The Narrow Path Ministries

I have always wondered about the size of Goliath as described as almost 10' tall in the Bible, and wondering how this could be a normal human man? It seems the older text found of the Dead Sea Scrolls puts Goliath's height at about 6'-9", which for that time would still make him a foot or more taller than the average man of that time and would make him a giant. I played a lot of basketball in my days and I could not even compete with people 6'-7" and above you find in the NBA. I can only imagine going up against them in combat with them decked out in armor and weapons. I am 6'-5" and I have stood next to someone 7'-6", I felt like a weak shrimp next to them.

Goliath’s height from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath;

Goliath grew at the hand of narrators or scribes: the oldest manuscripts - the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel, the first-century historian Josephus, and the fourth century Septuagint manuscripts - all give his height as “four cubits and a span”, about six feet, nine inches tall, but later manuscripts increase this to “six cubits and a span,” which would make him almost ten feet tall.[4]

On a related point, I always thought he was killed by a rock -- looks like he was killed by David's sword after he fell from the rock.

darinhouston wrote:On a related point, I always thought he was killed by a rock -- looks like he was killed by David's sword after he fell from the rock.

I think David decapitated Goliath with Goliath's own sword. 1Sam 17:59-51

How tall was he after his decapitation?

mattrose wrote:How tall was he after his decapitation?

Not very tall... pretty wide though.

Blev wrote:Goliath’s height from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath

Goliath grew at the hand of narrators or scribes: the oldest manuscripts - the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel, the first-century historian Josephus, and the fourth century Septuagint manuscripts - all give his height as “four cubits and a span”, about six feet, nine inches tall, but later manuscripts increase this to “six cubits and a span,” which would make him almost ten feet tall.

The sources mentioned are a thousand years, more or less, after the fact. Wikipedia offers no proof, or even the suggestion of a source, for the idea that the original text said 4 cubits and the change occurred later than that. I haven't done an exhaustive search, but I've been unable to find any such evidence. So maybe the change (or mistake) occurred before the above mentioned sources, rather than after, and he really was 6.5 cubits tall.

Besides that, 6' 9" really wouldn't be much, if any, taller than Saul, who stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else in Israel (1 Samuel 9:2). It seems unlikely that someone that size would've struck terror into the entire Israelite army.

mattrose wrote:How tall was he after his decapitation?

Tall? About a foot, I'd say. Long, on the other hand... Maybe that's when he was 6' 9".

I dont care what anyone says- Goliath was a giant, not just 6'9". If he was only 6'9" then all the Israelities who were afraid to fight him were REALLY a bunch of low down cowards.

Besides, wasnt his spear shaft the size of a weaver's beam? I have no idea how big a weaver beam is but it sounds impressive.

Some bible stories just shouldnt be messed with.

TK

I agree TK; besides, it's not as if giants are an unknown phenomenon.

Robert Wadlow the tallest man in the world who ever livedRobert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) was a man who, to this day, is the tallest person in medical history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. He is often known as the "Alton Giant" because of his Alton, Illinois hometown. Wadlow reached 8' 11.1

http://www.thetallestman.com/

backwoodsman wrote:

Blev wrote:Goliath’s height from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath

Goliath grew at the hand of narrators or scribes: the oldest manuscripts - the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel, the first-century historian Josephus, and the fourth century Septuagint manuscripts - all give his height as “four cubits and a span”, about six feet, nine inches tall, but later manuscripts increase this to “six cubits and a span,” which would make him almost ten feet tall.

The sources mentioned are a thousand years, more or less, after the fact. Wikipedia offers no proof, or even the suggestion of a source, for the idea that the original text said 4 cubits and the change occurred later than that. I haven't done an exhaustive search, but I've been unable to find any such evidence. So maybe the change (or mistake) occurred before the above mentioned sources, rather than after, and he really was 6.5 cubits tall.

Besides that, 6' 9" really wouldn't be much, if any, taller than Saul, who stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else in Israel (1 Samuel 9:2). It seems unlikely that someone that size would've struck terror into the entire Israelite army.

mattrose wrote:How tall was he after his decapitation?

Tall? About a foot, I'd say. Long, on the other hand... Maybe that's when he was 6' 9".

Though the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1940's, didn't the manuscripts date back further than any known or found to write the King James Bible? The older the manuscripts found, the more true the information is? I haven't actually read any of the Dead Sea Scrolls, not even sure if the info from Wikipedia is correct, but if it is, it would explain a lot of things. But then, would God allow such a significant translation to have false information in it on the size of Goliath? Just an interesting study I got off on. Thanks for the replys.

Blev wrote:The older the manuscripts found, the more true the information is?

At first glance it seems that would be true, but in fact it's often the other way around. Known-incorrect manuscripts didn't get copied, so any copies still in existence are old, and there are very few. Meanwhile, known-correct (or at least, not-known-incorrect) manuscripts were being copied, worn out and discarded, so there are many copies around, and most that still exist are relatively new.

not even sure if the info from Wikipedia is correct

My point was, there's no info there -- just a statement with, apparently, no evidence whatsoever to support it.

But then, would God allow such a significant translation to have false information in it on the size of Goliath?

The point of the account isn't Goliath's height, it's that David trusted in God and was victorious. I see no reason to suspect Goliath was anything but 6.5 cubits tall; but whatever his height, the accuracy of the important points, and the value of the account, are unchanged.