A Biblical literalist is one who takes what the Bible says as literal as possible. Many scholars have suggested that the smaller number grew in the course of transmission (only a few have suggested the reverse, that an original larger number was reduced), possi… Then, add an estimated total 200 lbs of armor and weapons. Maybe. In what book of the Bible is the story of David and Goliath? A win for the God of Israel? So where did this conflict occur? 6 Royal cubits would have made Goliath 11’1 tall. Seized with fear, they believed these giants to be the sons of the Anakim (Deuteronomy 9:2). We know that Goliath was big, really big. As a shepherd, David would have had experience using this simple but effective weapon (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Some, including Malcolm Gladwell, believe that this could explain several of Goliath’s 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 shepherd’s staff (1 Samuel 17:40). … He had a shield that weighed approx 100 lbs and a sword nearly 6 ft long. Now if you wanted to go with the longer cubit: 6 x 20” = 120” / 12” = 10’ + 6” = 10’ 6”. Goliath and Saul Saul's 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. No matter how you measure Goliath, he is one big guy. We’ve chosen to use the most conservative measurement of 6 inches. He's a big guy by modern standards, and he would have been absolutely colossal in Biblical times. We went with the shorter, 18” cubit. About how tall was Goliath? There is some uncertainty surrounding the exact length of an ancient cubit, but the general consensus among scholars is that a cubit was roughly the length of a human forearm. We all know the story of David and Goliath, where the famous Biblical tale describes the Philistines epic battle with the Israelites coming to a head with each sending a single man to fight each other. Biblically, some evidence also points to Goliath being a descendent from the Anakim, a race of giant warriors living in Canaan during the time of Joshua (Deuteronomy 2:10-21). For example, the writings of the historian Josephus, along with New English Translation, which draws from the early Greek translations of the Hebrew text (the Septuagint) describe Goliath as “four cubits and a span” or roughly 6’7’’. His name was Goliath from Gath. That certainly isn’t anything that any of us experience on a daily basis. "(2.) It's my understanding that there is two different heights given for Goliath. Make no mistake. In the ancient world, however, this would not have been the case. https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/giants-in-the-old-testament/, https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/who-were-the-nephilim/, Goliath's Spear, 10230 State Road, Nashville, MI, 49073, United States. According to the Holy Scriptures, Goliath was three meters tall (9 feet 9 inches tall). In fact, the Philistines were prominent players in the stories of Samson, Samuel, Saul, and David. 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. How tall was Goliath? How many days did Goliath challenge Israel to send a man to fight him? There are those who will argue that for several reasons, Goliath could not have been as tall as the Bible claims. When the Bible says in 1 Samuel 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,” he actually was that tall. Clearly, a lot of what Gladwell and other doctors have hypothesized is speculation, but there is enough evidence from the biblical text to suggest that Goliath could have suffered from an actual medical condition known as gigantism or even its counterpart acromegaly, which can manifest in adults even after they’ve reached maturity. 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. Most definitely. tall with a body mass of approximately 379 lbs of solid muscle. Goliath is described as being "four cubits and a span" tall, a description complicated by recent revelations that a cubit meant different things in different regions. 5. Most forms of gigantism are identified and treated at an early age. How tall was Goliath ? There are no answers yet. In both rare instances, an individual can grow to an incredible height due to an excessive production of growth hormone (GH) which causes abnormal skeletal and tissue growth. I don't think the bible says exactly. It was one of these campaigns that brought Saul and David into conflict with the Philistines and their champion. So did these giants really exist? Trending Questions. This leads us to believe that Goliath may not have been of pure Philistine blood, but rather that he was a descendent of the Anakim and a resident of Gath when the Philistines invaded Canaan. Again not everyone agrees on the length of either. This would fit the geographical invasion path used during most Philistine incursions. As expected, these campaigns were often met with resistance from Israel’s armies, led by the judges and later kings. Also, a great deal of misinformation about giants in the Bible has been proliferated on the Internet along with some fake pictures of supposed giants. So where does that leave us? Given that “four cubits and a span” (2.38 meters) has been determined to be the thickness of Gath’s city wall, in the very era that Goliath is supposed to have lived (the horizon of late Iron Age I or early Iron Age II), Chadwick proposed that the Hebrew Bible author (probably the so-called Deuteronomist of the late seventh century BCE) metaphorically rendered the extraordinary size of Goliath by describing … This is incredibly tall, surpassing the tallest man recorded to date who measured 8 feet and eleven inches. . That is a question that seems to have a lot of different answers. https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/how-long-was-the-original-cubit/. To get a perspective we created a life-size poster of Goliath as part of our Family Worship Evening. In fact, only a few years ago, archeologists digging near Tell es-Safi in modern-day Israel unearthed what they believe to be the ruins of Gath, offering further insight into the cultural history and practices of the Philistines. It is the ultimate (and perhaps original) underdog story. Current measurements translate this to about six feet, six inches. The oldest manuscripts, namely the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel from the late 1st century BCE, the 1st-century CE historian Josephus, and the major Septuagint manuscripts, all give it as "four cubits and a span" (6 feet 9 inches or 2.06 metres), whereas the Masoretic Texthas "six cubits and a span" (9 feet 9 inches or 2.97 metres). 2 days 13 days 40 days 75 days. With their advanced iron weapons, innovative technology, and aggressive military tactics, the Philistines invaded, harassed, or otherwise oppressed the children of Israel for most of their early history. He wore scale armor of over 125 pounds (5000 shekels), including heavy brass greaves, a helmet and all of his weapons; he was a force to be dealt with. International Standard Version A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. Obviously, that isn’t exact unit of measurement given variance in human forearms, and there is some disagreement on whether a cubit was measured from elbow to wrist or all the way to the end of the fingertips. But who was this Philistine giant whose name has become synonymous with size, strength, and defeat? One National Geographic article suggests that an ancient slinger could hit a target with the equivalent striking power of a .44 caliber magnum bullet. Height is not something the Bible regularly mentions. David would go on to become a national hero, respected military commander, king of Israel, and man after God’s own heart; and his story is well-documented throughout Scripture. The Valley of Elah, cut between the western edge of the Judah low hills, is located about nineteen miles southwest of present-day Jerusalem and about seventeen miles west of Bethlehem, where David lived (1 Samuel 16). I heard that he was probaby around 9 feet tall. His size alone made him very intimidating. We first read the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. liʹath). Answer this question + 100. He was dead. The Bible says he was 6 cubits and a span which is almost 9 1/2 feet tall. He was totally dead. Sound familiar? At a height of over nine and a half feet, Goliath would have undoubtedly been seen as a “Big Un friendly Giant” (B U G), even to modern people who are taller than our biblical predecessors. This is an educational video that seeks to answer the question as to how tall the Philistine giant Goliath was. In Malcolm Gladwell’s 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 Goliath’s unnatural height. 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. Who is wise enough to pick and choose and decide what to believe and what not? Question: "How tall was Jesus?" https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/david-little-guy-or-mighty-man-of-war/. 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. So again, whose hand do we use? The issue is that the Masoretic Text gives Goliath’s height as “six cubits and a span” whereas the Greek rendering of 1 Samuel 17:4 gives Goliath’s height as “four cubits and a span.” A cubit is the length of a forearm (usually about 18 inches), and a span … The Bible describes many individuals as giants, and it also mentions several giant people groups. To put that in perspective, Shaquille O’Neal is listed at 7’1”, Andre the Giant was 7’4”, and the tallest man recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records, Robert Wadlow, was measured at 8’11”. The Bible and archeological evidence both tell us that the Philistines were originally a seafaring people who had migrated from somewhere in the Aegean Sea (possibly near modern day Crete; Jeremiah 47:4) to the Mediterranean coast of Canaan around the 12th century B.C. So, did his size help or hinder? Anyone who has read the early books of the Old Testament knows of the Philistines. 3. When we read Genesis 6, we read about a man named Noah who built an ark according to God’s directions. Long-standing acromegaly can also produce “barrel chest”, which Dr. Eric J. Olson of the Mayo Clinic describes as, “a rounded, bulging chest that resembles the shape of a barrel.” This could also explain why Goliath had such a large suit of armor, which the biblical text says weighed “five thousand shekels of bronze” (1 Samuel 17:5). Join. A cubit was considered the length of a man’s arm from his elbow to the tip of his fingers. Needless to say, Goliath’s 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. However, according to Numbers 22:28, there was a man named Balaam who had a donkey that talked. If Goliath was six cubits and a span, we have: Now if you wanted to go with the longer cubit: No matter how you measure Goliath, he is one big guy. Let’s take a closer look at Goliath’s stature... Photo Credit: ©Wikimedia Commons/Wilson 44691. 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. Bible Study Resources - Tips, Online Bible Search, Devotions, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2021, Crosswalk.com. According to 1 Samuel 17:4, Goliath was 6 cubits and a span (according to the Masoretic text/Hebrew translation), equating to nine feet and six inches. Even at close range, most soldiers wouldn’t have fared too well against the size, strength, and weaponry of the Philistine champion, who was born and bred for hand to hand combat. Many are also curious if Goliath had any condition that contributed to his physical size. And Dr. Ian Chapman writes in the Merck Manual that some patients with acromegaly experience a “cartilaginous proliferation of the larynx (which) leads to a deep, husky voice.” This may explain why Goliath was able to physically and verbally intimidate the armies of Israel, as his voice carried across the valley (1 Samuel 17:8). . To summarize, we have seen that Goliath’s height depends on the size of both the cubit and the span, and which reading of the text is the most reliable. Most people are probably familiar with the story of David and Goliath—even if they’ve never opened a Bible or stepped foot inside of a church. It would be easy to see that depending on the man, the length would be different. Excessive sweating, thicker skin, and a protrusion of the jawbone are also common. However, a small remnant of the Anakim was said to have taken refuge in the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath (Joshua 11:22). To get an estimate of how tall Goliath was, I will take the smallest and largest estimates and apply them to the 4 cubits and a span measurement from the Septuagint, and the 6 cubits and a span according to the Masoretic text. David had even rejected the heavy armor of King Saul for being too cumbersome (1 Samuel 17:38-40). Is this a shame? Josephus (who I suspect was at times prone to some exaggeration) similarly records Goliath was “a man of vast bulk, for he was of four cubits and a span in tallness”.