Goliath: Difference between revisions

'''Goliath ( Jalut)''' (Arabic: {{ia|جالوت}}) is the name of a powerful Palestinian warrior defeated by Prophet [[David (a)]].  The name "Jalut" is mentioned in the noble [[Qur'an]] three times in the story of the battle between [[Palestine|Palestinians]] and [[Israelites]]. It has been narrated with more details in the [[Old Testament]], where Jalut is referred to as Goliath. The victory of Prophet David (a) reminds that at war, the victory belongs to the faithful and [[God]] helps them, even though they are small regarding number and provisions.

In lexical and Islamic [[Tafsir]] sources, the word "Jalut" is considered non-Arabic, and it is said that [[Muslim]] scholars agree on it. In their linguistic researches about the Qur'an, some [[orientalist]]s studied the etymology of the word "Jalut". According to Horowitz, this name is certainly related with the Hebrew word or the Aramaic word (meaning wandering and exile), which was common among the [[Jew]]s of [[Medina]].

According to the Old Testament, when Palestinians and Israelites stood against each other in the valley of Elah, Goliath went forth from among Palestinians and began his war cry. He continued this action every morning and night for forty days, which frightened Israelites. [[Saul]] (Talut), the commander of Israelites' army had promised that he would give the killer of Goliath a great amount of properties and make her daughter marry that person. When the young [[David (a)]] heard the war cries of Goliath, convinced Saul (Talut) to fight with him and then went to the battlefield. When Goliath saw David (a) going to fight him without a sword and only holding a stick and stone, mocked him and threatened him. David (a) too threatened Goliath (Jalut) and said that he (a) would kill him, so that everyone would believe that there is God. Then, David (a) hit Goliath on the forehead with a stone sling and killed him. Then, he (a) went upon his body and severed his head. This victory led to the complete defeat of Palestinians and their escape.{{enote|For more reading see the book [1 Samuel 17]:1-53}} Head of Goliath was taken to [[Jerusalem]]{{enote|[1 Samuel 17]:54}} and his sword remained in a temple in the city of "Nob" until it was later returned to David (a).{{enote|[1 Samuel 21]:9 and 22:10}}

Goliath (Jalut) was born in the city of "Gath" (located in south east of [[Gaza]]) and is mentioned in the [[Torah]] as Goliath of Gath.{{enote|[2 Samuel 21]:19-22 and [1 Chronicles 20]:5 & 8}} However, this possibility has been mentioned that he was not originally from [[Palestine]] and served the army of Palestinians as a soldier.

Also, extraordinary physical characteristics have been reported for him, including that he had a height of three meters and had heavy weapons in the battle with Israelites.{{enote|[1 Samuel 17]:47}} It is written in the [[Old Testament]] that Elhanan killed Goliath, not David (a),{{enote|2 Samuel 21:19}} which seems to be a mistake of script-writers of the Torah; because, elsewhere,{{enote|[1 Chronicles 20]:5}} Elhanan is introduced as the killer of Goliath's brother, not Goliath himself. The encounter of Goliath and David (a) has been the subject of many poems and artistic works especially sculpture and painting in the west.

== In the Qur'an ==

The story of the battle between Talut and Goliath (Jalut) is mentioned in the noble [[Qur'an]] in brief and without details as the following: the prophet of [[Israelites]] at that time is mentioned [[Samuel]] in the Torah who chose [[Saul]] (Talut) as the king to fight Palestinians by the order of [[God]]. After Israelites made some objections to their prophet for his choice, finally accepted him as the king and under his command went to fight Goliath and his companions. On the way to the battlefield, after they passed a river which was a means of divine trial, most of the army of Talut expressed weakness against Goliath and his army and when the soldiers who remained loyal to Talut encountered Goliath and his army, asked God for resistance and victory and thus conquered him by the will of God and [[David (a)]] killed Goliath.

In Islamic historical and tafsir sources, there are points mentioned about Goliath. [['Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi]] considered him [[Coptic]] and [[Dinwari]] mentioned him among the descendants of Walid b. Rayyan and [['Ali b. al-Husayn al-Mas'udi|al-Mas'udi]] mentioned his lineage as follows: Jalut b. Malud b. Dabbal b. Hattan b. Faris. Al-Tabari considered him among [[Amalik]] and mentioned Goliath (Jalut), the king of Amalik. Al-Mas'udi mentioned him from Barbar nations and [[Ibn Khaldun]] mentioned him from [[Canaan|Canaanites]]. [[Al-Ya'qubi]] mentioned him as Goliath which is his Hebrew name and mentioned his height five cubits. Al-Tabari too described him a powerful warrior.

The story of the encounter between Israelites and Palestinians, especially the man to man fight between Goliath and Prophet [[David (a)]] is reported in details in Islamic sources. It seems that these reports are typically influenced by Jews' reports of this story and entered historical and tafsir sources of [[Muslim]]s with additions and omissions and sometimes differences, while some of these reports have many differences with the Jewish narration.