1 Samuel 17:4

Hebrew Bible

3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites on another hill, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to nine feet tall7. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was 5,000 shekels.

LXX 1 Samuel 17:4

Septuagint

3 And the foreigners stood on the hill on one side, and Israel stood on the hill on the other side, with the circle between them. 4 And a strong man came out from the foreigners’ camp. His name was Goliath from Gath. His height was four arm lengths and a span. 5 And there was a helmet on his head, and he was wearing a coat of chainmail, and the weight of his coat was five thousand shekels of bronze and iron.

 Notes and References

"... analysis of the Septuagint confirms that descriptive details in the text are a means to an end in the narrative rather than an accurate record of facts. The descriptive details are among many of the variations between LXX and the Masoretic text. The identities of the participants in the events of I Samuel 17 are not altered between the versions, but there are significant variations in the descriptions of their appearances and associated objects. One of the most significant variations is Goliath’s height and appearance. Goliath’s height in the LXX is a much more plausible four cubits and a span (approximately 6 foot 7 inches) and there are small variations in the description of his armour ..."

Gilmour, Rachelle Representing the Past: A Literary Analysis of Narrative Historiography in the Book of Samuel (p. 273) Brill, 2011

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.