Who killed Goliath?

2 Samuel 21:19 (New International Version - UK)

¹⁹ In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.

As we know, at the Fall all of humanity was tainted with sin - body, mind and spirit. That this means we should beware of the pleasures of the flesh, sinful as it is, goes without saying. That we should likewise avoid the use of the mind, instead clinging to the ways of the spirit, is equally clear.

But every now and then, Christian man (or Christian woman to whom these spiritual teachings may be explained by a husband, pastor, father or suitably-chaperoned small-Bible-study leader) - every now and then one is forced to use the mind, corrupt and evil as it is, to wrestle as Jacob wrestled with the meaning of the Good Book.

One such passage is the slaying of Goliath. For in 1 Sam 17 we have the story of the slaying of Goliath. Familiar to millions the world over, and even to some Anglicans who occasionally cannot avoid hearing God's word, no matter how hard they try.

And yet - what is this I find? Although the pure and unadulterated word, in the Authorized Version of the Bible, Sam 21:19, has Elhanan killing the brother of Goliath,  yet the Nearly Infallible Version for the same passage has Elhanan killing Goliath himself.

Now clearly this wouldn't normally bother me, since the AV always trumps the NIV. Not least because the American version of the NIV corrects the text to the real version. But it's Eileen coming round pointing out to me that "the Hebrew says Elhanan killed Goliath, not his brother" that's starting to get to me.  Her argument that since the Bible was written in Hebrew then the Hebrew's probably right is obviously opposed to the clear word of Scripture, but weak minds might accept it. So I have to address it.

There are three possible solutions that have been offered and they are as follows:

1) Eileen's explanation. What might be called "The Heretical Alternative".  She suggested that it was indeed Elhanan that killed Goliath, and David "pinched the story to big himself up. He probably did Elhanan in into the bargain, to make sure he kept quiet - after all, look what he did to Uriah". She then went on to explain that David also killed Saul in a palace coup, and wrote the whole of 1 and 2 Samuel himself to cover his tracks. She also made a suggestion about the phrase "spear as big as a weaver's rod" that I could not possibly mention on this family blog.

2) The critics' explanation. What might be called "The other Heretical Alternative". This is that David killed some other giant, while Elhanan killed Goliath. In time the name "Goliath" attached itself to the giant that David killed as well, by a matter of folklore and similarity. This preserves David's good name and giant-killing reputation, but brings in matters of redaction and source criticism that imperil the souls of decent Christian men. 

3) My own suggestion. What might best be called "The right solution". To me it is obvious that Goliath the giant had a brother called, for reasons we cannot at present understand, Goliath. Maybe it was a Philistine surname. Or maybe their mother was slightly crazed. Or maybe they were both monks who took the name "Goliath". Or maybe "Goliath" was a Philistine word, now preserved only in these stories, which meant "big bloke". Or maybe Goliath II was named after his older brother, Goliath I, after David had achieved his triumph. In any case it is clear - both brothers were called Goliath. David killed the first one, Elhanan the second. And now the Hebrew, NIV (British and American) and authentic word of God the AV are in total agreement. David killed Goliath, and Elhanan killed his brother, Goliath. Ockham's Razor triumphs again.

Eileen remarks that this proves that war is hell but sometimes necessary, that truth can be a  casualty, and that ordinary human beings killing each other is a sign of our fallen nature. And for once I have to agree with her.