1 Chronicles 20:5

1 Chronicles 20:5

And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.

a. NLT: During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi’s spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

b. NIV: In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: And there is again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair smiteth Lahmi, brother of Goliath the Gittite, the wood of whose spear islike a beam of weavers.

d. Amplified Bible: There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

e. Septuagint: And there was war again with the Philistines; and Eleanan the son of Jair smote Lachmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and the wood of his spear was as a weavers’ beam.

f. Stone Edition/ Torah/Writings/Prophets: There was another war with the Philistines, when Elhanan son of Jair smote Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s beam.

1. “And there was war again with the Philistines…”

a. And there was war [4421 * milchamah] [Strong: from 3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare):--battle, fight(-ing), war((-rior)).]

b. with the Philistines [6430 * Plishtiy] [Strong: patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth:--Philistine.]

2. “…and Elhanan the son of Jair…”

a. and Elhanan [445 * 'Elchanan] [Strong: from 410 and 2603; God (is) gracious; Elchanan, an Israelite:--Elkanan.]

b. the son [1121 * ben] [Strong: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

c. of Jair [3265 * Ya`uwr] [Strong: apparently the passive participle of the same as 3293; wooded; Jaur, an Israelite:--Jair(from the margin).]

1). The comparative verse in 2 Samuel 21:19 reads “where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite”.

3. “…slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite…”

a. slew [5221 * nakah] [Strong: a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.]

b. Lahmi [3902 * Lachmiy] [Strong: from 3899; foodful; Lachmi, an Israelite; or rather probably a brief form (or perhaps erroneous transcription) for 1022:-- Lahmi.]

c. the brother [251 *  primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

d. of Goliath [1555 * Golyath] [Strong: exile; Goljath, a Philistine:--Goliath.]

1). In the comparative verse 2 Samuel 21:19, the translators inserted the words “the brother of” into the verse because it is not in the Hebrew text. They did so on the authority of 1 Chronicles 20:5 where the words “the brother of” are in the Hebrew text. In the late 1920’s this caused a stir which is reported in the following:

a). 2 Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

2). The following excerpt was taken from David Otis Fuller’s book “Which Bible?” Dr. Fuller was quoting from Benjamin G. Wilkinson’s piece, “Fundamentally, Only Two Different Bibles. “In one of our prominent publications, there appeared in the winter of 1928, an article entitled, “Who Killed Goliath?” and in the Spring of 1929 an article named, “The Dispute About Goliath.” Attention was called to the fact that in the American Revised Version, 2 Samuel 21:19, we read that Elhanan killed Goliath. A special cablegram from the “most learned and devout scholars” of the Church of England said, in substance, that the Revised Version was correct, that Elhanan and not David killed Goliath; that there were many other things in the Bible which were the product of exaggeration, such as the story of Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the whale, of the Garden of Eden, and of the longevity of Methuselah. The first article says that these modern views have been held and taught in practically all American theological seminaries of standing, and that young ministers being graduated from them have rejected the old beliefs about these events whether the public knew it or not. This publication aroused a national interest and its office was “inundated,” as the editor says, with letters as to whether this Revised Version was correct, or whether, as we have always believed, according to the Authorized Version, David killed Goliath.” The Literary Digest, 12/29/1928 and March 9, 1929. 

4. “…whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.”

a. whose spear [2595 * chaniyth] [Strong: a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a tent):--javelin, spear.]

b. staff [6086 * ‘ets] [Strong: a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.]

c. was like a weaver’s [707 * ‘arag] [Strong: a primitive root; to plait or weave:--weaver(-r).]

d. beam [4500 * manowr] [Strong: a yoke (properly, for plowing), i.e. the frame of a loom:--beam.]