4 11. Goliath’s Challenge<\/p>\n
4<\/strong>. a champion<\/em> ] Lit. “ The<\/strong> (well-known) man of the interspaces,” or “interval between two camps” (Gr. : see Eur. Phoen<\/em>. 1361, in the account of the combat between Eteocles and Polynices), in which single combats took place: so E. V. rightly “champion.”<\/p>\n Goliath of Gath<\/em> ] A survivor probably of the ancient race of Anakim<\/em>, a remnant of which found refuge in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, when they were exterminated by Joshua from the mountains of Judah (Jos 11:21-22<\/span>).<\/p>\n six cubits and a span<\/em> ] The cubit, or distance from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger, is variously estimated at from eighteen to twenty-one inches: the span, or distance between the extremities of the thumb and little finger in the outstretched hand, is reckoned as half a cubit: so that Goliath’s height was between nine feet nine inches and eleven feet four inches. The most probable estimate is about ten feet three inches. Among parallel instances of gigantic stature may be quoted Pusio and Secundilla, who lived in the reign of Augustus, and are said by Pliny ( Nat. Hist<\/em>. VII. 16) to have been over ten feet high. Josephus says that a certain Eleazar the giant who was sent to the emperor Tiberius, was seven cubits high.<\/p>\n A champion – <\/B>literally, a man between the two camps: i. e., one who did not fight in the ranks like an ordinary soldier, but came forth into the space between the hostile camps to challenge the mightiest man of his enemies to come and fight him.<\/P> Goliath of Gath – <\/B>One of the places mentioned in Jos 11:22<\/span> as still retaining a remnant of the sons of Anak; Gaza and Ashdod being the others. The race of giants (the Rephaim, from <\/span> rapha’<\/I> ) is mentioned again in the account of Davids Philistine wars 2Sa 21:15-22<\/span>; 1Ch 20:4-8<\/span>. It appears from these passages that Goliath had a brother Lahmi. Four are named as being born to the giant in Gath. See Deu 2:10-11<\/span>, Deu 2:20-21<\/span>; Deu 3:11-13<\/span>.<\/P> Six cubits … – <\/B>If the cubit, the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, is about 1 12 feet; and the span, the distance from the thumb to the middle or little finger, when stretched apart to the full length, be half a cubit, six cubits and a span would equal about nine feet nine inches. The bed of Og king of Bashan was nine cubits long Deu 3:11<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 4<\/span>. There went out a champion<\/B><\/I>] Our word champion<\/I> comes from campus<\/I>, the field; Campio est enim ille qui pugnat in<\/I> campo, hoc<\/I> est, in castris<\/I>, “Champion<\/I> is he, properly, who fights in the field<\/I>; i.e., in camps<\/I>.” A man well skilled in arms, strong, brave, and patriotic.<\/P> <\/P> But is this the meaning of the original ish<\/I> habbenayim<\/I>, a middle man<\/I>, the man between two<\/I>; that is, as here, the man<\/I> who undertakes to settle the disputes between two armies<\/I> or nations<\/I>. So our ancient champions<\/I> settled disputes between contending parties<\/I> by what was termed camp fight<\/I>, hence the campio<\/I> or champion<\/I>. The versions<\/I> know not well what to make of this man. The Vulgate<\/I> calls him sir spurius<\/I>, “a bastard;” the Septuagint<\/I>, , “a strong or powerful man;” the Targum<\/I>, gabra mibbeyneyhon, “a man from between them;” the Arabic, [Arabic] rujil jibar<\/I>, “a great or gigantic man;” the Syriac<\/I> is the same; and Josephus terms him , “an immensely great man.” The Vulgate<\/I> has given him the notation of spurius<\/I> or bastard<\/I>, because it considered the original as expressing a son of two<\/I>, i.e., a man whose parents are unknown. Among all these I consider our word champion<\/I>, as explained above, the best and most appropriate to the original terms.<\/P> <\/P> Whose height<\/B><\/I> was <\/B>six cubits and a span.<\/B><\/I>] The word cubit signifies the length from cubitus<\/I>, the elbow, to the top of the middle finger, which is generally rated at one foot six inches<\/I>. The span<\/I> is the distance from the top of the middle finger to the end of the thumb, when extended as far as they can stretch on a plain<\/I>; this is ordinarily nine inches<\/I>. Were we sure that these were the measures, and their extent, which are intended in the original words, we could easily ascertain the height of this Philistine; it would then be nine feet nine inches<\/I>, which is a tremendous height for a man.