Goliath in House of David and Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters)
Season 1 of House of David will center around the legendary fight between Goliath, the Philistine giant, and the young, yet-to-be-king David. The biblical story of David and Goliath is so famous that it may not seem difficult to adapt. But what Scripture actually says about Goliath is a little more complicated than what most people learn in Sunday School. In today’s post, I will explore what the Bible tells us about Goliath and some of the other factors that may influence the way that Amazon and The Wonder Project’s House of David series depicts the fearsome Philistine giant.
Goliath the Giant in the Bible and House of David
If there is one detail about Goliath that is firmly fixed in the cultural imagination, it is his height. But how tall was the Philistine, according to Scripture? And is that the only factor that House of David has to consider? Let's dig into this surprisingly complex issue.
How tall is Goliath in Scripture?
According to most modern translations, Goliath’s height was a hulking “six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4) – about nine feet, nine inches in modern terms. This is the height of Goliath that is found in the Masoretic text – some of the earliest and most authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic copies of the Old Testament Scriptures that we have. But in the Septuagint – a set of Greek translations of the Old Testament that originated in the second or third century BC – Goliath’s height is listed as “four cubits and a span” (about six feet, nine inches). The shorter height is also found in the works of Josephus, a Jewish historian from the first century AD. Still, for many years, biblical scholars debated whether the Septuagint mistranslated Goliath’s height or whether the number in the Masoretic text was a result of a late scribal error. Then archaeologists discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls – a set of Hebrew Old Testament texts copied centuries before the Masoretic text. Lo and behold, the Dead Sea Scrolls also list Goliath’s height as “four cubits and a span” – that is, about six feet nine inches.
To most modern people, six foot nine, inches does not seem like the height of a giant. In the contemporary United States, the average height for a male is about five feet, nine inches – just one foot shorter than Goliath’s supposed height. But when archaeologists look at the bones of ancient Israelites, they estimate that the average height of a male was somewhere between five foot, one inch and five foot, six inches. Moreover, due to the lack of proper nutrition and health, it appears that tall people were simply not as common in the ancient world as they are today. To an ancient Israelite, a six foot, nine inch Goliath would have seemed far more impressive and formidable than it does to us.
But if there is good reason to believe that Goliath was actually six-nine, why do most modern Bible translations still say that Goliath was nine-nine? Well, the first thing to recognize is that modern translations actually give both heights. Although “six cubits and a span” is usually included in the actual text, almost all translations will include a footnote that explains that the Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls say “four cubits and a span.” The translators aren’t ignorant of the facts and they aren’t trying to hide them either. They want readers to have as much relevant information as possible.
But there are other factors that shape translations. For centuries, the King James Version was the most popular and revered English translation of Scripture. Although the use of the KJV has gradually dwindled over the past few decades, its cultural influence continues to cast a shadow over modern translations. Generally speaking, modern translations tend to follow the KJV with regard to many minor details like heights and ages – even if most scholars would support a number found in the Septuagint or Dead Sea Scrolls. That’s because deviations from the culturally influential KJV text are often perceived as attacks on Scripture itself. Instead of causing controversy over small matters, translators resign themselves to providing informative footnotes for truly curious and attentive readers.
Sidenote: Please note that I am not saying that it would have been impossible for Goliath to be nine foot, nine inches. As I will explain below, I believe that Goliath comes from the lineage of the Nephilim, the giants that arose through the union of the angelic Sons of God and human women. Due to his supernatural origin, I find it completely possible that a giant like Goliath could have been nine feet tall. But, based on the textual evidence we have, I don’t think that’s what the original Scripture actually said about Goliath.
How tall is Goliath in the cultural imagination?
Bible adaptations aren’t just influenced by the biblical text. As biblical stories like David and Goliath are told and retold throughout the centuries, certain details become fixed in the popular imagination, even if they aren’t present in or directly supported by the actual text. For example, the Magi who visited Jesus are almost always now depicted as three kings – even though the Bible does not say that they were kings or even that there were three of them.
In the Western imagination, the image of Goliath as a nearly ten foot giant is largely a result of the historical dominance of the KJV – but it has also been influenced by the assumptions about giants drawn from English folklore. After all, Goliath is not the only giant in our cultural imagination. In depictions of Jack and the Beanstalk (or the closely-related Jack the Giant Killer), giants are usually somewhere between twelve and twenty-four feet tall. English traditions like these reinforce the idea that giants must be of a staggering height. As a result of the influence of the folkloric image of giants, depictions of Goliath almost always tend to be at least nine feet tall – or even higher – because any giant shorter than nine feet just doesn’t feel right to modern audiences.
How tall is Goliath in House of David?
In House of David, Goliath appears to be at least six cubits and a span (about nine feet, nine inches) and not a mere four cubits and a span (six feet, nine inches). Although this height may not be historically-accurate, it is a very understandable decision. If House of David had followed the shorter height, it would have been accused of going against Scripture – because the taller height is what appears in the main text of most modern translations and the KJV. Moreover, as noted above, modern viewers would instinctively reject a shorter Goliath because his image has been shaped in our cultural imagination.
And there’s another factor that may be just as significant of an influence on House of David. As I've argued in other places, there are a variety of approaches to biblical adaptation, each of which emphasizes different aspects of the biblical text. Some adaptations (e.g. The Chosen or The Promised Land) seek to emphasize how relatable, relevant, and human the ancient stories of Scripture actually are. Other adaptations (e.g. Netflix’s Mary) tend to emphasize the transcendent and larger-than-life dimensions of biblical stories in order to inspire wonder and awe. In my conversation with Dallas Jenkins, he agreed that House of David seemed to be taking the latter approach – what he referred to as a more “thematic” emphasis.
