1 Samuel 17:4, 1 Samuel 17:49, 1 Samuel 17:50 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:1-11

It was not long ago that the Philistines were soundly beaten, and put to the worse, before Israel, and they would have been totally routed if Saul's rashness had not prevented; but here we have them making head again. Observe, I. How they defied Israel with their armies, 1 Sam. 17:1. They made a descent upon the Israelites? country, and possessed themselves, as it should seem, of some part of it, for they encamped in a place which belonged to Judah. Israel's ground would never have been... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:4

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines ,.... Or a "middle person", or a man "between two" F25 איש הבינים "vir intermedius", Montanus; "inter duo", Vatablus; "vir medietatum", Noldius, p. 194. No. 283. ; meaning either one that went and stood between the two armies of Israel and the Philistines, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it: or a "dueller" F26 "Quidam duellator", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. , as others, with which our version... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 17:4

There went out a champion - Our word champion comes from campus, the field; Campio est enim ille qui pugnat in campo, hoc est, in castris , "Champion is he, properly, who fights in the field; i.e., in camps." A man well skilled in arms, strong, brave, and patriotic. But is this the meaning of the original הבנים איש ish habbenayim , a middle man, the man between two; that is, as here, the man who undertakes to settle the disputes between two armies or nations. So our ancient... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:1-11

Aggression not defence. The facts are— 1 . The armies of Israel and Philistia are drawn up in array, with a valley between them. 2 . A gigantic champion, heavily armed and proud of his strength, challenges any one of Saul's army to a personal encounter, and with lofty words defies the armies of Israel. 3 . Saul and his men are in great fear. The episode given by the sacred writer is one of those occurrences likely to arise under the conditions of ancient warfare. It must be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:4-7

A champion. Literally, "a man of the two middles," i.e. one who enters the space between the two armies in order to decide the contest by a single combat. Of Gath. In Joshua 11:21 this town is mentioned, together with Gaza and Ashdod, as still having among its inhabitants men of the race of Anak. Whose height was six cubits and a span. In our measure his height was eight feet five and one-third inches; for the cubit is sixteen inches, and the span (really the hand-breadth) is five... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 17:4

A champion - literally, “a man between the two camps:” i. e., one who did not fight in the ranks like an ordinary soldier, but came forth into the space between the hostile camps to challenge the mightiest man of his enemies to come and fight him.Goliath of Gath - One of the places mentioned in Joshua 11:22 as still retaining a remnant of the sons of Anak; Gaza and Ashdod being the others. The race of giants (the Rephaim, from רפא râphâ' ) is mentioned again in the account of David’s... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 17:4

1 Samuel 17:4. Goliath of Gath For to this city the Anakims fled when Joshua rooted them out of the land of Canaan, Joshua 11:22. And here they propagated a race of giants; that is, people of great strength and stature. Whose height was six cubits and a span At least nine feet nine inches. And this is not strange; for besides the giants mentioned in Scripture, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny make mention of persons seven cubits high. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 17:1-58

Goliath’s challenge and defeat (17:1-58)The Philistines again assembled their troops to fight against Israel (17:1-3). As often happened in ancient warfare, the invaders challenged the defenders by calling for a contest between the champions of the two sides (4-11). At this time David was back on his father’s farm at Bethlehem, for he did not need to remain at Saul’s court when Saul was away directing affairs on the battlefield (12-16).When circumstances later brought David to the scene of the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 17:4

champion . Hebrew. 'ish-habbenayivl = "the man between the two [hosts]", or, the duellist. This accords with the subscription of Psalms 8:0 (see note there) Muth-labben = the death of the man between; i.e. the death of the champion (Goliath) which Psalms 8:0 celebrates. Psalms 144:0 , which has the same words, "What is man" has for its title in Septuagint. "A Psalm of David concerning Goliath"(compare1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 8:4 with Psalms 144:3 ). See 1 Samuel 17:23 . six . Note this... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 17:4

1 Samuel 17:4. Goliath, of Gath— When Joshua rooted the Anakims out of the land of Canaan, several of them fled to this city of Gath: See Joshua 11:22-23. We have undoubted evidence from the best writers, that there have been men of a gigantic size and make, in ancient times. See Genesis 6:4. M. Le Cat's Memoir on the History of Giants, and a curious dissertation on the combat of David with Goliath in the 8th Volume of the Critici Sacri. read more

1 Samuel 17:4, 1 Samuel 17:49, 1 Samuel 17:50 Niv