The Meaning of 1 Samuel 17:4 Explained

1 Samuel 17:4

KJV: And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

YLT: And there goeth out a man of the duellists from the camps of the Philistines, Goliath is his name, from Gath; his height is six cubits and a span,

Darby: And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

ASV: And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there went out  a champion  out of the camp  of the Philistines,  named  Goliath,  of Gath,  whose height  [was] six  cubits  and a span. 

What does 1 Samuel 17:4 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 17:1-16 - Israel Defied By The Philistine Champion
When their king lost the special consciousness of God's presence and power, the whole kingdom became demoralized, and the Hebrews had the humiliation of hearing in silence a defiant challenge to "the armies of the living God." It looked as if the answer would have to go by default-that Jehovah was a God that could not save. The impotence of the Israelites made Goliath still more defiant. At first he came down from the ranks of his own camp on the southern side of the valley and walked vaingloriously through the level plain between the two hosts; but after forty days had passed, he became bolder and came up the slopes where Israel stood. At his approach they fled in terror. Measuring nine feet, nine inches, covered with mail, and carrying a spear, the head of which weighed eighteen pounds, the giant must have seemed very formidable to the men of Israel. And are there not giants equally determined and terrible that threaten us, in national and individual experience, and find us unable to cope with them? We need David's God and David's faith! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 17

1  The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4  Goliath challenges a combat
12  David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28  Eliab chides him
30  He is brought to Saul
32  shows the reason of his confidence
38  and slays the giant
55  Saul takes notice of David

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 17:4 mean?

And went out a man a champion from the camp of the Philistines Goliath named from Gath whose height [was] six cubits and a span
וַיֵּצֵ֤א אִֽישׁ־ הַבֵּנַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּחֲנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים גָּלְיָ֥ת שְׁמ֖וֹ מִגַּ֑ת גָּבְה֕וֹ שֵׁ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת וָזָֽרֶת

וַיֵּצֵ֤א  And  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אִֽישׁ־  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַבֵּנַ֙יִם֙  a  champion 
Parse: Article, Noun, md
Root: בֵּנַיִם  
Sense: between, space between two armies.
מִמַּחֲנ֣וֹת  from  the  camp 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
גָּלְיָ֥ת  Goliath 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּלְיָת  
Sense: the Philistine giant of Gath slain by David’s sling.
שְׁמ֖וֹ  named 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
מִגַּ֑ת  from  Gath 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּת  
Sense: one of the five royal or chief cities of the Philistines and the native city of Goliath.
גָּבְה֕וֹ  whose  height  [was] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גֹּבַהּ  
Sense: height, exaltation.
שֵׁ֥שׁ  six 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
אַמּ֖וֹת  cubits 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
וָזָֽרֶת  and  a  span 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זֶרֶת  
Sense: span.