I thought David killed Goliath? read before answering.?

Question

2 Samuel 21:19 There was another battle with the Philistines in Gob, in which Elhanan, son of Jair from Bethlehem, killed Goliath of Gath, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's heddle-bar.

Now before some one brings up 1 Chr 20:5 please go do some research to see that the original Hebrew does not contain "Lahmi the brother of Goliath ". It was added later to try to "harmonize the text" and place the honour onto David with no more contradiction. Below is a link since I am sure I will be asked for one.

http://www.claudemariottini.com/blog/2005/11/niv-and-tniv-two-bibles-with.html

relax- I think it is because on average atheists are much less willing to come to a decision before doing a little research, we're not to big on taking things on faith.

Hell, I know it is a fairy tale. I just like to see the answers.

Orpeus-If it isn't true how can it be spiritual? I just can't grasp the concept of taking anything on faith, especially something I base my life and all of it's decisions on.

Sorry Orpheus, didn't mean to spell your name wrong.

jweston2-Do you see where it says ORIGINAL hebrew texts. The MODERN hebrew texts have been changed. Please try to keep up here.

Answer 1

Most scholars will probably say that the slaying of Goliath was "appended" to the life of David after the fact. (It's a bit of a stretch, but it's a little like saying Reagan brought down the Soviet Union - more true as propaganda than as fact). It only really becomes a problem if you're trying to use the Bible as an inerrant historical source. If you're looking for spiritual truth, the narrative of David and Goliath still works quite well. It's one of our few shared Myths - the triumph of the underdog.

Peace and (((hugGs)))

Edit: sorry, just checking back in so I don't know if you'll read this. Something doesn't have to be "factual" to be "true"; that's especially the case with stories, parables, folk tales, etc. They're intended to convey wisdom or a message or a certain point of view, not to document an event.

The example that comes to mind is Homer's Iliad. It isn't about documenting the events of the Trojan War. It's about implanting the sense of tragedy in the minds of the listener - the "hero" of the Iliad isn't the victorious Greeks, with whom the Greek audience would automatically sympathize, it was the defeated Hector.

The difference between the Iliad and the Book of Kings is that everyone realizes the Iliad is poetry. Not everyone "gets" the literary nature of Kings (or Chronicles, for that matter).

Answer 2

I sure do. I believe God also had as reason for telling David to go and get five smooth stones knowing that it would only take the one, but Goliath also had four brothers. As for me I believe all that is in the Bible. David could have been taken out by an army but it was not the army who wanted to fight him, it was Goliath who thought that he could take this little shepard boy on, and by the hand of God David defeated him and the army fled.

Answer 3

Decode this lyrics and pictures " The Longest day"
Where have you been?
What took you so long?
Did'nt hear the click-clacks?
Must have walk pass-by the other side of the wall.
Decode this lyrics " SOS" - "Atlantis calling SOS for love"
Revalation 18.22-23 - Revealation 17-20
Distressed signal transmitted and intercepted back in late 2004 after the Asian Tusnami.
Luke 21.11
Decode this lyrics " Say you say me"
Working and decoded the transmission after interception since 2004-2006
Try click-clacks in mid 2006
Thought no one is listening out there.
Decode this lyrics " If you don't know me by now"
The paper plane flew over does not seem to fit in.
Revealtion 16.12-16
Decode this lyrics " Fire"
Revealation 16.13
Decode this lyrics "Bad moon rising "
The Aliens with the space-ship and the Trojan Horse had landed.
Luke 21.8-10
Decode this lyrics " Every breathe you take"
The "War of the world" broke loose.
Revealation 16.14
Decode this lyrics " It's a final countdown"
Let's play "The Russian Roulette" with gun-fight at OK Corral"
Revealation 16.15
Decode this lyrics " The Longet day"
Battle station - Da da da da
Revealation 16.16
Decode this lyrics " I'll be missing you"
Ever wonder who been climbing up the coconut trees and still look green behind time.
Listen to the clicks-clacks out there.
What do you think?

Answer 4

Several suggestions have been made for an explanation of the problem. The Targum preserves a tradition that Elhanan is to be identified with David. The Soncino Books of the Bible, edited by A. Cohen (London, 1951, 1952), comment that there is no difficulty in the assumption that there were two Goliaths, commenting also that Goliath may have been a descriptive title like “Pharaoh,” “Rabshakeh,” “Sultan.”

Answer 5

The least you can do is post accurate information. 1 Chronicles 20:5 in the Hebrew Masoretic text does contain "Lahmi the brother of", so you are wrong on that point. The issue is whether the Goliath killed by David as a boy was the same one that Elhanan slayed. Of course it wasn't, much more likely Lahmi took the name of his brother after his brother's death.

Re: Where is your evidence then? I have provided mine.

Re: The Ben Chayyim Rabbinic Bible of 1524 even contains the words. Face it pal, it's valid.

Re: Another possibility is that the author of Samuel surnamed Lahmi as "Goliath" on account of his fame and relation(i.e. Goliath flesh).

Answer 6

Wow, great article, never really realized that before, maybe it was that David confronted Goliath the first time and was brave in his stance so that is why he is credited, even though he didn't do the actual killing. Kinda like tonights baseball game, the Indians killed the yankees, but not literally killed them. They owned them, know what I mean.

Answer 7

Wow, great reading!

In my humble opinion there are two solutions: Goliath is not a personal name, but a title, so there were two Goliaths, killed by two different people.

The second solution, of course, is that the Bible is a fairytale.

Answer 8

The intent and context of these items have never been in question, even before the original text was set down in writing.

Never.

Answer 9

I find it amazing that atheists know the bible better than christians, in both english and ancient scripts.

Answer 10

:)

Hhh.....

there will be another new version of KJ coming next year..
oh dear.. oh dear..


peace