And there was again war with the Philistines: This clause marks yet another episode in the list of battles against the giants. In some languages it may be important to indicate clearly that this event took place “Later” (New Century Version); that is, some time after the events described in verse 4. Bible en français courant takes a different approach, beginning this verse with the words “In the course of another battle against the Philistines.”

And Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite: Jair is called “Jaareoregim” in the parallel passage of 2 Sam 21.19. Many modern versions change the name in 2 Samuel to agree with the name here. According to 2 Sam 21.19, Elhanan killed Goliath himself and not the brother of Goliath as here in 1 Chronicles. And to add to the confusion, according to 1 Sam 17, David is presented as the killer of Goliath. Some interpreters explain the obvious contradiction in the traditional Hebrew text by maintaining that it is defective in 2 Sam 21.19 because copyists made two or three crucial errors. They contend that the original text of 2 Sam 21.19 read as the parallel here in 1 Chronicles. However, such a text has never been discovered and translators are obliged to translate the texts as they exist today. This means translating something that is contrary to the other passages mentioned. An explanatory footnote is acceptable, but there is no sufficient evidence for translators to change and harmonize the text at this point.

According to 2 Sam 21.19, the father of Elhanan was a “Bethlehemite” (beth hallachmi in Hebrew), that is, from Bethlehem. Some interpreters think that the Masoretic Text contains a mistake here in 1 Chronicles in which beth hallachmi was read incorrectly as ʾeth lachmi (= sign of the direct object plus the name Lahmi). Therefore La Bible Pléiade and La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous change the text to read “and Elhanan, son of Jair, of Bethlehem, killed the brother of Goliath of Gath” (similarly NET Bible).

The Gittites were inhabitants of the Philistine city of Gath (see the comments on 1 Chr 7.21). The meaning of Goliath the Gittite will be more clearly expressed as “Goliath of Gath” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, El libro del Pueblo de Dios) or “Goliath, who was from the town of Gath” (New Century Version).

The shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam: Compare 1 Sam 17.7. For spear see the comments on 1 Chr 11.11. In the parallel text of 2 Sam 21.19, Goliath’s spear is in view. The Hebrew is ambiguous here, as are most literal translations; but the reference here seems to be to “Lahmi’s spear” (New Living Translation, International Children’s Bible, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) and not to that of Goliath. For weaver’s beam, see the comments on 1 Chr 11.23. Most interpreters think the size of Lahmi’s spear is being compared to the thickness of a weaver’s beam (so Good News Translation with “whose spear had a shaft as thick as the bar on a weaver’s loom”). However, a different interpretation is possible. Archaeological evidence indicates that some spears, or javelins, had a loop of cord attached to the end of them to help the soldier throw the spear farther and with more accuracy. This loop of cord resembled the loop of cord tied to the piece of wood (a heddle-rod) used to lift alternate threads on a loom while weaving. The New American Bible translation is based on this second interpretation: “whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s heddle-bar.”

The first interpretation understands the comparison of the spear and the weaver’s beam to be that of size, that is, “as thick as” (Good News Translation). The second interpretation, which is more probable, understands the comparison to be the loops of cord, which allowed the spear to be thrown with greater accuracy. If the second interpretation is followed, it may be necessary to explain the basis of the comparison by saying “the shaft of his spear had a loop of cord around it, like that on a weaver’s beam, in order to throw it further and more accurately.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .