Our mission is to provide accurate, engaging news of science to the public. It does not rule out the possibility that David used a shepherds sling. From a human perspective, David faced tremendous odds, and no one thought he could defeat the giant. So if he was 19 then he might not have really looked like a boy. Learned a lot myself from the study as well. Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to This would bump David up one slot in the above order as well. This is because: We do not know his brother's ages, so assuming 4 older brothers not yet 20 (not men of war), then looking for a maximum age for David, assuming #1 is not true, and assuming a roughly normal gestation period (no premature births, about 40 weeks, or 9.23 months, we'll say 10 months minimum between pregnancies), we have this rough possibility: Yet if #1 is true, then for every multiple birth among these four brothers, David's maximum age would bump up one slot. We're not told directly David's age when he fought Goliath. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. David is going to fight Goliath on his terms. Baseball players wear helmets to protect from errant near-100 m.p.h. As the Israelites and Philistines squared off for battle, the armies of Israel camped on the northern edge of the valley while the Philistines camped on the southern side (1 Samuel 17:1). When David was a teenager, he was anointed as the next king of Israel. Needless to say, Goliaths defensive armor and weaponry were larger, heavier, and more expensive than most and would have required a man of substantial size and strength to wield. Needless to say, by any standard Goliath would have been an intimidating presence who would have physically dwarfed the average Jewish foot soldier, including King Saul, who was himself taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. (1 Samuel 10:23) So what people did Goliath have as ancestors? From the biblical text, we learn that the Philistines had gathered their armies for battle against the armies of Israel in the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:1) around 1025 to 1024 B.C. Joshua and Caleb, who had put their faith in God, not unlike David, would later lead Israel against the Anakim and drive them from the Promised Land. Those verses, when included in the MT, have created some anomalous and disturbing scenarios. Second, Gill's Exposition of 1 Chr 2:13 also notes others have David 7 of 8. David Really, like any human, he was barely more than an insect in this case, one that Jehovah was ready to exterminate! If David had used a piece of granite the size of a billiard ball, it would have weighed about 11 ounces. Required fields are marked *. If Abigail falls between the 4th oldest son and David, then David's maximum age would have to bump down 10 more months, so for sake of argument, assume she is just above David, though she could be in any slot (this assumes as well that she was not a fraternal twin to any of those sons): There is no further information I am aware of to either include or exclude Abigail as a possible factor, and so David's maximum age must be set as a range between 15yr 9m and 16yr 7m, depending upon whether she was or was not a factor by her birth order. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 1 How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? How old was David when he fought Goliath? David was a man of war, a member of Sauls army when he began to play the harp for the King. WebItalian actor Luigi Montefiori portrayed this 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)-tall giant in Paramount 's 1985 live-action film King David as part of a flashback. But owners were still stressed and lonely, Fentanyl deaths have spiked among U.S. children and teens, Satellite data reveal nearly 20,000 previously unknown deep-sea mountains, Thawing permafrost may unleash industrial pollution across the Arctic, Ultrasound reveals trees drought-survival secrets, Seismic waves crossing Mars core reveal details of the Red Planets heart, Rocky planets might have been able to form in the early universe, Cosmic antimatter hints at origins of huge bubbles in our galaxys center, Black holes resolve paradoxes by destroying quantum states, These worms can escape tangled blobs in an instant. He states (emphasis added): Kimchi mentions a Midrash according to which Goliath, the Gittite, is the most well known giant in the Bible. If David was much smaller, Saul could have easily commanded a soldier closer to David's size to lend David his armor. Two things: (1) You should add a specific verse quote/reference into your question, since, Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! 1:45). Unfortunately, when left untreated, most patients with acromegaly or gigantism have reduced life expectancies and will often deal with extreme arthritis, heart conditions, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, decreased mental function, and even blurred vision if the tumor on the pituitary glands presses on the optic nerves. @JoshuaWilson I can follow your logic here. It is an assumption to conclude that Saul did not recognize David. Wearing this armor and wielding such a weapon in battle would require tremendous strength. Why did King David go to the Israelite camp? Bible translations using the Masoretic Text list Goliath at six cubits and a span. (1 Samuel 17:4) How tall is that exactly? Valley of Elah: David and Goliath - holylandsite What does "up to" mean in "is first up to launch"? As a young lad of 15-17 years. How is that possible? 