And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants.
We have here the story of some conflicts with the Philistines, which happened, as it should seem, in the latter end of David's reign. Though he had so subdued them that they could not bring any great numbers into the field, yet as long as they had any giants among them to be their champions, they would never be quiet, but took all occasions to...
Commenting on 2 Samuel 21:15-22
And when he defied Israel,.... The armies of Israel, as Goliath had done some years ago, Sa1 17:10, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him; this brother of David is called Shammah, Sa1 16:9; and Shimma, Ch1 2:13; this son of his is another man from Jonadab his son, who was famous for his subtlety as this was for his valour, Sa2 13:3.
On every hand six fingers - This is not a solitary instance: Tavernier informs us that the eldest son of the emperor of Java, who reigned in 1648, had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. And Maupertuis, in his seventeenth letter, says that he met with two families near Berlin, where sedigitism was equally transmitted on both sides of father and mother.