1 Samuel 17:4 Commentary and Bible Study

‘And there went out a champion’ – ‘one who stands between two’ is the compound Hebrew word – ‘out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath.’ This was something which happened from time to time, but was probably unexpected on this occasion. He came out as a representative of the Philistines to request a dual with one of the Hebrews in single-combat, and the outcome of the dual would decide the outcome of the battle between the two armies. Clearly this was an exercise in intimidation. The obvious candidate on the Hebrew side was Saul, for ‘he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward’ (1 Samuel 10:23), but Saul is deeply afraid of this giant. His ‘height was six cubits and a span.’ Generally speaking, his height is taken as being about 9 1/2 feet, according to the most popular estimate of the measurement the cubit. However, there are some who argue that the cubit was little more than the popular measurement, and he may have been as tall as 11 1/2 feet. Certainly he was a giant, and he was descended, one would think, from the Anakims mentioned earlier on in the book of Joshua. He was outstandingly tall, and a massive individual, and his height is really confirmed by the verses that follow. ‘He had an helmet of brass upon his head.’ For ‘brass’ it is better to read ‘bronze’; this was undoubtedly made of copper-tin alloy, not a copper-lead alloy, and that is now well known. So ‘brass’ is not far off, but ‘bronze’ is a better translation. ‘And he was armed with a coat of mail.’ What is suggested to our minds by ‘a coat of mail’ is chainmail, but it wasn't chainmail. It was original mail which would have been armour plates, probably not very thick, but very strong, rather like fish scales: a suit of armour made in that way with these scales somehow riveted together. ‘And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass’, which the best estimates put at about hundred and thirty pounds. That is a tremendous amount of weight to carry about with you, but this was a most powerful man and a giant of a man. ‘And he had greaves of brass [or bronze] upon his legs.’ Greaves technically are shinpads, but here the Hebrew word suggests just leg armour. ‘And a target of brass between his shoulders.’ That is difficult to translate. Whatever did he have between his shoulders? Hardly a target in our understanding of the word. But the Hebrew suggests a kind of striking weapon, perhaps a great club of iron, or a hammer of some kind. Modern translations often go for javelin, but some sort of striking weapon is possible. But anyway, he never had any opportunity to use it. ‘The staff of his main spear’, held in his hand, ‘was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron.’ The experts tell us that is probably fifteen to sixteen pounds weight: just the head of this thing. So obviously he was a powerful man to carry all that. Going before him he had an armour bearer, who would have been about six feet tall, holding a shield. That by no means covered Goliath, but it protected his legs and abdomen from any furious archery assault, or something of that kind.