Who killed Goliath, David or Elhanan?

It does not matter if our David is absent as in the two battles at Gob (vv. 18-19); the same Spirit that urged Him on is still with us. Perhaps we may be alone as Sibbechai the Hushathite was alone against Saph — for the stricken giant is always reappearing in another form. What does that matter? Perhaps — discouraging situation — Gob, the place where he was defeated, will become a battlefield for us a second time. What does it matter if we must retrace the same steps when we thought that we had finished with a treacherous struggle?

Look now! Goliath, that ancient enemy, reappears on this ground. “And there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, smote Goliath the Gittite; now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam” (v. 19). Was not Goliath defeated by David? Be not troubled, be not afraid, Elhanan, hero of “the grace of God”! (Elhanan means “the grace of God”) This Goliath, this Gittite, is a false Goliath bearing a deceptive name, a lying name. He is only Lahmi, Goliath's brother (cf. 1 Chr. 20:5). Yes, but he has the same spear, like a weaver's beam, doesn't he (cf. 1 Sam. 17:7)? Ask him, Elhanan, where his sword is. His sword is in David's hands and it will remain there forever. Victory is assured you, Elhanan! To win this victory there is no need even of a slingstone which you surely could never wield as deftly as your king anyway. It is confidence, the humble dependence you saw in David, that will overcome him. Yes, at any rate the victory is yours; it is ours, because it is His!

The last enemy, a monstrous intimidating man, is not named but he also was born to the giant, “a man of great stature, that had on each hand six fingers, and on each foot six toes, four and twenty in number” (vv. 20-22). As once Goliath did, so he defies Israel (v. 21; 1 Sam. 17:10). In Christ's absence we must fight for Him as well as for His people. To defy the one is to defy the other. We have brothers who are captives of the enemy, like Lot, sadly linked up with the world as he was, who must be saved “with fear, snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23). Let us stand in the breach like Jonathan the son of Shimeah and let us demonstrate that like him by grace we bear the name “David's brothers” (cf. v. 21). Like him may we have the interests of His people at heart.

Modern critics are practically unanimous in regarding the story of this chapter as unhistorical. One of the leading arguments they advance is the statement found in 2 Sam. 21:19 that the slayer of Goliath was Elhanan the son of Jair-oregim, a Bethlehemite. But if we consult still another passage we find that Elhanan slew the brother of Goliath. "And Elhanan the son of Jair smote Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite" (1 Chron. 20:5). It is therefore no discrepancy at all. A closer examination into this matter we cannot undertake here. If the account in 1 Sam. 17 were unhistorical the jealousy of Saul against David would be inexplicable.

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.

Son of Jair, or Jaare-oregim: he slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. 2 Sam. 21:19; 1 Chr. 20:5.

Brother of Goliath, killed by Elhanan. 1 Chr. 20:5.

(3) In the case of the third giant the text of Chronicles is against that of Samuel, which seems to be an alteration from the other. In Samuel "Jaareoregim," which means "forests of the weavers," does not seem like the name of a man; while in Chronicles Elhanan is called the "son of fair," and the "oregim" ("weavers") may have crept in from the after-part of the sentence. It is possible, of course, that there may have been another Goliath the Gittite beside the one slain by David, but not very likely that Elhanan should have slain both him and (as in Chronicles) his brother also, and that these two exploits should be told separately, one in each book; while Beth-halahmi, "the Bethlehemite," in the one, comes suggestively near to "eth Lahmi" — Lahmi, in the objective case — in the other passage. Altogether, Chronicles would seem to give the correct text, though the Septuagint maintains both. A measure of uncertainty seems thus to be thrown over either reading, while some critics still hold to Samuel in preference to the other.

Faith ever honours God, and God ever honours faith. David, as has been already remarked, put himself into the hands of God, and the happy result of so doing was victory — full, glorious victory. "David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David." Magnificent triumph! Precious fruit of simple faith in God! How should it encourage the heart to cast away from it every carnal confidence, and to cling to the only true source of power.

David was made the happy instrument of delivering his brethren from the galling and terrifying threats of the uncircumcised Philistine; he had come into their midst, from the retirement of a shepherd's life, unknown and despised, though the anointed king of Israel; he had gone forth single-handed to meet the enemy of the congregation; he had laid him prostrate, and made a show of him openly; and all this, be it remembered, as the servant of God, and the servant of Israel, and in the energy of a faith which circumstances could not shake. It was a wondrous deliverance, gained by a single blow — no manoeuvring of armies — no skill of generals — no prowess of soldiers. No; a stone from the brook, slung by a shepherd's hand, settled the whole matter. It was the victory of faith.