1 samuel - How old was David when he fought Goliath? -What does the Bible say about his height? King Saul, understanding that Davids odds of winning arent great, tries to help him out by giving him some of his own battle armor. The Bible provides detailed biographical information about David. There is a however which is that important details have been missed, meaning that the common understanding is based upon some erroneous assumptions. Why is 1 Samuel 14:49-51 missing such a large portion of Saul's family? David may have been the original inventor of the staff sling. Some ancient texts state that Goliath stood four cubits and one span. Chadwick says this equals about 7.80 feet (2.38 meters). If they were born a year apart then David would be 14 or 15. Perhaps a better solution is that Saul had already promised he would give his daughter in marriage to the man who killed Goliath. @PaulVargas, I have made another update. WebGoliath, a formidable giant who plumbed over nine feet tall and kept on a full suit of armor, emerged out for 40 days, consecutively. There a man named Goliath emerged to taunt the armies of Israel and challenge them to send their best warrior into the valley to fight (1 Samuel 17:8-10). 9'9"]. My research is based upon a rather Catholic view on the story, some simple mathematics, plus some basic logic. Be sure to take our. Accordingly, a single stone was all it took to fell the foul giant. However, the Lord told Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. Excessive production of GH is often the result of swelling in the pituitary gland, and in some cases, a benign tumor can press on the pituitary, secreting excessive amounts of GH. Tim Chaffey, AiGUS, examines what the Bible actually teaches about the stature of David. When Goliath saw David, he said Do you think Im a dog? Scholars continue to debate whether David and Goliath were real people who met in battle around that time. David was married to Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah during the 7-1/2 years he reigned in Hebron as king of Judah. Be sure to take our. David If a cubit really was 18 to 21 inches, Goliath would have been one of the tallest men in history. J. Chadwick. Normally, we equate him with a giant, as most Bible translations state that he was over nine feet tall (1 Samuel 17:4, NIV). Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Heres how, A sapphire Schrdingers cat shows that quantum effects can scale up, the Philistines, known from the Old Testament as enemies of the Israelites, Four cubits and a span The size of biblical Goliath as reflected in fortification architecture at Philistine Gath, Ancient cemetery provides peek into Philistines lives, health, The worlds largest bee has been rediscovered after 38 years, Ancient DNA reveals the origins of the Philistines, A prehistoric method for tailoring clothes may be written in bone, Hair analysis reveals Europes oldest physical evidence of drug use, A surprising food may have been a staple of the real Paleo diet: rotten meat, Some monkeys accidentally make stone flakes that resemble ancient hominid tools, The Yamnaya may have been the worlds earliest known horseback riders, Muons unveiled new details about a void in Egypts Great Pyramid, Ancient DNA unveils disparate fates of Ice Age hunter-gatherers in Europe. Such a device can deliver quite a heavy stone with great force and velocity. April 30, 2023 Church Service | April 30, 2023 Church Service His coat of mail weighed 125 pounds, and just the tip of his spear was 15 pounds. This blog post will tell you all about how tall David was in the Bible, including: -What did other people think Davids height was? Auto Created Event | Auto Created Event - Facebook Taking into consideration both theories, a cubit could be anywhere from 18 to 21 inches, which would make Goliath anywhere from 9 to 11 feet tall. What was the actual cockpit layout and crew of the Mi-24A? Some texts such as 2 What was the height of David when he killed Goliath? David was king How old was David when he fought We're a little different from other sites. 13:7). Most forms of gigantism are identified and treated at an early age. David David kept Goliath's armor and would eventually wield the sword himself (1 Samuel 17:54; 21:9). Prior to seeing David, Samuel was impressed by the physical stature of David's brother Eliab and thought that he was the one God would choose. While talking to the King of Israel. Today, our mission remains the same: to empower people to evaluate the news and the world around them. David Not at all! https://www.facebook.com/gbcky/videos/auto-created-event/615795276838160 Please refresh the page and try again. Some texts such as the Dead Sea scrolls say Goliath was only 69 or 207 cm while other texts say he was 99 or 298 cm. rev2023.4.21.43403. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Although its difficult to precisely identify Davids age at that time, there are some indications that he was of reasonably mature/large stature at the the time to be able to put on Sauls armor who was head and shoulders above everyone else in Israel. He did not have a slingshot. He had a sling. This is a slingshot. