Goliath's height is described differently in various ancient biblical sources, leading to some debate:
- The Masoretic Text, the traditional Hebrew text of the Old Testament, states that Goliath was "six cubits and a span" tall. Using the common ancient measurements where a cubit is about 18 inches (46 cm) and a span about 9 inches (23 cm), this translates to roughly 9 feet 9 inches (2.97 meters)
- However, other ancient sources, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Greek Septuagint translation, and the historian Josephus, record his height as "four cubits and a span," which is approximately 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters)
- Some modern scholars and archaeological research suggest Goliath's height may have been closer to 6 feet 9 inches to 7 feet 8 inches, based on reassessments of the cubit and span measurements and textual evidence
In summary, Goliath's height is traditionally given as about 9 feet 9 inches tall according to the Masoretic Text, but earlier and some scholarly sources suggest a height closer to 6 feet 9 inches. Both measurements depict him as significantly taller than the average man of his time, who was around 5 feet 6 inches tall
