Who Really Killed Goliath? The Bible’s “Contradiction” Explained
Sean McDowell
apologetics
January 30, 2026
Most people think that David kills Goliath with a sling and then cuts off his head (1 Samuel 17). But there’s a lesser-known biblical tension that surprises a lot of readers. 2 Samuel 21:19 seems to say that Elhanan killed Goliath. Is this a contradiction? Today, I invite on Old Testament (and Hebrew scholar) Dominick Hernandez to help us make sense of this seeming contradiction.
READ: Who Really Killed Goliath? (https://textandcanon.org/who-really-killed-goliath/)
READ: Engaging the Old Testament by Dominick Hernandez (https://amzn.to/49PqD54)
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Scripture
1 Samuel1 Samuel 172 Samuel2 Samuel 212 Samuel 21:19
Topics
goliathgiant1 samuelkingphilistinesdavidking davidelhanancriticskeptic
