A six foot nine Goliath might work in a biblical adaptation that was emphasizing how relatable the story of David is, but in a more mythic or thematic adaptation like the House of David, details like Goliath’s height need to reinforce the epic nature of the story. A six foot nine Goliath would feel far too mundane. That's even more true given the fact that the average height for modern male actors is almost six feet. If House of David made Goliath six foot nine, he would be impressive but wouldn't create anything like the sense of wonder and dread that this type of adaptation requires. That’s why, even though I prefer a shorter Goliath from a historical perspective, I understand why House of David has chosen to make him as big as he is.
Does Scripture say Goliath is a Nephilim (or Anakim) Giant?
In the biblical storyline, giants (or “Nephilim”) play a small but significant role. Their origin goes back to Genesis 6, where we are told that the angelic “Sons of God” [fallen spiritual beings] took human wives, who then gave birth to the Nephilim, “the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:1-4, ESV). Here, the Bible is responding to and subverting a pretty universal cultural idea – that mighty heroes and kings (e.g. Gilgamesh) were the offspring of gods and human women. Such heroes were often believed to be mediators of divine wisdom. The Bible acknowledges the supernatural origin and nature of such heroes, but recasts them as sinister corruptors of humanity, not wise saviors.
Although the first wave of Nephilim appear to be wiped out by the Flood, they reappear later as the Israelites draw near to the Promised Land. When the spies return from scouting out Canaan, they report that they saw Nephilim who were so large that “we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33). The narrator also explains here that the Nephilim that they saw were “the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim.” When the Israelite army enters Canaan, they are like a mini-Flood sent to cleanse the land of the corrupting influence of the gigantic sons of Anak and other giant clans like the Rephaim (see Deuteronomy 2:20-21). The Israelites have some success in doing so (e.g. Joshua 15:13-14). Still, it appears that some giants remained, as we are later told that David and his men faced several figures who were “descended from the giants” (1 Chronicles 20:4-8).
When we first meet Goliath, we are not told explicitly if he is a giant or a descendent of the giants, although his great height and strength are emphasized. Later on, however, one of the Philistine heroes that David and his men fight against is said to be “Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite” (1 Chronicles 20:5). If Lahmi was a descendent of the giants, then presumably his tall brother, Goliath, was as well. This is further reinforced by the description of Goliath’s snake-like coat of mail (1 Samuel 17:5) – a detail that suggests that he is of the seed of the demonic Serpent (Genesis 3:15), just like the Nephilim were descendents of demonic spirits. So, while Goliath is not explicitly described as a Nephilim, there is good reason to believe that he was a descendent of the Nephilim giants and resembled them in stature. By triumphing over Goliath, David is not just proving his valor against a strong foe – he is fulfilling Israel’s call to cleanse the land and liberate it from its sinister demi-human lords.
Is Goliath a Nephilim/Anakim Giant in House of David?
While most adaptations of the story of David make Goliath into a giant, they don’t always take the time to try to explain the origin of his unnatural stature. Sometimes, Goliath comes across as nothing more than a genetic fluke – a man who just happens to be very large and powerful. That’s not a totally egregious sin – the Bible itself addresses Goliath's nature in a rather roundabout way. Moreover, a naturalistic Goliath can still be used to reinforce the central theme of the Book of Samuel (true strength is found through trust in Yahweh, not through physical strength or worldly wisdom). Still, Goliath’s supernatural lineage helps connect David’s battle against Goliath to Joshua’s conquest of Canaan and even the Flood. It also cues us in to the fact that their fight is not a standard flesh and blood battle – it is a contest between spiritual powers as well.
House of David distinguishes itself by fully embracing the supernatural dimensions of Goliath’s backstory. When the Israelites, led by Jonathan, first encounter the signs of Goliath, they immediately read the events in light of the account of the Nephilim in Genesis 6 – particularly the note that the Nephilim were not only around in those days but “also afterward” (Genesis 6:4). The show goes on to explain that Goliath’s descendents (the sons of Anak) were mostly eradicated by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan – and points to this history as the motivation for Goliath’s decision to join the Philistines in their war against Israel. The show even goes a little further than the biblical text by making Goliath and his siblings not only the descendents of giants but actually the direct descendents of the fallen Sons of God.
The decision to double down on the supernatural dimensions of Goliath’s origin again seems to be an obvious consequence of the more mythic approach to David’s story that House of David is taking. Compared to other biblical books, the Book of Samuel is actually fairly grounded – there are only a handful of bonafide miracles that take place during David’s story. For House of David to achieve a “The Lord of the Rings” of biblical adaptations vibe, they really need to make the most of the supernatural/wondrous elements that are present or implied – like the involvement of the Sons of God. The Anakim origin story also allow House of David to hit on several other key tropes of fantastical/mythic stories. Like all good fantasy villains, they have an ancient, evocative backstory, they were once powerful, were temporarily defeated by an earlier hero, and are now threatening to rise again, they’re driven by an old grudge, and they are empowered by older and even more profound evil powers. As the series continues, I will be interested to see whether House of David continues to emphasize these more sinister and fantastical dimensions to Goliath and his siblings or whether they end up functioning more like minions and lackeys for Achish and his Philistine comrades.
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I will likely update this post with more thoughts about how House of David adapts the climactic battle between David and Goliath. Until then, are there any other aspects of the characterization of Goliath that you found interesting? Let me know in the comments below.
