How tall was the man?
The chapter detailing the battle between the young shepherd-boy-to-be-king, David, and the Philistine champion, Goliath, was taught at church last Sunday.I have known the story for a long time.Many people who didn't attend religious services still know the story of the young boy who faced down the giant with a sling in his hand.When a seemingly impossible obstacle is before us, we speak of facing down or overcoming giants.
The idea of a giant bad in the Bible has always fascinated me.When I was a kid, I assumed David's slingshot was the same as my, and I played in the backyard pretending to take down my own giants.I was able to accidentally (really, Mom!)Remove a window or two.
I have pondered the size of David mentioned in the Bible.The Hebrew text describes the height of the man as six cubits and a span.If a span is 9 inches and acubit is 18 inches, then it's over 9 feet.I would love to have that guy on my basketball team.
Modern people who are taller than our biblical predecessors would have been seen as a Big Unfriendly Giant, even if they were nine and a half feet tall.I remember hearing that the average male height in biblical times was over 5 feet tall, but I have not been able to find the source.If King Saul was taller from the shoulders up than anyone else, he would have been very tall for his day, but not nearly as tall as the biblical description of Goliath.
In modern times, the tallest person ever recorded is Robert Wadlow, who stood an impressive 8 feet, 11 inches.Of course, he was a giant.That is questionable.The Bible never directly refers to Goliath as a giant other than giving him his height, which would definitely fall into the "giant" category.Even though giants are mentioned in other places, there isn't a direct connection to Goliath.
The curriculum I teach on Sundays is based on the bible.I noticed a note that said, "DSS, LXX read four cubits and a span."The span and lesser fourcubits are over 6 and a half feet tall.This lesser height would make sense if there was no claim to the fact that he was a giant.
The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls predate the Masoretic Text that the Hebrew Bible is based on by a millennium, which makes it seem as if Goliath's height might have become a bit exaggerated over the centuries.I wrote a general principle for determining a correct reading in my post on the Gttingen Septuagint.
When the LXX and Dead Sea scrolls agree against the 10th century Masoretic Text, the older reading is seen as more original.No study of the Old Testament can be considered comprehensive unless the LXX is taken into account.