<\/P> <\/P> But the versions<\/I> are not all agreed in his height. The Septuagint read , four cubits and a<\/I> span<\/I>; and Josephus<\/I> reads the same. It is necessary however to observe that the Septuagint<\/I>, in the Codex Alexandrinus<\/I>, read with the Hebrew text. But what was the length<\/I> of the ancient cubit? This has been variously computed; eighteen inches, twenty inches<\/I> and a half<\/I>, and twenty-one inches<\/I>. If we take the first measurement, he was nine feet nine<\/I>; if the second, and read palm<\/I> instead of span<\/I>, with the Vulgate and others, he was ten feet<\/I> seven inches and a half<\/I>; if we take the last, which is the estimate of Graevius, with the span<\/I>, he was eleven feet three<\/I> inches<\/I>; or if we go to the exactest measurement, as laid down in Bishop Cumberland’s tables, where he computes the cubit at 21.888 inches, the span at 10.944 inches, and the palm at 3.684 inches, then the six cubits and the span will make exactly 11 feet 10.272 inches. If we take the palm<\/I> instead of the span, then the height will be 11 feet 3.012 inches. But I still think that the nine feet<\/I> nine inches<\/I> is the most reasonable.<\/P> <\/p>\n A champion, <\/B>Heb. a man between two<\/I>, either because he used to come forth, and stand between the two armies; or because he moved that the business should be decided between two, whereof he would be one. <\/P> Whose height was six cubits and a span; <\/B>which is not strange, for besides the giants mentioned in Scripture, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny, and others, make mention of persons seven cubits high, which is near double to an ordinary mans height. <\/P> <\/p>\n 4-11. a champion<\/B>Hebrew,<\/I>a “man between two”; that is, a person who, on the part ofhis own people, undertook to determine the national quarrel byengaging in single combat with a chosen warrior in the hostile army.<\/P><\/p>\n And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines<\/strong>,…. Or a “middle person”, or a man “between two” y; meaning either one that went and stood between the two armies of Israel and the Philistines, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it: or a “dueller” z, as others, with which our version agrees; one that proposed to fight a duel, and have the war decided by two persons, of which he would be one:<\/p>\n named Goliath of Gath<\/strong>; which was one of the places where the Anakims or giants were driven, and left, in the times of Joshua, and from whom this man descended, Jos 11:22<\/span><\/p>\n whose height was six cubits and a span<\/strong>; and taking a cubit after the calculation of Bishop Cumberland a to be twenty one inches, and more, and a span to be half a cubit, the height of this man was eleven feet four inches, and somewhat more; which need not seem incredible, since the coffin of Orestea, the son of Agamemnon, is said b to be seven cubits long; and Eleazar, a Jew, who because of his size was called the giant, and was presented by Artabanus, king of the Parthians, to Tiberius Caesar, is said by Josephus c to be seven cubits high; and one Gabbara of Arabia, in the times of Claudius Caesar, measured nine feet nine inches, as Pliny d relates, and who elsewhere e speaks of a people in Ethiopia, called Syrbotae, who were eight cubits high; the Septuagint version makes Goliath to be only four cubits and a span high, and so Josephus f; that is, about eight feet.<\/p>\n y “vir intermedius”, Montanus; “inter duo”, Vatablus; “vir medietatum”, Noldius, p. 194. No. 283. z “Quidam duellator”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. a Of Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 2. p. 57. b Herodot. Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 68. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 16. c Antiqu. l. 18. c. 5. sect. 5. d Nat. Hist. ib. e Ibid. l. 6. 30. f Antiqu. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 1.<\/p>\n 4<\/strong>. <\/strong> A champion <\/strong> The Septuagint has, a mighty man; <\/em> Vulgate, bastard; <\/em> Syriac and Arabic, a giant. <\/em> But the Hebrew, , literally signifies a man between the two; <\/em> that is, an arbitrator between the two armies, or one who was lord of the space between the two camps. Goliath, the pride of the Philistine hosts, stepped forth between the two armies and proposed by a personal contest with a chosen warrior from the Israelites, and according to the conditions stated in 1Sa 17:9<\/span>, to decide the fortunes of the war. Such single combats at the head of armies were not unusual in ancient times, as is witnessed by the combats of Paris and Menelaus. (Homer, Iliad, <\/em> book 3.) <\/p>\n Of Gath <\/strong> And therefore probably a remnant of the Anakim that escaped the sword of Joshua. Jos 11:22<\/span>. <\/p>\n Whose height six cubits and a span <\/strong> That is, if we reckon the cubit at twenty-one inches, about ten and one half feet. Josephus (“Antiquities,” 1Sa 18:4-5<\/span>) mentions one Eleazar, a Jew by birth, whose height was seven cubits; and Pliny speaks of a giant Pusio, whose height exceeded ten Roman feet.