Bible Encyclopedia: Goliath

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

GOLIATH

go-li'-ath (golyath; Goliath):

(1) The giant of Gath, and champion of the Philistine army (1 Samuel 17:4-23; 1 Samuel 21:9; 1 Samuel 22:10 2 Samuel 21:19 1 Chronicles 20:5). He defied the armies of Israel, challenging anyone to meet him in single combat while the two armies faced each other at Ephesdammim. He was slain by the youthful David. Goliath was almost certainly not of Philistine blood, but belonged to one of the races of giants, or aboriginal tribes, such as the Anakim, Avvim, Rephaim, etc. The Avvim had lived at Philistia, and most probably the giant was of that race. His size was most extraordinary. If a cubit was about 21 inches, he was over 11 feet in height; if about 18 inches, he was over 9 feet in height. The enormous weight of his armor would seem to require the larger cubit. This height probably included his full length in armor, helmet and all. In either case he is the largest man known to history. His sword was wielded by David to slay him and afterward carried about in his wanderings, so it could not have been excessively heavy. The story of his encounter with David is graphic, and the boasts of the two champions were perfectly in keeping with single combats in the Orient.

(2) The Goliath of 2 Samuel 21:19 is another person, and quite probably a son of the first Goliath. He was slain by Elhanan, one of David's mighty men. The person mentioned in 1 Chronicles 20:5 is called Lachmi, but this is almost certainly due to a corruption of the text. "The brother of Goliath" is the younger Goliath and probably a son of the greater Goliath, who had four sons, giants, one of them having 24 fingers and toes. See ELHANAN; LAHMI.

J. J. Reeve

Strong's Hebrew

3902. Lachmi -- a brother of Goliath
... 3901, 3902. Lachmi. 3903 . a brother of Goliath. Transliteration: Lachmi
Phonetic Spelling: (lakh-mee') Short Definition: Lahmi. ...
/hebrew/3902.htm - 6k

1555. Golyath -- a Philistine giant
... 1554, 1555. Golyath. 1556 . a Philistine giant. Transliteration: Golyath Phonetic
Spelling: (gol-yath') Short Definition: Goliath. ... Goliath. ...
/hebrew/1555.htm - 6k

Library

David and Goliath.
... DAVID AND GOLIATH. How attentively David looks at the stones in his hand. ... But no
man among them dared to go against Goliath, the Philistines' champion. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/david and goliath.htm

April the Twenty-Sixth Goliath Versus God!
... APRIL The Twenty-sixth GOLIATH VERSUS GOD! 1 SAMUEL xvii.1-11. Goliath
seemed to have everything on his side except God. And the ...
/.../april the twenty-sixth goliath versus.htm

How the Philistines Made Another Expedition against the Hebrews ...
... 9. How The Philistines Made Another Expedition Against The Hebrews Under The Reign
Of Saul; And How They Were Overcome By David's Slaying Goliath In Single ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 how the philistines.htm

David.
... He found Saul's army in great commotion, because Goliath, a mighty warrior of the
Philistines, had come out before both armies and had offered to fight any man ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/wee ones bible stories/david.htm

The Power of a Pebble.
... and there was a valley between them. Out of the Philistine camp a giant
came one day, Goliath of Gath. He talked loud and often in ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xx the power of.htm

April the Twenty-Eighth Preparing for Great Encounters
... This young champion of the Lord had won many victories before he faced Goliath. ... Let
me look at David's trophies before he removed Goliath's head. ...
/.../april the twenty-eighth preparing for.htm

The victory of Unarmed Faith
... The pebble-bed may supply a missile to hit the modern 'giant' of sceptical
criticism, who boasts much after Goliath's fashion. The ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the victory of unarmed faith.htm

Answer to Eunomius' Second Book .
... For even as bulky Goliath, when he shook against the Israelites that ponderous spear
we read of, inspired no fear in his opponent, though a shepherd and ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/answer to eunomius second book.htm

The Call of David.
... which you heard read just now in the course of the Service[1], declare the victory
which David, the man after God's own heart, gained over Goliath, who came ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon iv the call of.htm

