1 Samuel 17:4
New International Version
A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.

New Living Translation
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!

English Standard Version
And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Berean Standard Bible
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

New American Standard Bible
Then a champion came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.

NASB 1995
Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

NASB 1977
Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then a champion came out from the camps of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Amplified Bible
Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Christian Standard Bible
Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was about three meters tall.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Philistine army's champion came out of their camp. His name was Goliath from Gath. He was ten feet tall.

Good News Translation
A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was over nine feet tall

International Standard Version
A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. He was four cubits and a span tall,

Majority Standard Bible
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,

NET Bible
Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall.

New Heart English Bible
There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six feet eight inches.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose hight was six cubits and a span.

World English Bible
A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And a man goes out, the champion from the camps of the Philistines, his name [is] Goliath, from Gath; his height [is] six cubits and a span [[or four cubits and a span]],

Young's Literal Translation
And there goeth out a man of the duellists from the camps of the Philistines, Goliath is his name, from Gath; his height is six cubits and a span,

Smith's Literal Translation
And there went forth a man of the sons of the camp of the rovers, Goliah his name, from Gath; his height six cubits and a span.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there went out a man baseborn from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Geth, whose height was six cubits and a span:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And there went out from the camp of the Philistines, a man of illegitimate birth, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a palm.

New American Bible
A champion named Goliath of Gath came out from the Philistine camp; he was six cubits and a span tall.

New Revised Standard Version
And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And there went out a mighty man from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a giant man went out from the camp of the Philistines, Gulyath was his name, from Gath, his height was six cubits and a half cubit
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there went forth a mighty man out of the army of the Philistines, Goliath, by name, out of Geth, his height was four cubits and a span.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Goliath's Challenge
3The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them. 4Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, 5and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,…

Cross References
Joshua 11:22
No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.

Numbers 13:33
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”

Deuteronomy 2:10-11
(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. / Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites.

Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

2 Samuel 21:16-22
Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. / But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.” / Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, a descendant of Rapha. ...

1 Chronicles 20:4-8
Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued. / Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. / And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha, ...

Judges 1:20
Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

Amos 2:9
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

Deuteronomy 9:2
The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, / who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, / quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

Matthew 12:29
Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. / We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Goliath

1 Samuel 17:23
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

1 Samuel 21:9,10
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me…

2 Samuel 21:19
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

of Gath

1 Samuel 27:4
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

Joshua 11:22
There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

2 Samuel 21:16-22
And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David…

whose height

Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

1 Chronicles 11:23
And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

Amos 2:9
Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

six cubits According to Bp.

Jump to Previous
Armies Camp Camps Champion Cubits Duellists Height Hight Nine Philistine Philistines Six Span Tall Tents
Jump to Next
Armies Camp Camps Champion Cubits Duellists Height Hight Nine Philistine Philistines Six Span Tall Tents
1 Samuel 17
1. The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4. Goliath challenges a combat
12. David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28. Eliab chides him
30. He is brought to Saul
32. shows the reason of his confidence
38. and slays the giant
55. Saul takes notice of David














Then a champion
The term "champion" in Hebrew is "אִישׁ הַבֵּנַיִם" (ish ha-benayim), which literally means "the man between." This phrase suggests a warrior who stands between two armies, representing his people in combat. In ancient warfare, champions were often used to decide battles without the need for full-scale conflict. Goliath's role as a champion highlights the Philistines' confidence in his abilities and the fear he instilled in his enemies.

named Goliath
The name "Goliath" is of uncertain origin, but it has become synonymous with a formidable opponent. Historically, Goliath is one of the most famous figures in the Bible, representing the archetype of a giant or seemingly insurmountable foe. His name evokes the challenges that believers face, reminding them of the power of faith to overcome even the greatest obstacles.

who was from Gath
Gath was one of the five major cities of the Philistines, located in the coastal region of Canaan. Archaeological evidence suggests that Gath was a significant urban center during the time of the biblical narrative. The mention of Goliath's origin from Gath emphasizes the Philistine threat to Israel, as Gath was known for producing formidable warriors.

came out from the Philistine camp
The Philistines were a seafaring people who settled along the coastal plains of Canaan. They were often in conflict with the Israelites, as depicted throughout the books of Samuel. Goliath's emergence from the Philistine camp signifies the ongoing struggle between the two nations and sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation with David.

He was six cubits and a span in height
The measurement "six cubits and a span" describes Goliath's extraordinary height, estimated to be over nine feet tall. This detail underscores the physical intimidation Goliath posed to the Israelites. In a spiritual sense, Goliath's towering stature represents the daunting challenges believers may face, yet it also foreshadows the triumph of faith and divine intervention over human strength and intimidation.

Verses 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 and one-third inches. A span, sit, is eight inches, but the word used here is zereth. See on these measures, Conder, 'Handbook,' p. 79. This height, though very great, has been attained to in modern times. Armed with a coat of mail. Literally, "clothed in a shirt of scales," i.e. a corselet made of metal scales sewn on cloth so as to overlap one another. It was flexible, and protected the back and sides as well as the kent. Five thousand shekels of brass. Really copper, as brass was then unknown. Conder gives the shekel as equal to two-thirds of an ounce. This would make the corselet weigh at least two hundred weight, an enormous load to carry even for a short time. Goliath's other equipments correspond in heaviness, and largely exceed the weight of medieval suits of armour. Greaves of brass upon his legs. The thighs were protected by the corselet, so that only the legs required defensive armour. This would account for the weight of the corselet, as it was much longer than the cuirass, as worn by the Greeks and Romans. A target. Really, "a javelin." It was carried at the back, ready to be taken in the hand and thrown at the enemy when required. The versions have a different reading - magan, shield, for chidon, javelin. The shield was carried before him by an armour bearer. The staff. The written text has a word which usually signifies shaft, arrow, for which the Kri substitutes wood, the noun actually found in 2 Samuel 21:19; 1 Chronicles 20:5; but most probably the word used here is an archaic name for the handle or staff of a spear. Six hundred shekels. The weight of the iron head of the spear would be about twenty-five pounds. However tall and strong Goliath may have been, yet with all this vast weight of metal his movements must have been slow and unready. He was got up, in bet, more to tell upon the imagination than for real fighting, and though, like a castle, he might have been invincible if attacked with sword and spear, he was much too encumbered with defensive armour to be capable of assuming the offensive against a light armed enemy. To David belongs the credit of seeing that the Philistine champion was a huge imposition.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then a champion
אִֽישׁ־ (’îš-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

named
שְׁמ֖וֹ (šə·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

Goliath,
גָּלְיָ֥ת (gā·lə·yāṯ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1555: Goliath -- a Philistine giant

who was from Gath,
מִגַּ֑ת (mig·gaṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1661: Gath -- 'wine press', a Philistine city

came out
וַיֵּצֵ֤א (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from the Philistine
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

camp.
מִמַּחֲנ֣וֹת (mim·ma·ḥă·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

He was six
שֵׁ֥שׁ (šêš)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

cubits
אַמּ֖וֹת (’am·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base

and a span
וָזָֽרֶת׃ (wā·zā·reṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2239: The spread of the fingers, a span

in height,
גָּבְה֕וֹ (gā·ḇə·hōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1363: Elation, grandeur, arrogance


Links
1 Samuel 17:4 NIV
1 Samuel 17:4 NLT
1 Samuel 17:4 ESV
1 Samuel 17:4 NASB
1 Samuel 17:4 KJV

1 Samuel 17:4 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 17:4 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 17:4 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 17:4 French Bible
1 Samuel 17:4 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 17:4 There went out a champion out (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 17:3
Top of Page
Top of Page