Meaning of the Name Goliath

Goliath is not a Hebrew name; it is thought to be a foreign Philistine name, and its meaning is unknown. Some scholars relate it to Anatolian names such as Alyattes, borne by kings of Lydia in western Anatolia, and a potsherd inscription with similar names found in excavations at Gath has entered the discussion. These proposals are intriguing but not certain. In Islamic tradition the same figure is known as Jalut.

Origin

The name Goliath is of Philistine, not Hebrew; the exact origin is unknown origin.

Who is Goliath in the Bible?

Goliath is a Philistine warrior from Gath who, with his huge frame and heavy armor, defies the army of Israel. Young David goes out against him with only his sling and his trust in the LORD, and brings him down with a single stone. The encounter has become a symbol of the apparently weak winning through trust in God.

The story of Goliath in the Bible

Goliath is the losing side of the Bible's most famous encounter. When the Philistine and Israelite armies face each other across the Valley of Elah, Goliath of Gath steps out from the Philistine ranks. The narrative details his great height, bronze helmet, scale armor and heavy spear. For forty days, morning and evening, Goliath defies Israel's army and demands a man to fight him in single combat; everyone, Saul included, is gripped by fear. The young shepherd David, who comes to the camp to bring food to his brothers, sees the challenge as an insult to the armies of the living God. He tries on Saul's armor but sets it aside; he chooses five smooth stones from the brook and goes out to face Goliath with his sling. Goliath scorns him; David replies that he comes not with sword or spear but in the name of the LORD, and that the battle belongs to the LORD. The stone from the sling sinks into Goliath's forehead and the giant falls face down; David finishes him with his own sword, and the Philistines flee. Goliath's sword is later kept at Nob and given to David as he flees Saul.

Is Goliath mentioned in the Quran?

The name Goliath does not appear in this form in the Quran; however, in the account of Talut's army the Quran speaks of an enemy named Jalut whom David killed. That Jalut is the Goliath of the Bible is the common view of Muslim commentators and scholars.

Verses where Goliath appears

• 1 Samuel 17:4 — There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
• 1 Samuel 17:45 — Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
• 1 Samuel 17:49 — David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.