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 Philistines stand on the mountain on one side, and Israel stands on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them. 4 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. 5 And he had a helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armour; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass 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

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