David the Shepherd Youth.
... about ten miles from the round hill of Bethlehem. [Illustration: David
and Goliath.]. Then King Saul sent out messengers to sound ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/david the shepherd youth.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Goliath

passage; revolution; heap

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Goliath

(splendor), a famous giant of Gath, who "morning and evening for forty days" defied the armies of Israel. (1 Samuel 17:1) ... (B.C. 1063.) He was possibly descended from the old Rephaim [GIANTS], of whom a scattered remnant took refuge with the Philistines after their dispersion by the Ammonites. (2:20,21; 2 Samuel 21:22) His height was "six cubits and a span," which taking the cubit at 21 inches, would make him 10 1/2 feet high. The scene of his combat with David, by whom he was slain, was the "valley of the terebinth," between Shochoh and Arekah, probably among the western passes of Benjamin. In (2 Samuel 21:19) we find that another Goliath of Gath was slain by Elhanan, also a Bethlehemite.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Goliath

A celebrated giant of Gath, who challenged the armies of Israel, and was encountered and slain by David. The history is contained in 1 Samuel 17:1-58. His height was nine feet and a half; or, if we reckon the cubit at twenty-one inches, over eleven feet. See GIANTS.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Great.

(1.) A famous giant of Gath, who for forty days openly defied the armies of Israel, but was at length slain by David with a stone from a sling (1 Samuel 17:4). He was probably descended from the Rephaim who found refuge among the Philistines after they were dispersed by the Ammonites (Deuteronomy 2:20, 21). His height was "six cubits and a span," which, taking the cubit at 21 inches, is equal to 10 1/2 feet. David cut off his head (1 Samuel 17:51) and brought it to Jerusalem, while he hung the armour which he took from him in his tent. His sword was preserved at Nob as a religious trophy (21:9). David's victory over Goliath was the turning point in his life. He came into public notice now as the deliverer of Israel and the chief among Saul's men of war (18:5), and the devoted friend of Jonathan.

(2.) In 2 Samuel 21:19 there is another giant of the same name mentioned as slain by Elhanan. The staff of his apear "was like a weaver's beam." The Authorized Version interpolates the words "the brother of" from 1 Chronicles 20:5, where this giant is called Lahmi.

Thesaurus

Goliath (6 Occurrences)
... His sword was preserved at Nob as a religious trophy (21:9). David's victory
over Goliath was the turning point in his life. ...GOLIATH. ...
/g/goliath.htm - 12k

Elhanan (4 Occurrences)
... In the Authorized Version (2 Samuel 21:19) it is recorded that "Elhanan the son
of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath." The Revised ...
/e/elhanan.htm - 10k

Champion (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (1 Samuel 17:4, 23), properly "the man between the
two," denoting the position of Goliath between the two camps. ...
/c/champion.htm - 9k

Jaareoregim (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Forests of the weavers, a Bethlehemite (2 Samuel
21:19), and the father of Elhanan, who slew Goliath. ...
/j/jaareoregim.htm - 8k

Jaare-oregim (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Forests of the weavers, a Bethlehemite (2 Samuel
21:19), and the father of Elhanan, who slew Goliath. ...
/j/jaare-oregim.htm - 8k

Gath (44 Occurrences)
... It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Samuel
17:4). David fled from Saul to Achish, king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10; 27:2-4; Psalm ...
/g/gath.htm - 26k

Jair (14 Occurrences)
... (3.) A Benjamite, the father of Mordecai, Esther's uncle (Esther 2:5). (4.) The
father of Elhanan, who slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (1 Chronicles 20:5). ...
/j/jair.htm - 14k

Elah (17 Occurrences)
... (1.) Valley of, where the Israelites were encamped when David killed Goliath (1
Samuel 17:2, 19). ... Upon the wide level valley the contest with Goliath occurred. ...
/e/elah.htm - 17k

Philistine (63 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 17:4 There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ...
/p/philistine.htm - 29k

Lahmi (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia LAHMI. la'-mi (lachmi): According to 1 Chronicles
20:5, the brother of Goliath of Gath. See ELHANAN. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/l/lahmi.htm - 7k

Bible Concordance

Goliath (6 Occurrences)

1 Samuel 17:4 There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 17:23 As he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 21:9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 22:10 He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 21:19 There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite's brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 20:5 There was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Goliath

Goliath: Defied Armies of Israel and is Killed by David

Goliath: His Sons

Trophies: Goliath's Head and Armor

Related Terms

Elhanan (4 Occurrences)

Champion (7 Occurrences)

Jaareoregim (1 Occurrence)

Jaare-oregim (1 Occurrence)

Gath (44 Occurrences)

Jair (14 Occurrences)