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slingshot ] Wikipedia says Not to be confused wi His son, Jonathan, was probably 29, and Samuel was 30. WebStanding some nine and a half feet (2.9 m) tall, Goliath towered over other men, but how big was he compared to the Sovereign of the universe? The Bible is specific about these three items. Some, including Malcolm Gladwell, believe that this could explain several of Goliaths shortcomings hinted at in the biblical text and why he laughed when David came at him with sticks (1 Samuel 17:43) when the text says that David walked into the valley with a single shepherds staff (1 Samuel 17:40). 19The number of sons mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible is 19. Lets take a closer look at Goliaths stature. This was possible, in part, because Adam lived to be 930 years old. My hope is that it leads to reasoned debate, resulting in a greater understanding of the how we interpret the events. Many people wonder just how tall Goliath was - was he really a giant or just a larger man? The standard cubit was about 18 inches, and a span was half of a cubit, so 9 inches. He is described as a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, whose height was six cubits and a span (Samuel 17:4). WebDavid Defeats Goliath 41 The Philistine started walking toward David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. The most obvious symptoms of gigantism and acromegaly include a larger than normal body structure as well as the enlargement of the organs, muscles, hands, feet, and forehead. Act 13:21). Thanks! If Goliath did have acromegaly and experienced mental, mobility, vision issues (unknown to the Israelites), he would only be effective in close range, hand to hand combat. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [appx. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on 1 Chr 2:15) or was disowned by Jesse between the Samuel and Chronicle accounts, or had a different mother (a solution noted in Gill's Exposition of 1 Chr 2:13), and is not listed here for one of these reasons. David's lineage had to be known by the king so that he could follow through on these two promises. At a settlement called et-Tell in northern Israel, for instance, two pillars at the front of the city gate are each 2.7 meters wide, or five 54-centimeter cubits. Would you ever say "eat pig" instead of "eat pork"? Some have tried to reduce or downplay these staggering figures,3 but there are problems with these claims. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. But careful evaluations of many excavated structures over the last several years have revealed that standard measures differed slightly between the two regions, Chadwick said. If he really had been a little boy, that offer would never have been made. There are two alternative reasons Saul may have asked this question. Early versions of the Bible describe Goliath an ancient Philistine warrior best known as the loser of a fight with the future King David as a giant whose height in The biblical warrior Goliath may not have been so giant after all Thanks for you first question on BH.SE. In Malcolm Gladwells book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants,the renowned author compares the biblical text to modern medicine to try and understand and even explain Goliaths unnatural height. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). David is a figure who appears in the Bible, and hes pretty well-known for being tall. For example, I Sam. The Bible and archeological evidence both tell us that the Philistines were originally a seafaring people who had migrated from somewhere inthe Aegean Sea (possibly near modern day Crete; Jeremiah 47:4) to the Mediterranean coast of Canaan around the12th century B.C. thirty years oldWith Ish-Bosheth dead, David is offered the crown by the elders of Israel, and 2 Samuel 5:4 records, David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. He then conquers Jerusalem Zion to which he soon also brings the ark of the covenant. E-mail us atfeedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ. He told the people, I will fight Goliath because God will help me win. When King Saul heard this, he let David fight Goliath but tried to give him armor and a sword. +1. 28-29). Because the Israelites focused on the giants in front of them instead of the promises and proven power of God, they missed out on the Promised Land and wander the desert for forty years as a result. That would have been a much better response, because even if you are 9 feet tall and built like a tank, you have no chance against 50,000 armed soldiers charging you all at once. By my calculations, if David was 8th, there's a 56% chance that one of the sisters falls in the critical range and a 31% chance that they both do. In the ancient world, however, this would not have been the case. According to Jewish tradition, Adam and Eve had 56 children. Keep in mind that upon Sauls death, David became king at the age of 30. A pastor once suggested to me that chapter 17 may have been chronologically prior to the days in which David played the harp for Saul, but there are problems with this. It was most likely in Saul's first year that Goliath vs. David happened. This information is in further support of an answer close to Joshua Wilson's (which was not really much other information that the original link you posted), though leaning toward the older end of his range and perhaps even slightly older (15-18 years old). David was 30 years old when he became king, having just moved from Ziklag (2 Sam 1:1), and settled in Hebron (2 Sam 2:4). What do we actually know Goliath, the champion from Gath? The Powerful Bible Story Explained. All this to say that not knowing details of the other brothers, David's age is rather flexible. For the Glory of God | pastor - Facebook Davids next move: If David was to be the future King, it would have been wise for him to join the army, just as his brothers did. In the KJV, the text that is relied upon is the MT (Masoretic Text) which a Jewish sect called the Masoretes applied themselves to, and completed between 700 1100 CE. the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty The lion and bear were not as large a problem as Goliath. