Goliath

Goliath (/ɡəˈlaɪəθ/ gə-LY-əth)^[a] is a Philistine warrior in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's immense stature vary among biblical sources, with the Masoretic Text describing him as 9 feet 9 inches (2.97 m) tall.^[1] According to the text, Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelites, daring them to send forth a champion to engage him in single combat; he was ultimately defeated by the young shepherd David, employing a sling and stone as a weapon. The narrative signified King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Israel.^[2]

Modern scholars believe that the original slayer of Goliath may have been Elhanan, son of Jair, who features in 2 Samuel 21:19, in which Elhanan kills Goliath the Gittite,^[3] and that the authors of the Deuteronomic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous character David.^[4]^[5]

The phrase "David and Goliath" has taken on a more popular meaning denoting an underdog situation, a contest wherein a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary.^[6]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Nelson 2000, p. 519.
^ Finkelstein & Silberman 2007, pp. 2, 57.
^ Halpern 2003, p. 8.
^ Finkelstein & Silberman 2007, p. 196.
^ "David, and Goliath". Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Retrieved 11 February 2015. "used to describe a situation in which a small or weak person or organization tries to defeat another much larger or stronger opponent: The game looks like it will be a David and Goliath contest."

[autogenerated2005-2] Cite error: The named reference autogenerated2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTENelson2000519-3] Nelson 2000, p. 519.

[FOOTNOTEFinkelsteinSilberman20072,_57-4] Finkelstein & Silberman 2007, pp. 2, 57.

[FOOTNOTEHalpern20038-5] Halpern 2003, p. 8.

[FOOTNOTEFinkelsteinSilberman2007196-6] Finkelstein & Silberman 2007, p. 196.

[oxford-7] "David, and Goliath". Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Retrieved 11 February 2015. "used to describe a situation in which a small or weak person or organization tries to defeat another much larger or stronger opponent: The game looks like it will be a David and Goliath contest."

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