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NASB | 2 Samuel 21:19 There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Samuel 21:19 There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam. |
Subject: Did David or Elhanan kill Goliath? |
Bible Note: Thank you prayon! The Zondervan NIV Study Bible states, "Since it is clear from 1 Sam. 17 that David killed Goliath, it is possible that an early copyist misread the Hebrew for "Lahmi the brother of" (see 1 Chr. 20:5) as "the Bethlehemite" (in Hebrew the word for "killed" stands first in the clause)." The Ryrie Expanded Edition NASB states, "The Hebrew text attributes the slaying of Goliath to Elhanan, in contradiction of 1 Sam. 17:50. There is evidence of a copyist's error (cf. 1 Chr. 20:5), and it is probable that Elhanan killed "the brother of" Goliath. Others suggest that Elhanan and David are different names for the same person, just as Solomon had another name (cf. 12:25). Or it is possible that there were two Goliaths." The MacArthur NKJV Study Bible states, "The minor scribal omission of "the brother of" (in the Heb.) belongs in this verse, based on 1 Chr. 20:5 which includes them, and because clearly the Scripture says that David killed Goliath as recorded in 1 Sam. 17:50. The NKJV gives the most likely solution, that there has been a scribal error in the text which should read, "Elhanan ... killed the 'brother of' Goliath." A second possible solution is that Elhanan and David may be different names for the same person, just as Solomon had another name (cf. 12:24-25). A third solution is, perhaps that there were two giants named Goliath." This is all very interesting. I disagree with the NKJV's addition of the phrase "the brother of" here, since I believe that there should be very little addition to (if any addition at all) to the actual Biblical text. However, I see what they were trying to do, and I agree with them that the "Goliath" in this verse is the 'brother of' the Goliath that David slew in 1 Sam. 17.. Blessings! Nolan |