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GOLIATH

(Heb. golyaṯ)

The Philistine champion who challenged the Israelites to send out a warrior to fight with him (1 Sam. 17). This is an example of representational combat, where two heroes fight for their respective armies and the winner secures victory for his side, thus avoiding heavy casualties (1 Sam. 17:8-9).

Goliath’s height was not 6 cubits and a span, ca. 2.9 m. (9.5 ft.) (MT), but 4 cubits and a span, ca. 2 m. (6.5 ft.) (NRSV mg, based on Qumran and LXX), yet he was still probably taller than the soldiers in either army. Saul, Israel’s king and “giant” (1 Sam. 9:2), should have responded to the challenge. Instead, David did, and his success catapulted him to fame and eventual kingship.

Another account of this incident attributes the death of Goliath to Elhanan, a Bethlehemite (bêṯ hallaḥmî, 2 Sam. 21:19), and its parallel passage records that Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath, rather than Goliath (1 Chr. 20:5). David thus probably killed a Philistine warrior whose name was not preserved (cf. 1 Sam. 17:8, 10-11, 16). Perhaps the name Goliath found its way into 1 Sam. 17 from 2 Sam. 21:19. Some scholars regard Elhanan as David’s original, preregnal name.

Bibliography. P. K. McCarter, I Samuel. AB 8 (Garden City, 1980); R. de Vaux, “Single Combat in the Old Testament,” in The Bible and the Ancient Near East (Garden City, 1971), 122-35.

William B. Nelson, Jr.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GOLIATH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)