Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Brian Roberts <formoria AT carolina.rr.com>]

Has anyone seriously given attention to the possibility that David and 
El-hanan (both variously said to have slain Goliath) could be one and 
the same person? I've read online looking for papers, but I find nothing 
more probing than the assertion in the Encyclopedia Judaica that Elhanan 
was David's original name. This would seem to be a natural avenue to 
explore, given the ancient Hebrews' penchant for evolving names over 
time. In a cursory look, it could  be argued that II Sam. 11:19 
represents the first recording of Elhanan, while I Chron. 20:5 is a 
later writer's attempt to understand the two stories and avoid 
confusion. Was "David" a title (champion) used elsewhere for others?) Is 
ja'are an error for ja'ir and are both errors for Jesse?

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Best SAlaams,

Brian Roberts