** 1 Sam. xvii., xviii. 1-5.  According to some writers, this second version, the best known of the two, is a development at a later period of the tradition preserved in 2 Sam. xxi. 19, where the victory of Elhanan over Goliath is recorded.

*** 2 Sam. xxi. 19, where the duel of Goliath and Elhanan is placed in the reign of David, during the combat at Gob.  Some critics think that the writer of Chronicles, recognising the difficulty presented by this passage, changed the epithet Bethlehemite, which qualified the name of Elhanan, into Lahmi, the name of Goliath’s brother (1 Citron, xx. 5).  Say ce thought to get over the difficulty by supposing that Elhanan was David’s first name; but Elhanan is the son of Jair, and not the son of Jesse.

**** The combat of Paz-Dammim or Ephes-Dammim is mentioned in 1 Sam. xvii. 1; the exploit of David and his two comrades, 2 Sam:  xxiii. 9-12 (cf. 1 Chron. xi, 12-14, which slightly varies from 2 Sam. xxiii. 9-12).

Saul entrusted him with several difficult undertakings, in all of which he acquitted himself with honour.  On his return from one of them, the women of the villages came out to meet him, singing and dancing to the sound of timbrels, the refrain of their song being:  “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  The king concealed the jealousy which this simple expression of joy excited within him, but it found vent at the next outbreak of his illness, and he attempted to kill David with a spear, though soon after he endeavoured to make amends for his action by giving him his second daughter Michal in marriage.* This did not prevent the king from again attempting David’s life, either in a real or simulated fit of madness; but not being successful, he despatched a body of men to waylay him.  According to one account it was Michal who helped her husband to escape,** while another attributes the saving of his life to Jonathan.  This prince had already brought about one reconciliation between his father and David, and had spared no pains to reinstall him in the royal favour, but his efforts merely aroused the king’s suspicion against himself.  Saul imagined that a conspiracy existed for the purpose of dethroning him, and of replacing him by his son; Jonathan, knowing that his life also was threatened, at length renounced the attempt, and David and his followers withdrew from court.

* The account of the first disagreement between Saul and David, and with regard to the marriage of David with Michal, is given in 1 Sam. xviii. 6-16, 20-29, and presents every appearance of authenticity.  Verses 17-19, mentioning a project of union between David and Saul’s eldest daughter, Merab, has at some time been interpolated; it is not given in the LXX., either because it was not in the Hebrew version they had before them, or because they suppressed it owing to the motive appearing to them insufficient.

     ** 1 Sam. xix. 11-17.  Many critics regard this passage as an
     interpolation.