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. So Amasa could be near Absalom's age, and thus Abigail closer to David's age. 1 Sam. To put that in perspective, Shaquille ONeal is listed at 71, Andre the Giant was 74, and the tallest man recorded in theGuinness Book of World Records, Robert Wadlow, was measured at 811. People known as Canaanites first occupied Gath in the early Bronze Age, roughly 4,700 to 4,500 years ago. BUT ONCE THEY HAD ACCEPTED HIS PREMISE, THEY WERE PARALYZED. David was the youngest of eight brothers, and his appearance was "ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking" (1 Samuel 16:12). Sauls exact height is not given, but he was a head taller than anyone else in all Israel (1 Samuel 9:2), which implies he was over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and the obvious challenger for Goliath, yet, David is the one who eventually defeated him. Here's one other clue that would support the idea that he's older than 15 years old. Terms of Service apply. Word order in a sentence with two clauses, Effect of a "bad grade" in grad school applications. Notice that he did not claim that David was too small, although even the tallest people today would be dwarfed by Goliath. When we think of shepherds, we imagine teenagers like at the Nativity. All in all, both you and Joshua Wilson have done an excellent analysis. Under the age of 20, they were designated as "male", and from age 20 as "man" for the ones able to fight. If that verse refers to the public portion of Sauls reign, those figures might be 51 or 61 for his age and 12 for the years of his public reign, the total being 40 years. Most people can relate the main details fairly consistently. WebIn 1040 B.C., David was born in Bethlehem. The story has turned out to be much more nuanced than anybody has believed. Most people are probably familiar with the story of David and Goliatheven if theyve never opened a Bible or stepped foot inside of a church. In fact, the Philistines were prominent players in the stories of Samson, Samuel, Saul, and David. His son Solomon expanded the empire that David built. When you have a chance, be sure to check out the, Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange John, thanks for contributing! I confidently assert that Zeruiah is a non-factor in these calculations. Based off the time frame of David marrying Abigail, there has to be some years time for his fleeing Saul prior to that, as well as his brief marriage to Michal that occurred relatively soon after the Goliath incident. years" (1 Sam. Web Goliath was only 6 feet 9 inches tall As will be seen, this paper rejects these ve assumptions. Saul took him [David] that day, and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore. How old was Zedekiah when he became king? So, if Saul was in his mid-40s at the beginning of his reign, he had to be mid-80s when he was fighting in the heat of battle prior to killing himself rather than being captured. Plus, can you give your view on the "boy" factor of David as what the other characters said in the time being. He was talented in the ways of warfare and gained a reputation for himself in battle and for his music. Sure at age 20 year old is still a boy as it is a very young age and still kind of juvenile, but it would maybe mean that he had not yet reaches the age of 20 as long as a male person could join the military army from age 20 only and knowing that he was not in the army yet at this moment. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox. Such might have helped pinpoint David's age, but there is still some other evidences. Goliath - Wikipedia If it were much later than that, David would be in his twenties. But didn't David refuse the armor because it didn't fit? King Saul agreed to let David fight Goliath, so he offered David his own armor to use for the battlelikely the very same armor David had borne for Saul as his armor bearer. WebGoliath, the giant of Gath, was easily 2.8 meters tall and likely bigger (see 1Samuel 17:5 - 7)! Given the 12 year public reign of Saul, his rejection must have taken place within 2 to 3 years of the beginning of that period. What was the height of David when he killed Goliath? 