The subject opens. What a study! Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah. On the other side of the valley stood the adversary of the house of Saul — the defier of the armies of Israel. And there was no deliverer in the house of Saul. God sent a saviour king that day — that despised shepherd — a stripling. Ah that despised one is God’s anointed king of Israel. The mighty foe was slain that day by the youngest son of Jesse. “And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David said, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” “And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (Chap. 18:1.) Ah! Jonathan had looked across that valley of Elah, and beheld that terrible adversary, Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span; and Saul and all Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid. Not one day merely, or two, but for forty days, he thus presented himself, and with him all the armies of Philistia. How gracious of God to send to the camp that saviour David, the unknown king. There he stood, having finished the work God gave him to do. Complete was that victory — the champion was dead, and the Philistines fled. Look at David now. Is not this a figure of that greater victory of David’s greater son?

As an example of courage few stories can equal this one. The incident takes place against the background of war. Two opposing armies were face to face. Between the armies the giant champion of the Philistines marched backward and forward, and taunted the ranks of Israel to send a warrior to fight with him. The outcome of the single combat would determine the war. It would decide who were masters and who were slaves. For forty days the ranting boaster bellowed out his challenge. Saul, the king of Israel, was head and shoulders above the rest of the men of Israel (1 Sam. 9:2). He was the most likely Israelite to face Goliath as far as stature was concerned. He didn't accept the challenge. Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse, and David's brother, attracted Samuel the prophet by his countenance and stature (1 Sam. 16:6-7). He didn't come forward to engage the champion. Where was Jonathan? He was a brave man and had distinguished himself by his courage in fighting against the Philistines (1 Sam. 14:11-15). No, Jonathan wasn't prepared to fight this formidable warrior. David, the shepherd teenager, took up the challenge and indicated that he was prepared to fight the tormentor of Israel. Was David presumptious in challenging Goliath? His brother Eliab thought he was and so did king Saul. David was not discouraged by their arguments. One said that he was proud, the other that he was uninstructed in the art of war. David was resolute. He had resources of power to draw from that the others knew nothing about. He trusted in the living God. He had experienced the secret help of God. When the predatory lion and bear stole from the flock he was guarding God enabled him to rescue the lambs and also to destroy the powerful animals. Victory in the ordinary pursuit of his daily calling prepared David for his extraordinary achievement in overcoming the Philistine champion. The assurance of his faith in God made David, the teenager, bold, as he prepared to face the challenger of Israel. God's armies had been defied. The uncircumcised Philistine would now learn that there was a God who was infinitely more powerful than the gods of Goliath by which he cursed David. Saul, the king, offered David the use of his armour. It was no use to David. Saul's armour would have been a cumbersome hindrance to the lad. He refused the kind offer but relied on his well proven sling and stones. He carefully selected five smooth stones from a brook, put them in his shepherd's pouch, and ran to meet Goliath. The conflict was about to begin. Goliath, trusting in his gods and in his great strength, moved forward to meet David with boastings and curses. David was trusting in the living God. It was God's battle. The outcome was a foregone conclusion. It wasn't really a conflict between Goliath and David. It was a contest between Goliath and God. David carefully took one stone from his pouch, placed it in his sling, and slang it with all his strength. The stone sped through the air (would it be appropriate to call it a God-guided missile?) and lodged in the giant's forehead. He dropped down dead. What an ignominious end for the boaster! Killed by a stone slung from the sling of a shepherd lad. David wasn't finished. He took Goliath's sword from its scabbard and used it to cut off Goliath's head. He was killed completely. He wasn't merely stunned. He was dead beyond all doubt and the victory was secured. Israel was freed from its fear and the Philistines fled. David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. What a victory! Perhaps his great triumph is referred to in Hebrews 11:34 were we read “out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens”.

With his first blow his sling strikes Goliath on the forehead; he falls, and David kills him with his own weapons (v. 51). Through death Christ overcame him who had the power of death, that is to say, the devil. Then the victor withdraws to his own tent (v. 54), carrying off the trophies of his victory, like Christ who has gone up to His own dwelling place, leading “captivity captive.”