Lifespring! Media: Quality Christian And Family Entertainment Since 2004

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Esteban Giacobbe on Unsplash Podcast Introduction Today our reading is 1 Samuel 16-20.  I’m calling the episode “That’s A Biggun”  Comments on 1 Samuel 17 First, let me say that this translation disagrees with most other translations in regards to Goliath’s height. In our translation today, the number given was “close to seven feet tall”. Most others say it was six cubits and a span. So what is a cubit, and what is a span?  Before mankind had agreed on standard lengths, they often used body parts to measure distances. Today, a foot is standardized at 12 inches. Back then, a foot was however long the measurer’s foot was. A cubit was the length of a forearm. The average was about 18 inches, but it could be a little longer or a little shorter. The span was the width from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger when the fingers are extended, or widened apart. That’s about 9 inches. So a span is about a half a cubit. So, doing the math, Goliath was 117 inches