1 Samuel 17:4

“And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, etc.] Or a “middle person”, or a man “between two” f341; meaning either one that went and stood between the two armies of Israel and the Philistines, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it: or a “dueller” f342, as others, with which our version agrees; one that proposed to fight a duel, and have the war decided by two persons, of which he would be one: named Goliath of Gath; which was one of the places where the Anakims or giants were driven, and left, in the times of Joshua, and from whom this man descended, (<061122>Joshua 11:22) whose height was six cubits and a span; and taking a cubit after the calculation of Bishop…”

“GOLIATH CHALLENGES A COMBAT. (Sa1 17:4-11) a champion--Hebrew, a "man between two"; that is, a person who, on the part of his own people, undertook to determine the national quarrel by engaging in single combat with a chosen warrior in the hostile army.”

“A champion - literally, “a man between the two camps:” i. e., one who did not fight in the ranks like an ordinary soldier, but came forth into the space between the hostile camps to challenge the mightiest man of his enemies to come and fight him. Goliath of Gath - One of the places mentioned in Joshua 11:22 as still retaining a remnant of the sons of Anak; Gaza and Ashdod being the others. The race of giants (the Rephaim, from רפא râphâ' ) is mentioned again in the account of David’s Philistine wars 2 Samuel 21:15-22; 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. It appears from these passages that Goliath had a brother Lahmi. Four are named as being “born to the giant in Gath.” See Deuteronomy 2:10-11,…”

“Six cubits - At least, nine feet, nine inches high. And this is not strange; for besides the giants mentioned in Scripture, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny, make mention of persons seven cubits high. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 17:5”

“17:4 champion: In ancient times, rival forces would sometimes agree to let selected individuals from each side decide a conflict. This reduced casualties and other costs. The same kind of combat is reflected in 2 Sam 2:12-17. • Gath was one of five Philistine cities with a reputation for having giants as citizens (2 Sam 21:15-22).”

“Goliath: Sa1 17:23, Sa1 21:9, Sa1 21:10; Sa2 21:19; Ch1 20:5 of Gath: Sa1 27:4; Jos 11:22; Sa2 21:16-22; Ch1 20:4-8 whose height: Deu 3:11; Ch1 11:23; Amo 2:9 six cubits: According to Bp. Cumberland's calculation, the height of Goliath was about eleven feet ten inches; but Parkhurst estimating the ordinary cubit at seventeen inches and a half, calculates that he was nine feet six inches high. Few instances can be produced of men who can be compared with him. Pliny says, "The tallest man that hath been seen in our days was one name Gabara, who, in the days of Claudius, the late Emperor, was brought out of Arabia. he was nine feet nine inches." Josephus mentions a Jew, named Eleazar, whom…”