How tall was Goliath?

The giant of Gath, who for forty days defied the armies of Israel. He was slain by David with a sling and a stone in the name of Jehovah. David cut off his head and carried it to Jerusalem. Goliath's sword was preserved and eventually restored to David. His height was six cubits and a span, about 8ft. 4in. by the shortest cubit. He was a type of Satan, too strong for any to conquer except the one in the power of Jehovah, David being a type of the Lord Jesus. 1 Sam. 17:4-23; 1 Sam. 21:9. Goliath's brother, named Lahmi, also a giant, is evidently the one spoken of in 2 Sam. 21:19, compare 1 Chr. 20:5.

In Ephes-Dammin, where subsequently David and Eleazar, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, successfully withstood the onslaught of the Philistines (1 Chron. 11:13), the power of the uncircumcised received a check at the hand of the stripling son of Jesse. The Philistines stood on a mount on the one side, and Israel on a mount on the other, with the valley of Elah between them; and there went out of the camp of the Philistines a champion, Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, that is, about nine feet nine inches in stature, and he defied the armies of Israel. From before him they all fled. In his presence Saul, and even Jonathan, felt themselves powerless. For forty days he defied Israel — a pitiable spectacle indeed — challenging any one to single combat, with servitude, as the penalty to be meted out to the conquered foe. The crisis had now come — the question was fairly put. Israel, if their champion were beaten, were to be servants to the Philistines; the Philistines, if Goliath was slain, offered to be servants to Israel. No longer, then, would the enemy admit of a compromise. Victory or servitude, and that without hope or prospect of any end to it. Such were the terms on which Goliath proposed to meet a champion from the children of Israel.

How bold in his words, yet how really apprehensive of danger, did he show himself to be! Why all that armour, the helmet, the coat of mail, the greaves of brass on his legs, with a javelin (Joshua 8:18), not a target, of brass between his shoulders, and an armour-bearer with a shield going before him? What thought had Goliath taken for the safety of his person! Encased in scaly armour, and with a shield to cover his whole person borne before him — in such attire, but not till he had taken such precautions, did this giant challenge the Israelites to single and mortal combat. Appearances were all in his favour; his height was imposing, and his armour would seem to defy penetration. But these precautions surely indicated a want of confidence in himself, and a fear of those he contemptuously called the servants of Saul. How bold the enemy can be before those who are afraid of him! And "when Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." And no wonder, for unless God is brought into such circumstances, what can feeble man effect? For forty days this went on. A full period of probation Israel passed through; but as yet no one was found to take up the challenge. The people were made to feel their own powerlessness. When this had been realised, David, sent by his father, entered the camp. He saw the giant. He heard his words. He witnessed the abject terror of the men of Israel. All were afraid but David, the youth, who viewed the matter in the right light.

What I have read in 1 Samuel 17 is very interesting. It opens with the hosts of Philistia and those of Israel gathered together in battle array against each other. The valley of Elah lay between them. It appears that the Philistines had a champion, — Goliath of Gath, "a man of war from his youth," — whose height was six cubits and a span, or about ten feet. A good tall man that! This man had "an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of his coat was five thousand shekels of brass. … And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him" (vers. 4-7). In plain language, the leader of the hosts of Philistia, to man's eye, was invulnerable. No man dared to meet him in conflict, or respond to his challenge. "And he stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me." That was a challenge, — a fair, bold, downright challenge. "Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day: give me a man that we may fight together." I don't think there is a man in this hall would care to measure arms with a ten-footer; and so was it in Jonathan's day, for "when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid" (vers. 8-10). Discretion is generally the better part of valour, and it was so in this case. No one responded to the challenge, as morning and evening he presented himself. The test was very complete, for "the Philistine drew near every morning and evening, and presented himself forty days." Every morning and evening he stood between the two hosts, and said, "Give me a man," and looks all round for him. But no one ventured into single conflict with him. No one would come. They were wise; I commend their wisdom. They knew perfectly well it only meant certain death, — absolute defeat for them, — and they stood in the ranks.

The Philistines had a man who was their champion, a giant from Gath named Goliath, whose height was over nine feet. His armour is mentioned, first his helmet of brass. This tells us that typically he has made his head (his mind) impervious to being influenced by the word of God; for "the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not" (2 Cor.4:4). His whole body was similarly protected by armour of great weight, so that a sword in the hand of a weaker man would mean nothing. The size of his offensive weapon (his spear) is emphasized, both its shaft and its head. He could easily overreach any ordinary adversary and kill him before the other got within striking distance. He illustrates the stature and power of the well-trained controversialists of this world, the boasted strength of man in the flesh. He is well prepared too by the help of a man bearing a shield to go before him.

First we have the champion. He was a mighty giant, more than nine feet tall. He wore "an helmet of brass upon his head," and was armored with "a coat of mail," like a monster turtle. He was thoroughly prepared to fight, and "the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam." His legs and shoulders were thoroughly protected, and the weight of his armor and his spear's head were something enormous. In all his pride and power he stands and cries defiantly for a man to fight with him. None dare accept his challenge. "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid" (ver. 11).

