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 countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah. 3So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them. Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! 5He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. 6He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.

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 17:23As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.
• 1 Samuel 21:9“I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”
• 2 Samuel 21:19During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!
• 1 Chronicles 20:5During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi’s spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!
• 1 Samuel 27:4Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him.
• Joshua 11:22None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
• 2 Samuel 21:16Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him.
• 1 Chronicles 20:4After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the giants, and so the Philistines were subdued.
• Deuteronomy 3:11(King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)
• 1 Chronicles 11:23Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7-1/2 feet tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.
• Amos 2:9“But as my people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots.

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