A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 4. Base-born. Hebrew “of two sons,” or of obscure origin. A. Lapide.—His parents are no where specified, as Arapha is not, as some pretend, the name of his mother, but denotes that he was of the race of the Raphaim. 2 Kennicott. 21:16. Some translate, a man who challenges to fight a duel, or one who comes into the midst as “a champion,” to decide the cause of all the rest. Thus the Gaul defied the most valiant of the Romans, but was slain by Menochius. Torquatus, Livy vii. Septuagint “A strong man went out from the station,” and so forth Chal. “There came out from them, out of the camp of the Philistines, a man named Goliath.” But many able interpreters adhere to the Vulg.—Span, about 12½ feet, so that he was taller than two common men. Those who call in question the existence of giants, will surely have nothing to object to this formal proof from Scripture. Calmet.—The Vat. Septuagint and Josephus read, however, “four cubits and a span,” or near eight feet. Ken.—Some reduce his height to 11 feet 3 inches, or even to 9 feet 9 inches, English. Bible.—His helmet weighed 15 pounds, avoirdupois; his collar, or buckler, about 30; the head of his spear (26 feet long) weighed about 38 pounds; his sword 4; his greaves on his legs 30; and his coat of mail 156: total, 273 pounds. Button. Bible.—Goliath was a figure of the devil, or of any arch-heretic, who provoketh the Church of God, but is slain by the humble with his own weapons. Worthington.
A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A span is the length from the tip of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when his hand is stretched out (about half a cubit, or 9 inches, or 22.8 cm.) Therefore, Goliath was about 9 feet and 9 inches or 2.97 meters tall.