If Abigail falls between the 4th oldest son and David, then David's maximum age would have to bump down 10 more months, so for sake of argument, assume she is just above David, though she could be in any slot (this assumes as well that she was not a fraternal twin to any of those sons): There is no further information I am aware of to either include or exclude Abigail as a possible factor, and so David's maximum age must be set as a range between 15yr 9m and 16yr 7m, depending upon whether she was or was not a factor by her birth order. However, there are two assumptions by Hays which are considered correct: King Saul was between 6 and 6!/2 feet tall David was 5 feet to 5 feet 3 inches tall ii. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Article Images Copyright , 4 Ways God Wants to Renew You according to the Story of Elijah, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The standard cubit was about 18 inches, and a span was half of a cubit, so 9 inches. How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? Given the 12 year public reign of Saul, his rejection must have taken place within 2 to 3 years of the beginning of that period. Actually, David said, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them" (1 Samuel 17:39). Here's one other clue that would support the idea that he's older than 15 years old. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Online Christian Articles and Information Hub. If his training was not enough to intimidate any potential opponent, Goliaths size a height of six cubits and a span (1 Samuel 17:4), which was about nine and a half feet tall would have deterred almost anyone. The city was rebuilt more than a millennium later by the Philistines, known from the Old Testament as enemies of the Israelites (SN: 11/22/16). David was a youth, so he may have been shorter than 5 tall, at an enormous disadvantage in any match of physical strength. David had even rejected the heavy armor of King Saul for being too cumbersome (1 Samuel 17:38-40). Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to [1Sam. Numbers 1:45 is clear that someone must be over the age of 20 to be counted as a member of the army. Archaeologists have long known that in ancient Egypt a cubit corresponded to 52.5 centimeters and assumed that the same measure was used at Gath and elsewhere in and around ancient Israel. The Powerful Bible Story Explained. The fact that David was brought before Saul by Abner, the military commander, and that David came carrying the head of Goliath supports this interpretation (1 Samuel 17:57). Clearly, a lot of what Gladwell and other doctors have hypothesized is speculation, but there is enough evidence from the biblical text to suggest that Goliath could have suffered from an actual medical condition known as gigantism or even its counterpart acromegaly, which can manifest in adults even after theyve reached maturity. How old was David when he fought So David would have been less then twenty if he was considered too young to fight. An alternative timeline: The secret anointing of Saul and later events allow the probability that the confidence was kept for many years prior to him being chosen by the people. Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions. Looks good. Those include a 54-centimeter cubit (versus the 52.5-centimeter Egyptian cubit), a 38-centimeter short cubit and a 22-centimeter span that corresponds to the distance across an adults outstretched hand. Keep in mind that upon Sauls death, David became king at the age of 30. None of these arguments are watertight, but taken together, a much stronger case can be made for David being a large man than the commonly held view that he was small. So, if Saul was in his mid-40s at the beginning of his reign, he had to be mid-80s when he was fighting in the heat of battle prior to killing himself rather than being captured. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. GOLIATH AND THE EXODUS GIANTS: HOW TALL WERE Second, Gill's Exposition of 1 Chr 2:13 also notes others have David 7 of 8. In the MT, the story is full of holes and questions. ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. He also overheard the Israelites talking about what Saul would give to the person who defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:23-27). At the risk of being labelled a heretic, my position is that I am more interested in finding the truth than I am in following a belief that may be nothing more than tradition. If David had used a piece of granite the size of a billiard ball, it would have weighed about 11 ounces. Perhaps this passage is where some people get the notion that David was small. His son Solomon expanded the empire that David built. How Tall Was Goliath? Facts We Know About Him - Crosswalk.com What we know is that David was already an accomplished soldier in Sauls army and had been given the important job as the Kings armour-bearer. Early versions of the Bible describe Goliath an ancient Philistine warrior best known as the loser of a fight with the future King David as a giant whose height in ancient terms reached four cubits and a span. So close was David to King Saul that David was appointed as the Kings armour bearer. This is because: We do not know his