17:4 (NET)] It was this fear in the presence of literal giants that caused the Israelites to cower and tremble. WebSo close was David to King Saul that David was appointed as the Kings armour bearer. Therefore, Goliath was a very tall man, and David was probably about as tall. The king simply could have been inquiring about Davids family. How tall was Goliath The beginning of the story: The selection of King Saul is a good place to start. After leaving Saul, David ran towards Goliath prepared to fight. However, there is a reasonable possibility that David is the 7th of 8 total sons of Jesse. Every print subscription comes with full digital access. A team led by archaeologist Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan, Israel who Chadwick collaborated with to excavate the Gath gateway has investigated Tell es-Safi since 1996. You're almost done! Thats the same width as walls at Goliaths home city, Gath, and the same height that an Old Testament writer used to describe Goliath. Your email address will not be published. It is possible to insert likely figures into those positions to attempt to make sense of it all. Based on this line of reasoning, I think he was between 12 and 15 years old when he fought and killed Goliath, though nothing is certain. David was then about 28 (30 - 1yr 4m) years old when he moved to Philistine land, the last part of his time in running from Saul. WebGoliath (/ l a / g-LY-th) is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat.The story signified King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Israel. What does the Bible say about his size and why does it matter? When a gnoll vampire assumes its hyena form, do its HP change? David was most likely around 410 to 50 (148153 cm). The word used of David's "youth" (1 Sam 17:33, 42) is (nr). How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? Jehoash was 7 years old when his reign began, and he reigned for 40 years. Notice: if David was under 20 years of age; he would not have been allowed to fight Goliath or in any battle for that matter; as being under 20 years of age goes against the precedent command of God(through the Law of Moses) for a Israelite person to join the military and represent the firstborn nation of the God of Israel. @ScottS My chance numbers were based on assumption of each sister independently falling into any of the 9 positions before/between/after the 8 brothers with equal probability. 5:4), "In Hebron he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years" (2 Sam. Abigail is harder to disqualify from affecting the calculations. Seized with fear, they believed these giants to be the sons of the Anakim (Deuteronomy 9:2). The oldest manuscripts that are available are nearly 1,000 years older than that and are known as the Septuagint [first translated in the early 3rd century BCE[. That mission has never been more important than it is today. Follow this logic First, 1 Chr 2:13-15 gives a listing of David's family by birth order from Jesse: Some common ways of reconciling this with David being the youngest of eight speculates that this much later Chronicle account does not mention one brother who died young (i.e. Doesn't it state he is the "youngest" (1 Sam 16:11, 17:14), and clearly had seven brothers (1 Sam 16:10), with eight sons total (1 Sam 17:12)? WebWhen David was born in Bet Lechem, in the land of Yehuda, (in the year 2854 after Creation), he was only ten generations removed from Judah, one of Jacob 's twelve sons. Facts We Know About Him - Crosswalk.com "David was thirty years old when he began to reign" (2 Sam. So close was David to King Saul that David was appointed as the Kings armour bearer. Maybe. Bruce Bower has written about the behavioral sciences for Science News since 1984. How Tall How is white allowed to castle 0-0-0 in this position? 5 How tall was David in the Dead Sea Scrolls? David was 30 when he became a king in Hebron, and the battle with Philistines was during Saul's reign; within 2 years period before David was 30. Some ancient texts say that Goliath stood at four cubits and a span - which Chadwick says equals about 7.80 feet (2.38 meters) while other ancient texts claim Chadwicks 2019 excavations found one of presumably several gateways that allowed access to Gath through the citys defensive walls. So now we know that the Ark first went to house of Abinadab on the hill twenty years earlier, making David 17.5/18 years old at that time. Goliath mocked David and said that he was not afraid of a little boy. WebDavid Defeats Goliath 41 The Philistine started walking toward David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. This leads us back to another promise that God had made long ago. Numbers 1:45 is clear that someone must be over the age of 20 to be counted as a member of the army. Early versions of the Bible describe Goliath an ancient Philistine warrior best known as the loser of a fight with the future King David as a giant whose height in ancient terms reached four cubits and a span. Chronicles 27:18, and Jarchi observes, that the writer, having found I have taken into consideration the answer stated in this link, which argues that David was 15 years old or younger. There is an interesting possibility. The fact that David was brought before Saul by Abner, the military commander, and that David came carrying the head of Goliath supports this interpretation (1 Samuel 17:57). Churchgists.com covers prayers, spiritual meaning, bible verses and dreams interpretation. His height is given at six cubits and a span, or around nine and a half feet tall, but scholars have pointed out that older descriptions found in the Dead Sea Scrolls put him at four cubits and a span. What manuscripts did Jesus, His Disciples, Paul and the church fathers rely on? Is this better or do I still need more? How Old Was David When He Fought Goliath? - The Bible History