“And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side; and there was a valley between them.”
Samuel 17 features one of the Bible’s most famous passages: David vs. Goliath. Precisely what was this contest that led some writers, erroneously, to push duels as a way of ascertaining justice? In this essay, we shall see how Abravanel debunks those commentators’ premises.
We begin with a review of the background leading up to the one-on-one, winner-take-all. The military camps of the Hebrews and Philistines prepared for war. “Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and they were gathered together at Socoh…” Separated by a valley, King Saul positioned his troops. “And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.” Forty days of preparation passed.
Goliath stepped forward and into a middle ground separating both camps. “And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” Verses detail Goliath’s attire, namely his helmet, coat of mail, spear etc. More description of Goliath’s gear follows, with care given to provide the sizes and weights of his battle outfit. Suffice it to say, Goliath must have been, indeed, a big galoot to don such massive armor.
Girded, Goliath goaded. “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them: Why do you come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.” Game on, Goliath incited. “If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us.”
Abravanel, as stated, is adamant, advancing that the Bible doesn’t condone duels as a way or method to settle disputes, though he acknowledges its popularity. Historically, it formed part of the Christian and Moslem social/judicial landscape for millennia. How shall we define Code duello?
- Duels were a judicial tool used by litigants when they were unable to adequately prove their cases. Since a nagging doubt and stalemate persisted, contestants turned to a duel as a means of settling disputes.
- Combatants only entered into a duel after both men agreed to the rules of the game. They then affixed signatures to a binding contract, duly witnessed.
- Both parties agreed to the time, place, and weaponry of the duel. Foremost, both men should be afforded equal opportunity in terms of their uniform and arms, so for example one fighter can’t show up with a longbow and arrow, the other a kitchen knife.
- An impartial referee must be present. He guaranteed a fair fight, based on predetermined terms.
Manifestly, the David/Goliath contest did not meet any of the duello criteria. Let’s show why.
- David and Goliath were not seeking a way out of an impasse, not on a personal level nor on a national level. When Goliath said “choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me” he wasn’t itching for a match. The goon did want to shoot off his mouth – and contempt for Hebrews. Goliath later admits as much: “And the Philistine said: I do taunt the armies of Israel this day…”
- David and Goliath hadn’t written, and agreed upon, rules. Rather, unilaterally, Goliath spewed hyperbole.
- Terms of engagement, let alone equal uniforms and weaponry, was absent. To wit, Goliath arrived with armor from head to toe, David with a shepherd’s staff, satchel, slingshot and cinco stones. Abravanel elaborates on David’s thinking. He figured if he scored a bullseye and felled Goliath, all’s good. However, he prepared for worst-case scenario. That is, if David’s stone missed the mark, he’d run away. Hence, David’s light gear, an expedient in case he had to beat a hasty retreat. He alluded to his plan, when he refused to keep on a uniform that King Saul urged him to try on: “And David said unto Saul: I cannot go with these; for I have not tried them.” Weighty armor would hinder David’s getaway, and therefore he took them off before fighting Goliath. “And David put them off him.” As for the slingshot and five stones, they gave David breathing room.
- No umpire or referee attended the David/Goliath bout. After David emerged victorious, Philistines took off. And as for Goliath’s offer of servitude, well, that was nothing more than soupçon. “If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us.” As stated, Goliath gabbed a good game.
In this way, Abravanel makes his points; duels play no part in Jewish life. Furthermore, he destroys the argument of those commentators who view the David/Goliath match as a moral basis to engage in duels.