brother's ages, so assuming 4 older brothers not yet 20 (not men of war), then looking for a maximum age for David, assuming #1 is not true, and assuming a roughly normal gestation period (no premature births, about 40 weeks, or 9.23 months, we'll say 10 months minimum between pregnancies), we have this rough possibility: Yet if #1 is true, then for every multiple birth among these four brothers, David's maximum age would bump up one slot. The 5th one went into the sling prepared for Goliath. Jehoash was 7 years old when his reign began, and he reigned for 40 years. He was talented in the ways of warfare and gained a reputation for himself in battle and for his music. -What does the Bible say about his height? If a cubit really was 18 to 21 inches, Goliath would have been one of the tallest men in history. The ancient writer used a real architectural metric from that time to describe Goliaths height, likely to indicate that he was as big and strong as his citys walls, Chadwick said. Thats what he claims. From a human perspective, David faced tremendous odds, and no one thought he could defeat the giant. Perhaps Saul had forgotten who David's father was. Webpastor | 37 views, 3 likes, 5 loves, 41 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Branch of Truth: Pastor Tom's Teaching on "For the Glory of God" Such is the ubiquity of the tale that any conflict between a big guy and a little guy is called a David and Goliath battle. He founded the Judaean dynasty and united all the tribes of Israel under a single monarch. Obviously, that isnt exact unit of measurement given variance in human forearms, and there is some disagreement on whether a cubit was measured from elbow to wrist or all the way to the end of the fingertips. Terms of Service apply. Research has been done to identify the source of many hundreds of quotes from the Old Testament that are used in the New Testament. @Mark: I have to admit I did not consider the sisters in my initial calculations. King Saul, understanding that Davids odds of This was possible, in part, because Adam lived to be 930 years old. When David was a teenager, he was anointed as the next king of Israel. From a distance, anyone would have been awestruck and intimidated by Goliath. It seems Saul gave David a public ceremony (or at least an audience with the king) in which he could bring honor to his family. WebWhen Goliath saw David, he must have laughed out loud. How big was Goliath? WebSo close was David to King Saul that David was appointed as the Kings armour bearer. So it was that April 30, 2023 Church Service | April 30, 2023 Church Service He made fun of David because he was so young. You can also sign up for our free print newsletter (US only). You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, wh Goliaths height is up for debate. Is it safe to publish research papers in cooperation with Russian academics? According to the MT, Goliath was 6 cubits and a span (about 9 feet 9 David was most likely around 410 to 50 (148153 cm). About 5 foot ithink. Goliath 10 The biblical warrior Goliath is best known for losing a fight with the underdog David. Third, David had already killed a bear and lion by hand. If they were born a year apart then David would be 14 or 15. The other end had a loop that hooked over the staff end so that it can release at the correct moment. How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? WebStanding some nine and a half feet (2.9 m) tall, Goliath towered over other men, but how big was he compared to the Sovereign of the universe? 1 How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? What manuscripts did Jesus, His Disciples, Paul and the church fathers rely on? According to the MT, Goliath was 6 cubits and a span (about 9 feet 9 inches), while in the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Josephus, he was 4 cubits and a span (about 6 feet 9 inches). David would go on to become a national hero, respected military commander, king of Israel, and man after Gods own heart; and his story is well-documented throughout Scripture. Archaeological findings at biblical-era sites including Goliaths home city, a prominent Philistine settlement called Gath, indicate that those ancient measurements work out to 2.38 meters, or 7 feet, 10 inches. It is published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education (EIN 53-0196483). Anyone who has read the early books of the Old Testament knows of the Philistines. How tall was David in the Bible when he fought Goliath? In the Septuagint, the story makes perfect sense. There a man named Goliath emerged to taunt the armies of Israel and challenge them to send their best warrior into the valley to fight (1 Samuel 17:8-10). Eli had just died a few months earlier, Samuel was old, and Nahash the Ammonite was attacking Jabesh Gilead. He told the people, I will fight Goliath because God will help me win. When King Saul heard this, he let David fight Goliath but tried to give him armor and a sword. Follow this logic First, 1 Chr 2:13-15 gives a listing of David's family by birth order from Jesse: Some common ways of reconciling this with David being the youngest of eight speculates that this much later Chronicle account does not mention one brother who died young (i.e.