David and Goliath" redirects here. For other uses, see David and Goliath (disambiguation).
This article is about the biblical warrior. For other uses, see Goliath (disambiguation).
David and Goliath, a colour lithograph by Osmar Schindler (c. 1888)

Goliath (/ɡəˈlaɪəθ/; Hebrew: גָּלְיָת, Modern Galyat, Tiberian Gāláyāth; Arabic: جالوت Ǧulyāt (Christian term), Ǧālūt (Qur'anic term)) of Gath (one of five city-states of the Philistines) was the Biblical warrior defeated by the young David in the Book of Samuel. Post-Classical Jewish traditions stressed his status as the representative of paganism, in contrast to David, the champion of the God of Israel. Christian tradition sees David's battle with Goliath the victory of God's king over the enemies of God's helpless people as a prefiguring of Jesus' victory over sin on the cross and the Church's victory over Satan.[1]

The phrase "David and Goliath" (or "David versus Goliath") has taken on a more popular meaning, denoting an underdog situation, a contest where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger