1 Samuel 17:4

1 Samuel 17:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Context of 1 Samuel 17:4

2Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines. 3The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them. Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, 5and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, 6and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

1 Samuel 17:4 word by word

וַיֵּצֵ֤א אִֽישׁ־הַבֵּנַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּחֲנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים גָּלְיָ֥ת שְׁמ֖וֹ מִגַּ֑ת גָּבְה֕וֹ שֵׁ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת וָזָֽרֶת׃Read the interlinear

• Then a championאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• Then a championבֵּנַיִםbênayim · championH1143
• namedשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• Goliathגׇּלְיַתgolyath · GoliathH1555
• who was from Gathגַּתgath · GathH1661
• came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• from the Philistineפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• He was sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
• and a spanזֶ֫רֶתzereth · spanH2239
• in heightגֹּ֫בַהּgôbahh · heightH1363

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 17:4

• 1 Samuel 17:23And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the ranks of the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.
• 1 Samuel 21:9The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
• 2 Samuel 21:19Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
• 1 Chronicles 20:5Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
• 1 Samuel 27:4And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
• Joshua 11:22No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.
• 2 Samuel 21:16Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
• 1 Chronicles 20:4Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.
• Deuteronomy 3:11(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
• 1 Chronicles 11:23He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
• Amos 2:9Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4There went out a champion - Our word champion comes from campus, the field; Campio est enim ille qui pugnat in campo, hoc est, in castris, "Champion is he, properly, who fights in the field; i.e., in camps." A man well skilled in arms, strong, brave, and patriotic. But is this the meaning of the original הבנים איש ish habbenayim, a middle man, the man between two; that is, as here, the man who undertakes to settle the disputes between two armies or…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4A champion - 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. Goliath of Gath - One of the places mentioned in Joshua 11:22 as still retaining a remnant of the sons of Anak; Gaza and Ashdod being the others. The race of giants (the Rephaim, from רפא râphâ' ) is mentioned…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4champion: In ancient times, opposing forces would sometimes let chosen individuals from each side settle a conflict. This reduced casualties and other costs. This type of combat is shown in 2 Samuel 2:12–17. Gath was one of five Philistine cities known for having giants as citizens (2 Samuel 21:15–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-114-11. a champion--Hebrew, a "man between two"; that is, a person who, on the part of his own people, undertook to determine the national quarrel by engaging in single combat with a chosen warrior in the hostile army.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 17:4

• Gath
• Measure

In the dictionaries

• Gath
• Goliath
• Philistines
• Gath, Gittite
• Arise
• Assay
• Carriage
• Cause
• Champion
• Coat

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings