Saul was chosen to lead the Israelites against their enemies, but when faced with Goliath he refuses to do so Saul is a head taller than anyone else in all Israel (1 Samuel 9:2), which implies he was over 6 feet (1.8В m) tall and the obvious challenger for Goliath, yet David is the one who eventually defeated him. The underlying purpose of the story of Goliath is to show that Saul is not fit to be king (and that David is). Many scholars have suggested that the smaller number grew in the course of transmission (only a few have suggested the reverse, that an original larger number was reduced), possibly when a scribe's eye was drawn to the number six in line 17:7. The oldest manuscripts, namely the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel from the late 1st century BCE, the 1st-century CE historian Josephus, and the major Septuagint manuscripts, all give it as 'four cubits and a span' (6В feet 9В inches or 2.06 metres), whereas the Masoretic Text has 'six cubits and a span' (9В feet 9В inches or 2.97 metres). Textual considerations Goliath's height Дavid with the Head of Goliath, circa 1635, by Andrea Vaccaro Saul asks who David is, and he is introduced to the king through Abner.David is sent by his father to bring food to his brothers, hears the challenge, and expresses his desire to accept.David defeats Goliath, the Philistines flee the battlefield.David selects five smooth stones from a creek-bed to be used in his sling.The Israelites and Philistines face each other Goliath makes his challenge to single combat.The Goliath story is made up of base-narrative with numerous additions made probably after the exile: Original story In 1 Samuel 17:54 it says that David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem however, Jerusalem, at that time, was still a Jebusite stronghold, and was not captured until David became king (2 Samuel 5). Traces of this can be seen in certain contradictions of the Goliath story. The first edition of the history was probably written at the court of Judah's King Josiah (late 7th century BCE) and a revised second edition during the exile (6th century BCE), with further revisions in the post-exilic period. The Books of Samuel, together with the books of Joshua, Judges and Kings, make up a unified history of Israel which biblical scholars call the Deuteronomistic History. The king asks whose son he is, and David answers, 'I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.'Д¬omposition of the Book of Samuel and the Goliath narrative David puts the armor of Goliath in his own tent and takes the head to Jerusalem, and Saul sends Abner to bring the boy to him. The Philistines flee and are pursued by the Israelites 'as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron'. 'The Philistine cursed David by his gods', but David replies: 'This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that God saves not with sword and spear for the battle is God's, and he will give you into our hand.'Дavid hurls a stone from his sling and hits Goliath in the center of his forehead, Goliath falls on his face to the ground, David cuts off his head. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines, taking only his staff, sling and five stones from a brook.Дavid and Goliath confront each other, Goliath with his armor and javelin, David with his staff and sling. Twice a day for 40 days, morning and evening, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat, but Saul is afraid. Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines in the Valley of Elah.

The slaying stone pdf