Giants and Champions

David has long since “subdued” the Philistines, defeating them so thoroughly that they are unable to mount any real threat against Israel (2 Sam. 8:1). But the Philistines have one thing going for them—a family of immense men who have the strength to champion their cause. Four such men are mentioned in today’s passage, and all are described as sons of “the giant” (v. 22). Is this a reference to Goliath? If so, we have a conflict, for one of these sons of “the giant” is also described as Goliath’s brother (v. 19). The New Geneva Study Bible explains that the word translated as “giant” here is Rapha, which seems to be a collective reference to a race of giants who inhabited Canaan before the Israelites arrived (see Gen. 14:5; 15:20). Goliath probably was one of these peoples, but not “the giant.” In any case, the Philistines’ ongoing ability to find such immense warriors gives them the ability to be an ongoing thorn in David’s flesh. He deals with them in a series of four actions late in his reign.

The author of 2 Samuel focuses most extensively on the first of these encounters, which apparently marks David’s last experience of armed combat. The Philistines rise up, led by Ishbi-Benob, one of the giants. David is right in the midst of the action, but suddenly he finds that his body is no longer up to the rigors of war. He grows faint, at which point Ishbi-Benob thinks David is ripe for the kill. But David’s nephew Abishai, Joab’s brother, comes to David’s rescue and kills the giant. At that point, David’s men flatly refuse to let him go into battle anymore. Their fear is that his death will extinguish the “lamp of Israel”—they see him as the nation’s symbol of life and prosperity (Job 21:17; Jer. 25:10), its “guide and glory,” as Matthew Henry puts it. Though this counsel must be difficult for David to receive, it seems that he is humble enough to recognize the wisdom in it and obey it.

In subsequent battles, David’s men strike down three more Philistine champions, one of whom is Goliath’s brother. The last of the three is a monstrous man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, who emulates Goliath in “defying” Israel. But like Goliath in his time, this insolent giant is silenced. God delivers Israel from the Philistines under David’s leadership, just as He promised He would (2 Sam. 3:18).