The Hymn of the Daughters of Israel and David

David stands at the left holding a massive sword upon which Goliath's head is impaled, while a group of women in elaborate contemporary dress celebrate his victory. One woman in the center holds a sheet of musical notation, leading the group in a hymn of praise. The scene is rendered with the dramatic textures and stylized figures characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist circle.

This work reflects the Haarlem Mannerist interest in reviving the compositions of earlier masters like Lucas van Leyden while infusing them with 17th-century technical virtuosity. Philosophically, the victory of David over Goliath was often interpreted in Renaissance thought as an allegory for the triumph of the small, divine spark of the intellect over the chaotic and overwhelming force of the material world.