שמואל ב, פרק כ״א, פסוק י״ט

During another military campaign in the region of Gob, a heroic battle took place that strongly echoed a famous Israelite victory over a Philistine giant. A historical account of this clash presents a notable challenge, as it appears to state that a warrior named Elhanan killed Goliath, an act famously attributed to David.

To resolve this apparent contradiction, commentators take two primary approaches. The first relies on parallel historical records to explain that Elhanan did not strike down Goliath himself, but rather killed the giant's brother, whose name was Lahmi [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. According to this view, the historical record implies that the fallen giant was closely associated with or related to Goliath [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. The reference to Bethlehem in the account is understood either as a slight textual variation meaning Elhanan killed Lahmi [אברבנאל, מצודת ציון], or simply as an indication that Elhanan was a resident of Bethlehem [רד״ק]. Because the giant was named Lahmi, and David, who defeated Goliath, hailed from Bethlehem, a popular proverb may have developed comparing Elhanan's heroic feat with David's legendary victory [מלבי״ם].

Alternatively, a second approach based on early rabbinic traditions suggests a symbolic interpretation, identifying Elhanan as King David himself [רש״י, רד״ק]. In this light, the warrior's family title hints at his father, Jesse, and their family's role in weaving the curtain for the Temple, which is metaphorically referred to as a forest [רש״י, רד״ק]. Other scholars take a more literal stance regarding this title, suggesting that weaving was simply the family's everyday profession [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or the name of the town where Elhanan lived [אברבנאל], while the first part of the title was merely his father's actual name [מצודת ציון].

To vividly illustrate the Philistine giant's formidable power, the account details the sheer size of his weaponry. The wooden shaft, or handle, of his spear [מצודת דוד] was as massive as a weaver's beam. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the thick, heavy, and round wooden cylinder at the front of a loom, used by weavers to wrap threads or fold finished cloth. This striking imagery highlights the giant's immense physical strength and the terrifying scale of a weapon that an ordinary person would be completely unable to lift [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].