Was Goliath one of the Anakim? Perhaps. Joshua 11:22 says they hadn’t been destroyed in Gath.
Here come the Philistines again! This time, instead of all-out battle, they had decided on a contest. Each side was to provide a champion, and the winner would determine the outcome. To the southwest, the Philistine army “encamped…in Ephes Dammim” (1 Sam 17:1), a recurring battlefield whose name means “boundary of blood.” To the northeast, Saul’s army took up their position, with “the Valley of Elah” (v 2) separating the two. The Philistines had already selected their man, Goliath by name. At a height of 9’6”, the man was like a human tank, his coat of mail alone weighing in at “five thousand shekels of bronze” (v 5), about 220 pounds (100 kilos)! “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together” (v 10), he thundered across the valley. So how was big man Saul working out as Israel’s leader of choice? Face it. There will always be someone bigger, stronger, or smarter than you. That’s why we shouldn’t place our confidence in our personal riches, resources, or rationale. “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:31, AMP, citing Jer 9:24). Enter God’s lad. David had simply come to bring victuals to his brothers, serving in the army. But when he saw the standoff, and heard Goliath’s boast, he knew something had to be done. If he had indeed simply left the sheep and “come down to see the battle” (v 28) as big brother Eliab accused, David could have replied, “What battle? Who’s fighting?” Instead he asked, “Is there not a cause?” (v 29). There certainly was! As David would say to Saul, “he has defied the armies of the living God” (v 36). God’s honor was at stake. And if no one else would stand up for the Lord, David would. Say Christian, will you stand up for Him today?