David's Men Face the Philistine Giants

War broke out again between Israel and the Philistines. David went down with his servants to fight, but during the battle he grew faint. A giant warrior named Ishbibenob, armed with a heavy bronze spear and a new sword, thought he could kill David.

Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s help. He struck the Philistine and killed him. After that, David’s men made David swear that he would not go out to battle with them any more, because they did not want the lamp of Israel to be put out.

There were more battles with the Philistines after this. In one battle at Gob, called Gezer in Chronicles, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, called Sippai in Chronicles, one of the giant’s descendants. In another battle, Elhanan killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.

There was another battle at Gath. A very large man there had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, and he too was born to the giant. When he defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. Altogether, four men born to the giant in Gath fell by the hand of David and his servants.