<\/p>\n 1Sa 17:4<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Goliath, of Gath<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> When Joshua rooted the Anakims out of the land of Canaan, several of them fled to this city of Gath: See Jos 11:22-23<\/span>. We have undoubted evidence from the best writers, that there have been men of a gigantic size and make, in ancient times. See Gen 6:4<\/span>. M. Le Cat’s Memoir on the History of Giants, and a curious dissertation on the combat of David with Goliath in the 8th Volume of the Critici Sacri. <\/p>\n 1Sa 17:4 And 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>\n Ver. 4. And there went out a champion.<\/strong> ] a<\/em> Intermedius, sequester, duellio.<\/em> The Vulgate calleth him a bastard: and it is held by some that those old giants were the devil’s brats, b<\/em> and that there was none of them good, no not one, but all , and , fighters against God. This man was of the race of the Rephaims. See Jos 11:22<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whose height was six cubits and a span.<\/strong> ] Hence his presumption, which is the presage and cause of ruin – <\/p>\n “ Magna repente ruunt, summa cadunt subito.<\/em> ”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n a<\/em> D . – Sept.<\/em> <\/p>\n b<\/em> Josephus thinks they were begotten of Incubi<\/em> devils.<\/p>\n champion. Hebrew. ‘ish-habbenayivl = “the man between the two [hosts]”, or, the duellist. This accords with the subscription of Psa 8 (see note there) <\/p>\n Muth-labben = the death of the man between; i.e. the death of the champion (Goliath) which Psa 8 celebrates. Psa 144, which has the same words, “What is man” has for its title in Septuagint. “A Psalm of David concerning Goliath”(compare 1Sa 8:4 with Psa 144:3). See 1Sa 17:23. <\/p>\n six. Note this number “6” stamped like a “hallmark” on this “man” (as on Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 3) Compare the six pieces of armour, verses: 1Sa 17:5-7. <\/p>\n cubits. See App-51. <\/p>\n span. See App-51. <\/p>\n Goliath: 1Sa 17:23, 1Sa 21:9, 1Sa 21:10, 2Sa 21:19, 1Ch 20:5 <\/p>\n of Gath: 1Sa 27:4, Jos 11:22, 2Sa 21:16-22, 1Ch 20:4-8 <\/p>\n whose height: Deu 3:11, 1Ch 11:23, Amo 2:9 <\/p>\n six cubits: According to Bp. Cumberland’s calculation, the height of Goliath was about eleven feet ten inches; but Parkhurst estimating the ordinary cubit at seventeen inches and a half, calculates that he was nine feet six inches high. Few instances can be produced of men who can be compared with him. Pliny says, “The tallest man that hath been seen in our days was one name Gabara, who, in the days of Claudius, the late Emperor, was brought out of Arabia: he was nine feet nine inches.” Josephus mentions a Jew, named Eleazar, whom Vitellius sent to Rome, who was seven cubits, or ten feet two inches high. Becanus saw a man near ten feet, and a woman that was full ten feet. And, to mention no more, a man of the name of John Middleton, born at Hale, near Warrington, in Lancashire, in the reign of James the First, was more than nine feet high. Dr. Plott, in his history of Staffordshire, says, that “his hand, from the carpus to the end of the middle finger, was seventeen inches, his palms eight inches and a half broad, and his whole height was nine feet three inches; wanting but six inches of the height of Goliath of Gath. <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 6:4 – giants Num 13:33 – saw the giants 1Sa 5:8 – Gath 1Sa 9:2 – from his shoulders 1Sa 10:23 – he was higher Job 39:21 – and Psa 33:16 – mighty Jer 9:23 – neither Amo 6:2 – Gath<\/p>\n 1Sa 17:4. Goliath of Gath For to this city the Anakims fled when Joshua rooted them out of the land of Canaan, Jos 11:22. And here they propagated a race of giants; that is, people of great strength and stature. Whose height was six cubits and a span At least nine feet nine inches. And this is not strange; for besides the giants mentioned in Scripture, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny make mention of persons seven cubits high.<\/p>\n 17:4 And there {a} went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span.<\/p>\n (a) Between the two camps.<\/p>\n And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. 4 11. Goliath’s Challenge 4. a champion ] Lit. “ The (well-known) man of the interspaces,” or “interval between two camps” (Gr. : see Eur. Phoen. 1361, in the account … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 17:4”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"