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 Israelite army put up their tents in the valley of Elah. The soldiers prepared to fight against the Philistines. 3The Philistines were standing on one hill. The Israelites were on another hill. The valley was between the two armies. The Philistines had a strong, brave soldier. His name was Goliath and he came from a town called Gath. He was nearly three metres tall! 5He wore a helmet and armour that were made of bronze. The armour for his body weighed about 57 kilograms. 6He had pieces of bronze to protect his legs. He had a bronze sword that he tied on his back.

1 Samuel 17:4 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And there went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• a championבֵּנַיִםbênayim · championH1143
• a championאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• out of the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• namedשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• Goliathגׇּלְיַתgolyath · GoliathH1555
• of Gathגַּתgath · GathH1661
• whose heightגֹּ֫בַהּgôbahh · heightH1363
• sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
• and a spanזֶ֫רֶתzereth · spanH2239

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 17:4

• 1 Samuel 17:23While David was talking to his brothers, Goliath marched out from the Philistine army. He was the great Philistine soldier from Gath. As he came, Goliath was insulting the Israelites as he did every day. David heard what he said.
• 1 Samuel 21:9Ahimelech answered, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine is here. After you killed him in the valley of Elah, we kept the sword here. We covered it with a cloth and we put it behind the ephod. If you want it, you can take it. We do not have any other weapon except that one.’ David said, ‘Give it to me. There is no sword as good as that one.’
• 2 Samuel 21:19In another battle against the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, the son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem, killed Goliath from Gath. Goliath's spear was very thick and heavy, like a big tree.
• 1 Chronicles 20:5In another battle against the Philistines, Jair's son Elhanan killed Lahmi. Lahmi was the brother of Goliath who came from Gath. He had a spear that was very thick and heavy, like a big tree.
• 1 Samuel 27:4Saul heard the news that David had run away to Gath. So he stopped looking for David.
• Joshua 11:22So no Anakites remained in Israel, except for a few who lived in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.
• 2 Samuel 21:16A descendant of Rapha who was called Ishbi-Benob said that he would kill David. He had a bronze spear that weighed 3½ kilograms and he had a new sword.
• 1 Chronicles 20:4Some time after that, the Israelites fought a battle against the Philistines at Gezer. In that battle, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Sippai. Sippai was a descendant of Rapha. So Israel won against the Philistines.
• Deuteronomy 3:11Og, king of Bashan, was the only descendant of the Rephaites who had still been alive. He had an iron bed that is still in the Ammonites' town, Rabbah. It was 4 metres long and 2 metres wide.
• 1 Chronicles 11:23Benaiah also killed a very big Egyptian man who was 2.3 metres tall. The Egyptian held a spear that was thick and heavy, like a big tree. Benaiah attacked him with a heavy stick. He took the spear from the Egyptian's hand and he used it to kill him.
• Amos 2:9Remember the Amorites. They were big and strong. They were like the tallest cedar trees and the strongest oak trees. But I destroyed all of them.

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