Misconceptions: David & Goliath
The phrase “David and Goliath” has taken on a more popular meaning, denoting an ‘underdog’ situation, a contest where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary. We have all heard the story of the Shepard boy defeating the mighty warrior with a single stone out of a slingshot, and think of it as a miracle and inspiration. However, what we fail to consider is the truth behind the situation.
The story begins with the Israelite's facing the Philistine’s during a battle in the Valley of Elah. Both sides wanted control over the others mountain land, however, both were very protective and ready to fight for it. After many years, the two armies finally ventured down towards the valley between the two mountains with the intent of conquering the other. Knowing they would be fully exposed at the bottom of the valley, both sides stopped and dug trenches to post up in. Neither side took action for several weeks because they knew if they tried to attack they would easily be at a major disadvantage compared to their foe that held the high ground. Soon, the Philistine's decided they had done enough waiting, and sent a messenger to propose a deal to the Israelite's that they should have a one on one fight to settle the stand off. The fight would include only the best warrior from each army, and as champion of the Philistine’s, their chosen warrior was Goliath.
He stood 6 foot 9 inches, fully armored, and fit to conquer any man that attempted to knock him down. Saul, the leader of the Israelite’s, was afraid to fight the mighty soldier. He was certain he would lose the fight and that his position as leader would be lost. Stepping in for the cowardly leader, a young Shepard boy named David came to save the day. He was short, skinny, and unfit for any type of physical battle. His strength did not even allow him to pick up a common sword. So how did he come out victorious as we all know?
We are familiar that David “the underdog” confronted Goliath and struck him with a single stone, taking him to the ground and winning the battle for his people. He had performed an unimaginable feat that awed every man and made them fearful of the young Shepard boy. Although, was it really a miracle?
The reason David agreed to fight in the first place is because he had a unique skill acquired from protecting his heard of sheep; sharp-shooting with a slingshot. He accumulated thousands of hours of practice using his weapon to sling stones at predators such as lions and coyote’s. His accuracy was gold medal worthy, as he could hit a coyote between the eyes from over fifty feet away. David had learned that certain stones held higher densities, and he had a bag filled with those that were 5x as dense as a common stone or pebble. His choice of weapon for the battle was not some last minute idea, yet, an advantage like no other.
Goliath, in layman’s terms, was one scary looking man. His height was unmatched by any other in the world at the time. Although, this factor that made him so intimidating was also the source of his biggest weakness. The reason Goliath was so tall is because he suffered from what is called Acromegaly. This is a hormonal disorder that results from too much growth hormone in the body caused from tumors, which means that the sensor in our bodies that says “hey, I think I’m at a good height now!” was not present inside Goliath. In addition, because his tumors began as a child, his disease resulted in what is called Gigantism. One person who we may all know that suffered from this disease was Andre the Giant, who died at age 46 because of his height.
The two most serious health consequences that arise from Gigantism are arthritis and severe nearsightedness. Goliath, as told in the story, walked slowly back and forth in the valley calling out to anyone brave enough to fight him. Highlighted is the word “slowly” because his arthritis must have caused great pain inside; pain he simply did not show to his peers. Also, when David finally made his descent down the mountain to fight, Goliath kept calling out “come to me that I might feed your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field!” Why? Perhaps because he could not see him. This goes to show that Goliath's perceived advantages masked his even bigger disadvantages.
Moral of the story: Know your enemies.
