Goliath is described as being very tall in the Bible, specifically in the account of David and Goliath. The most commonly cited height for Goliath is six cubits and a span. In modern measurements, a cubit is typically considered to be about 18 inches (or 0.45 meters), and a span is about half a cubit (approximately 9 inches or 0.23 meters).
Therefore, if we calculate Goliath’s height:
– 6 cubits = 6 × 18 inches = 108 inches (or 9 feet)
– 1 span = 9 inches
Adding the span to the total height gives:
108 inches + 9 inches = 117 inches
This converts to approximately 9 feet 9 inches (or about 2.97 meters).
The primary biblical references for Goliath’s height can be found in the following passages:
1. **1 Samuel 17:4**: “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.”
2. **1 Samuel 17:7**: “And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.”
These verses provide the details regarding Goliath’s impressive stature.