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Why Didn’t Saul Remember David?
One potentially confusing aspect of David’s story is that he is introduced to Saul in 1 Samuel 16, where he is brought on to the king’s staff as a talented musician. But later on, in 1 Samuel 17 it might seem like Saul has no idea who David is. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? Liberal scholars will often claim there are multiple versions of the David Legend which have been woven together into the whole story we read today. Liberals claim that these stories are not real history, but have been edited together to present a fanciful version of Israel’s kingship history. Does this apparent discrepancy between 1 Samuel 16 and 17 indicate we should not take Scripture at face value as a historical narrative? The Background of the Interaction between David and Saul David is introduced the first time to Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14-23. An evil spirit…
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Goliath was a Nephilim of the Anakim
According to the book of 1 Samuel, Goliath was the most impressive warrior in the Philistine army. He was also a man of incredible height. He was, after all, a giant! However, questions about Goliath’s ancestry often come up. Was Goliath a native Philistine, an Egyptian, or perhaps something else? I would argue that although Goliath fought as a Philistine, the evidence suggests that he probably was of the Anakim, not a native Philistine. Tracing the Nephilim and Anakim from Judah to the Coastal Plains Before the wilderness wandering, Israel sent out spies to spy out the land of Canaan (Num 13). When the spies returned, all but Joshua and Caleb were shaking in their boots. The chief complaint was that the people “are of great height” and that the Nephilim (the sons of Anak) were there (Num 13:32-33). The phrase Nephilim is not used often, but in the context of…