Short answer
The Bible gives two answers. 1 Samuel 17 says David killed Goliath of Gath with a sling and a stone. But the Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 says a man called Elhanan killed "Goliath the Gittite", which means Goliath of Gath. Christians reply that 1 Chronicles 20:5 shows the true reading: Elhanan killed Goliath's brother. That reading means a copyist dropped words from 2 Samuel. The King James Version supplies those words from Chronicles and prints them in italics, its sign for words that are not in the Hebrew. The Qur'an gives one answer only: David killed Goliath (2:251). And Allah (﷾) promised to guard the Qur'an Himself (15:9).
Full explanation
What the Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 says
1 Samuel 17 says David killed Goliath. But the Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 says Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite, a man of Gath, the Philistine city. The Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation, made by Jewish scholars, follows the Hebrew. In it Elhanan kills Goliath himself. Some English Bibles, such as the King James Version and the World English Bible, include Goliath's brother. The printed King James Version sets those words in italics, its own mark for words that are not in the Hebrew.
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.”
“And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
“And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare–oregim, a Beth–lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
Printed editions of the King James Version set the words "the brother of" in this verse in italic type. The King James translators used italics for words they supplied that are not in the Hebrew. The words are taken from 1 Chronicles 20:5.
“There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
The same name, town and spear
Both passages give the same name, the same town, and the same words for his spear. In 1 Samuel, David's giant is Goliath of Gath, and his spear staff is like a weaver's beam. In 2 Samuel, Elhanan's victim is Goliath the Gittite, with a spear staff like a weaver's beam.
“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.”
“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.”
“And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
How Chronicles tells it
1 Chronicles 20:5 tells the same battle again. It uses Samuel as its source, and it says Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath.
“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.”
“And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
A major commentary on Chronicles. It dates the book to the late Persian or early Hellenistic period, around the end of the fourth century BCE, centuries after the events it tells, and treats Samuel and Kings as the Chronicler's main source, which he retold and reworked.
| Passage | The killer | The one killed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Samuel 17 | David | Goliath of Gath |
| 2 Samuel 21:19, in the Hebrew | Elhanan | Goliath the Gittite, of Gath |
| 1 Chronicles 20:5 | Elhanan | Lahmi, the brother of Goliath |
| Qur'an 2:251 | David | Goliath |
How Christians read it
Christians hold that David killed Goliath, as 1 Samuel 17 tells it. They read 1 Chronicles 20:5 as the true form of the Elhanan story. On this view a copyist dropped words from 2 Samuel 21:19, and English Bibles that include "the brother of" are putting them back. Some Jewish and Christian commentators say instead that Elhanan was another name for David.
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.”
“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.”
One answer in the Qur'an
On Goliath the Qur'an says one thing, once: David killed him. It also says the protection of the Torah was entrusted to the rabbis and scholars, while Allah (﷾) promised to guard the Qur'an Himself. And it invites readers to test it: had it come from anyone but Allah (﷾), they would find much discrepancy in it.
“By Allah's will they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever (else) He willed. And did not Allah Check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds.”
“It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.”
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
Verse by verse
2 Samuel 21:19 — Nevi'im, Shmuel Bet, chapter 21, verse 19
“And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare–oregim, a Beth–lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
Cited for
A copyist dropped the words "the brother of". 1 Chronicles 20:5 keeps the true reading, so the King James Version is right to supply them.
The response
Grant it. Then the Hebrew of 2 Samuel, as it has been handed down, names a man other than David as the killer. A slip in one old copy is not a slip in the text. Here the Hebrew that Bibles translate names Elhanan. Some English Bibles, such as the King James Version, take words from Chronicles to mend it and mark them in italics. If the verse is right as it stands, the Bible names two killers of one giant. Islam says the protection of the Torah was entrusted to its rabbis and scholars (5:44), while Allah (﷾) Himself guards the Qur'an (15:9). No printed Qur'an needs such mending.
Where it lands — The verse as handed down names a second killer, and some English Bibles mend it with words from Chronicles.
2 Samuel 21:19 — Nevi'im, Shmuel Bet, chapter 21, verse 19
“And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
Cited for
Some Jewish commentators, and some Christians after them, take Elhanan to be another name for David.
The response
The chapter rules it out. Earlier in it David nearly dies fighting a giant, and his men swear that he will go out to battle with them no more. The battle at Gob comes "after this", and Elhanan kills Goliath at Gob. Elhanan's father is Jaare-oregim, or Jair in Chronicles, not Jesse.
Where it lands — The chapter keeps David out of these battles and gives Elhanan a different father, so Elhanan is not David.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
David killed Goliath. The Elhanan verse in 2 Samuel was damaged in copying, and 1 Chronicles 20:5 shows what it first said.
1 Samuel 17 says plainly that David killed Goliath with a sling and a stone.
Rebuttal
Islam agrees: the Qur'an also says David killed Goliath (2:251). The question is why the Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 names Elhanan instead.
1 Chronicles 20:5 says Elhanan killed Lahmi, Goliath's brother. This is taken to be the original reading of 2 Samuel 21:19.
Rebuttal
Grant that Chronicles says this. The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 still names Goliath himself. Some English Bibles, such as the King James Version, supply "the brother of" from Chronicles. The Qur'an's account needs no such mending (2:251): every printed Qur'an reads the same, as Allah (﷾) promised (15:9).
The Islamic perspective
1 Samuel 17 names David as the killer of Goliath, and the Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 names Elhanan. Some English Bibles, such as the King James Version, mend this with words from Chronicles, and the King James Version shows them in italics. The Qur'an names David alone.
The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 says Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite, with no mention of a brother.
Both passages give the same name, the same town, and the same words for the spear staff.
The King James Version prints "the brother of" in italics in 2 Samuel 21:19. Italics are its mark for words not in the Hebrew.
1 Chronicles 20:5 retells the battle and names the victim as Goliath's brother.
The Qur'an names David as the one who killed Goliath, and gives no second account.
Allah (﷾) promised to guard the Qur'an, and a book from other than Allah (﷾) would contain much discrepancy.