and set firm our feet) meaning, against the enemy and save us from running away and from feebleness,

وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

(and make us victorious over the disbelieving people.)

Allah said:

فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(So they routed them by Allah's leave) meaning, they defeated and overwhelmed them by Allah's aid and support. Then,

وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ

(and Dawud killed Jalut)

Israelite accounts claimed that (Prophet) David killed Goliath with a slingshot that he had, which he launched at Goliath causing his death.

Talut promised that whoever killed Jalut, would marry his daughter and would share his kingship and authority. He kept his promise. Later, the kingship was transferred to Prophet Dawud in addition to being granted Prophethood by Allah. So, Allah said:

وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ 

(...and Allah gave him (Dawud) the kingdom) that Talut had and,

وَالْحِكْمَةَ

(and Al-Hikmah) that comes with the prophethood, meaning, after Shamwil. [Allah then said:]

وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ

(and taught him of that which He willed.) meaning, what He willed of the knowledge that He bestowed on (Prophet) Dawud.

Next, Allah said:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ

(And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief.)

This Ayah indicates that if it were not for the fact that Allah checks one set of people with another, such as when Talut and the bravery of Dawud helped the Children of Israel (against Goliath), then people would have perished. Similarly, Allah said:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا

(For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and Masjids, wherein the Name of Allah is mentioned much, would surely, have been pulled down.)(22:40)

Allah then said:

وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

(But Allah is full of bounty to the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)) meaning, by His mercy and favor He fixes some of them by some others. Surely, Allah has the wisdom, the supreme authority and the clear proof against His creation in all of His actions and statements.

Allah said:

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) in truth, and surely, you are one of the Messengers (of Allah).)

This Ayah states, 'These Ayat (verses) of Allah that We have narrated for you in truth conform to the exact manner that these stories have occurred and to the truth that still remain in the (Divine) Books that the scholars of the Children of Israel have and know. Allah said: O Muhammad,

وَإِنَّكَ 

(you are)

 لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(one of the Messengers (of Allah)) emphatically stating the truth of his prophethood.