2 Samuel 21:19
2 Samuel 21:19
(KJV) 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.
(NIV) In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of
Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a
shaft like a weaver's rod.
(NASV) There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the
son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of
whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(THE MESSAGE) At yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan
son of Jaar, the weaver of Bethlehem, killed Goliath the Gittite whose spear was
as big as a flagpole.
(ESV) And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan
the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the
shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(CEV) There was still another battle with the Philistines at Gob. A
soldier named Elhanan killed Goliath from Gath, whose spear shaft was like a
weaver's beam. Elhanan's father was Jari from Bethlehem.
(1901 ASV) And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and
Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the
staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(HCSB) Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and
Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite. The
shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.
(RSV) And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elha'nan
the son of Ja'areor'egim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the shaft
of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(NAB-ROMAN CATHOLIC) There was another battle with the Philistines in
Gob, in which Elhanan, son of Jair from Bethlehem, killed Goliath of Gath, who
had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's heddle-bar.
(NWT-JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES) And war arose once again with the Phi·lis´tines
at Gob, and El·ha´nan the son of Ja´a·re-or´e·gim the Beth´le·hem·ite got to
strike down Go·li´ath the Git´tite, the shaft of whose spear was like the beam
of loom workers.
Affected Teaching
This is one of those modern version quagmires which needs very little
commentary. The question arises, WHO KILLED GOLIATH?
(1 Sam 17:49 KJV) And David put his hand in his
bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his
forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to
the earth. David was the one who killed Goliath as the
Scriptures so plainly teach but as we see in the modern versions, they say that
Elhanan killed Goliath. How do they arrive at that? In the King James Bible we
see the words “the brother of” in italics which gives clear meaning to the verse
and causes no confusion but continuity of the Scriptures concerning the death of
Goliath‘s brother. The modern version editors did not believe it was necessary
to keep these words to allay any confusion. Instead of including them, they
omitted them and have caused confusion in the biblical narrative about Goliath
and his brother. Now here is an interesting addition to the confusion that
anyone who uses a modern version will encounter. The parallel verse to 2 Samuel
21:19 is 1 Chronicles 20:5 which reads:
(1 Chr 20:5 KJV) 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.
Let’s look at this verse in the modern versions I have mentioned:
(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.
(NASV) And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son
of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose
spear was like a weaver's beam.
(THE MESSAGE) In another war with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair
killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite whose spear was like a ship's
boom.
(ESV) And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son
of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose
spear was like a weaver's beam.
(CEV) In another battle against the Philistines, Elhanan the son of Jair
killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath from Gath, whose spear shaft was like a
weaver's beam.
(1901-ASV) And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the
son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose
spear was like a weaver's beam.
(HCSB) Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan
son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his
spear was like a weaver's beam.
(RSV) And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elha'nan the son
of Ja'ir slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear
was like a weaver's beam.
(NAB-ROMAN CATHOLIC) Once again there was war with the Philistines, and
Elhanan, the son of Jair, slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath, whose
spear shaft was like a weaver's heddle-bar.
(NWT-JEHOVAH‘S WITNESSES) And there came to be war again with the
Phi·lis´tines; and El·ha´nan the son of Ja´ir got to strike down Lah´mi the
brother of Go·li´ath the Git´tite, the shaft of whose spear was like the beam of
loom workers.
Here are two parallel verses referencing the same narrative and both are saying
something totally different. In one account, they are saying Elhanan killed
Goliath and then in the parallel account, it states that Elhanan killed the
brother of Goliath. Well which is it? Can you imagine a new Christian using an
NIV or ESV and then comparing the accounts of who Elhanan killed? The King James
translators added “the brother of” in the 2 Samuel account so there would be a
continuity of truth and no doubt in the reader’s mind as to who killed the
brother of Goliath.
(2 Sam 21:19 KJV) 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.
(1 Chr 20:5 KJV) 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.
When using the King James Bible, there is no question who Elhanan killed. The
answer agrees in both accounts thus engendering truth and not contradiction and
confusion as in the modern versions. Once again the superiority of the
King James Bible shines through.