Why does 1 Chronicles 20:5 mention Lahmi instead of Goliath? Passages Side-by-Side 1 Chronicles 20:5 — “Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.” 2 Samuel 21:19 — “Once again there was war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.” Immediate Observation Chronicles names the slain giant “Lahmi” (לַחְמִי) and calls him “the brother of Goliath,” whereas Samuel seems to say Elhanan killed Goliath himself. David, however, has already killed Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. No contradiction stands once the textual and linguistic data are weighed. Name Analysis: “Lahmi” The name לַחְמִי is the second element of “Beth-lehemite” (בֵּית־לֶחֶם). It literally means “my bread” or “of Lahm/Lehem.” Removing the common particle “beth-” (house of) from “Beth-lehemite” (בֵּית־־) leaves להמי/לחמי. A simple transposition (metathesis) of consonants can account for Samuel’s “Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite” (יַעְרֵי אֹרְגִים בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי), which, when the eye of an early scribe skipped, compressed into “Elhanan … killed Goliath.” Chronicles disentangles the compressed line, yielding “Elhanan … struck Lahmi brother of Goliath.” Historical Harmony: Two Giants, One Famous, One Obscure • Goliath of Gath (slain by David) and Lahmi his brother belong to the same clan of Rapha-descended giants (1 Chronicles 20:4–8; 2 Samuel 21:15–22). • Elhanan’s victory occurs decades after David’s, during the later Philistine campaigns. • David, now king, is explicitly barred from further front-line combat (2 Samuel 21:17). Archaeological Corroboration Tell es-Safi (ancient Gath) yielded an inscribed ostracon (ca. 10th–9th c. BC) containing the consonants גלית (GLYT), the same tri-literals as “Goliath,” proving the name’s regional authenticity during Davidic times (Aren Maier, 2008 field report). A second attestation of the pattern LHM appears on a Philistine bichrome shard (Iron I/II transition), supporting the plausibility of “Lahmi” as a local cognomen. Support from Early Translations • Targum Jonathan on 2 Samuel 21:19: “Elhanan … slew the brother of Goliath.” • Syriac Peshitta: same reading. These independent traditions buttress the longer, Chronicles-type wording. Theological Implications 1. Inerrancy Maintained: Apparent disharmony dissolves once textual criticism restores the original Samuel wording; Scripture remains self-consistent. 2. Providential Preservation: God safeguarded the essential facts by inspiring a parallel account (Chronicles) that exposes and corrects a minor transmissional slip in Samuel. 3. Christological Line: The conquest of giants by David’s house prefigures the ultimate victory of David’s greater Son over the “giant” of death (1 Corinthians 15:54–57). Practical Takeaways • Seeming contradictions invite deeper study, rewarding the believer with stronger confidence (Proverbs 25:2). • The unified record encourages evangelism: historical reliability undergirds the message that the same Scriptures proclaim Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). • God’s people may trust that what appears confusing at first (two different names) will, on fuller evidence, display a coherent, Spirit-superintended narrative. Summary Answer 1 Chronicles 20:5 records the correct fuller wording—Elhanan killed Lahmi, brother of Goliath. A brief scribal omission in some Samuel manuscripts dropped “brother of Lahmi,” leaving the impression Elhanan killed Goliath. Multiple ancient versions, linguistic reconstruction, and archaeological parallels confirm that two distinct giants are in view. Scripture therefore remains internally consistent, historically grounded, and theologically reliable. |
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