At first David was rather in a private capacity. But God's time for his public display soon came; it was in presence of the armies of Israel and of the dreaded Philistine. What a proof then was given that the Spirit of Jehovah was upon him. The giant foe defies the armies of Israel, and Jehovah the God of Israel. He comes in all the might and pride of man, with all the adjuncts of the world, a helmet of brass, a coat of mail, greaves of brass upon his legs, a target of brass between his shoulders, with a spear like a weaver's beam. It is material power of the world in array against the power of faith. This man is the expression of the world's might. His stature nearly ten feet; he is invulnerable before and behind. All is useless, for faith overcomes the world.

Many efforts have been made to ascertain the length of this measure, from which others could be calculated. Its name signifies that it was the measure of a man's arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Of course this would vary in different persons, and some measure would have to be taken as a standard. In the Palestine Exploration this subject has not been lost sight of. Many tombs have been measured, but they give no definite result. The inscription found in the Siloam tunnel states the length of the tunnel to be 1,200 cubits, as read by Major Conder; but 1,000 cubits as interpreted by Professor Sayce. Doubtless only a round number is intended. Its length has been found to be 1,750 feet; which makes the cubit by the two interpretations, 17.5 or 21 inches. There are however many other measurements that seem to give a cubit of 16 inches. Many of the ancient stones in the base of the temple area, the breadth of the pilasters found in the north-western corner of the area, together with their distances apart, and also the Galilean synagogues, all give a measure of 16 inches. 'Quarterly Statement,' Jan., 1894.

In Ezek. 41:8 we read of a 'great cubit,' and in the commencement of the description of the future temple the reed is described as being "six cubits long by the cubit and a handbreadth." Ezek. 40:5. This agrees with the former passage which speaks of 'a full reed of six great cubits.' From this we gather that there was an ordinary cubit, and a great cubit, the difference being a handbreadth, which is accounted to be the same as the palm, a sixth of a cubit. In Deut. 3:11 we find a cubit 'after the cubit of a man;' and in 2 Chr. 3:3, a cubit 'after the first measure,' or 'former' or 'older' measure. From these passages it is clear that there were different measures called the cubit. The 16 inches above named may have been the shortest, but what was the length of the longest is quite uncertain. See WEIGHTS and MEASURES.

It is by combining the statements in 1 Kings 6 (2 Chron. 3, and Ezekiel 40, 41, etc.), that we ascertain the dimensions and details of the Temple and its courts; some particulars being given in one place, some in another; but, wherever the measurements are repeated in the different books, they perfectly coincide, or differ only in a manner which helps to ascertain the truth. In general the INTERNAL measurements are given rather than the external. The measure generally employed is that of the CUBIT or forearm, respecting the exact length of which there is diversity of opinion. According to some eighteen inches, to others twenty-one, while others make it 21.888 inches, or nearly one foot ten, and some even twenty-five inches. It will be generally sufficient, in order to form an idea of the various dimensions, to adopt some easy measurement, say one foot ten, or two feet. The cubit of Ezekiel is one-sixth larger, being a cubit and a hand-breadth (Ezek. 40:5), the handbreadth being reckoned as one-sixth of the ordinary cubit. Ezekiel's REED of six GREAT cubits is therefore equal to seven ordinary cubits. But when the SCALE is larger, the number of cubits where the measurements coincide is the same. SEVEN being the Scriptural number for completeness or perfection, it is interesting to observe that the measurements of the Temple of Ezekiel, or the MILLENNIAL Temple, are thus brought up to the scale of perfectness.

As to the last we are informed that it is 666. Verse 18 has intrigued many minds and led to much speculation as to its significance; and hitherto all to no purpose. Nearly sixty years have passed since we ourselves first heard confident solutions put forth, all to be falsified by subsequent events, as many since have been. We believe that when the time arrives, and those who fear God need a distinguishing mark, this point will be illuminated by the Spirit of God and so all will be clear. For us let it suffice that just as seven is the number of completeness and perfection, so six is the number of human incompleteness and imperfection. It is significant that six is a number stamped upon the Philistine giants — see 1 Samuel 17:4-7; 2 Samuel 21:20. Goliath's height was six cubits and a span; six pieces of his armour are specified; his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels.

His brother had six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot. Yet the giants fell like ninepins before David and his warriors. The imposing beast, whose number is six thrice over, will similarly fall before the presence of the Lord.

But if God was moving in the scene, the enemy was too, and this in particular by those whom Saul had been raised up to put down. For if king of Israel, he was responsible to be the servant of God; but he was not. He was the creature of man's choice, however God might move sovereignly above all. Morally speaking, Saul accomplished in nothing the end for which he was chosen; he only showed the futility and fruitlessness of man. Sentenced now, though not yet gone, he gives occasion for the mighty and gracious power of God to form His chosen one to accomplish His work. "Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 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. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. And he stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." Here was his ruin — "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." He left God out.