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 gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, then lined up in battle array against the Philistines. 3The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. Then a champion stepped out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5He had a bronze helmet on his head and a breastplate of scale armor; the weight of the bronze breastplate was 5,000 shekels. 6He also had bronze shin-guards on his legs and a bronze javelin 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

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 17:23But as he was talking with them, behold the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the ranks of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.
• 1 Samuel 21:9Then David said to Ahimelech, “Isn’t there a spear or sword on hand? For I did not take my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
• 2 Samuel 21:19Then there was war again with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite killed Goliath the Gittite—his spear had a shaft like a weaver’s beam.
• 1 Chronicles 20:5Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft like a weaver’s beam.
• 1 Samuel 27:4So when Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
• Joshua 11:22There was none of the Anakim left in the land of Bnei-Yisrael, except some were left in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.
• 2 Samuel 21:16So Ishbi-benob—who was a descendant of the Raphah, whose spear weighed 300 shekels of bronze, who was girded with new armor—thought to kill David.
• 1 Chronicles 20:4Now it came about after this, that war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and they were subdued.
• Deuteronomy 3:11(For only King Og of the Bashan survived from the remnant of the Rephaim. In fact, his bed was made of iron—is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its width, according to the cubit of a man.)
• 1 Chronicles 11:23He also killed the giant Egyptian man who was five cubits tall. In his hand the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam, yet Beniah attacked him with a club. He snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
• Amos 2:9“I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like cedars and as strong as oaks— yes, I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath.

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