SeriousChristianBlog

Why didn't Goliath duck? and other random Bible questions

Sep 27, 2020 5:00 PM



Why didn't Goliath duck when David used a sling to fire a stone at him?

I’m sure they were debating that question on sports talk shows in Gath for weeks afterward.

Some have argued that Goliath probably had the condition now known as gigantism, and that one of the features of that condition is nearsightedness. But let’s assume for a moment that Goliath was not so impaired and that he was every bit as formidable a man of war as the Philistines promoted him to be. Is the story that he could be slain by a slingshot wielded by a shepherd “boy” (David was old enough to join his brothers in Saul’s army) credible?

Seriously, do you know what is the velocity of a slung stone? Consider that a fastball thrown by a strong pitcher with a trained arm can easily exceed 90 mph, not giving a batter much time to duck. Experiments have shown that a sling can hurl a stone with even greater range and velocity.

And considering that a guy that big had to have a head the size of a pumpkin, he doubtless made a good target for a kid who for much of his young life had nothing better to do while watching sheep than practicing with a sling.

Slings were (and still are) serious, lethal weapons of war. Young David would soon add new weapons to his repertoire, but his expertise with this one would suffice for the moment.


Is it true that in the Aramaic language, "swallowed by a great fish" is a phrase used for anyone who is in serious trouble?

No, there is absolutely no linguistic or cultural evidence for saying that “swallowed by a great fish” is an expression for being in serious trouble. Whoever thought that up seems to have been looking for a way to excuse the prophet Jonah—and Jesus Christ—from referencing a miraculous (and highly improbable) event.


Was there technology used in the days of Noah?

Cain built the first city and named it Enoch after his son. Five generations later, to Lamech was born Tubal-Cain by one his two wives, Zillah. Tubal-Cain is said to be the first metallurgist (Genesis 4:5). That is one of the most basic technologies and the foundation of other technologies. So, the answer is, yes.

Someone responded to my answer above as follows:

Your “serious christian ministries” are telling lies to people! There was never any Noah or Enoch or Tubal-Cain, etc. Those are just fairy tales written by creative Hebrew writers.

Okay, et us assume that the biblical story of Noah is a literary construction like the Babylonian story of Gilgamesh. Is not my answer, relying on the literary context of the story, the correct one? Would you have had the same kind of response to an answer of a question about the Iliad? Moreover, many scholars believe there is historical foundation for many of these myths and legendary stories, so why should we treat the Bible with less respect?


Who is Eusebius in the Bible?

There is no biblical character named Eusebius, but several men in Church History do own that name. The most well-known is Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260–340). He is best known as the author The Church History (or Ecclesiastical History), a comprehensive history of the Christian movement in its first three centuries.

Here is a good succinct article about him from Christian History magazine: Eusebius of Caesarea


Did Jesus ever say God had walked on Earth?

No. What he did say was, “I and the Father are one,” (John 10:30) and “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).


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New Video Bible Study Posts: The Gospel of John, Part 4 

Covers Chapters 13-17, where the focus of the teaching is on discipleship.  This part includes 7 lessons with verse by verse commentary, plus two special focus lessons: The John’s Apologetics and Understanding the Holy Spirit and Prayer.