A Farewell to Arms: Goliath's Death as Rhetoric against Faith in Arms

In a 1978 article, Deem proposes to read מצחו in 1 Sam 17:49 as "his greave" rather than "his forehead," thereby asserting that it was not Goliath's forehead but one of his greaves that David's stone hit. This article attempts to lend further support to that view by focusing on the rhetorical function of specific pieces of armament first cited in 17:5–7 and subsequently allowed to recur within the narrative. In light of the narrative's prevailing overall rhetoric against a faith in arms, it will be argued that there is every indication that the author/redactor has crafted his narrative intending מצחו in 17:49 to be referring to one of Goliath's greaves rather than his forehead.