• I and II Samuel (including story of David)

• General

• Warlike and tragic tone and content and psychology, contrasted to Ruth. Political vs. domestic.

• Arab proverb (radio 9/8/90): I against my brother; my brother and I against my cousin; my family against the world. (cf. Cain and Abel)

• Tension between prophetic authority of Judges and royal authority of Kings; topic is shift to latter from former

• resembles Gen. in preocc. with founding families at fulcrum of hist. change.

× scheme of hist. causation and divine justice.

× rivalry and differential fortunes, e.g. opening Eli story

× simultaneous elevation and devotion of individuals, families and the people

• (Rosenberg) Sam. maintains

• last few chapters of II Sam function as coda, symmetrically recapping earlier themes and motifs.

• A work of national self criticism: standards of prophets vs. monarchic style; rivalry between houses of Israel and Judah (Saul and David)

× Israel's tabernacle will become judah's temple; temple will be built then destroyed; david's house will outlast the temple

× themes: ark, priesthood, prophetic movements, phil wars, rivalries of Israel and Judal, Saul/David, estab of Jersualem, blood feud, role of king, service of king's officers, sexual intrigue, household strife, sibling conflict, parent vs. child.

• Summary and Commentary I Sam

• 1. Hannah conceives Samuel--"loan to lord"-- after barrenness and being scorned; vows no razor will touch him

• 2. Hannah's song of praise--last/first motif; God's power vs. man's; Samuel apprentice to priests; preferred over priests decadent sons

• 3. Eli--old man, dying, Lord's appearance rare. Lord's call to prophet; mistaken for Eli; promise to punish Eli's house; Sam. established as prophet; willingly by Eli.

• 4. Battle scene: Philistines win; Ark brought into camp; Hebrews shout; P. afraid but still win battle and capture ark. Eli dies at news

• 5.* Ark taken to Ashdod; Phil. God Dagon falls over (!) People get tumors; move ark to Gath, Ekron, chaos everywhere

• 6. At behest of priests, Ph. return ark along with guilt offering of golden tumors and mice; Hebrews who look into ark are slain by God.

• 7. Brought to house of Abinadab; Sam. preaches repentance; God repulses Ph. at Mizpah; all Ph. captured territory returned to Israel; Sam. judges all over on circuit many years--a high point, like David's and Solomons

• 8.* Sam. gets old; his sons also corrupt. People ask for a king; God is miffed; they should regard Him as King.

× Sam's warning about Kings: he'll draft sons, take daughters, best of fields and vineyards; enslave you

× People wont listen; want to be like all nations; king may govern us and fight our battles.

× God gives in

× ambivalence about kingship: both rebellion and self-assertion of people; desire to be like other nations, give up chosen status

• 9.* Saul introduced: wealthy, handsome and uniquely tall

× searches for his father Kish's asses; needs seer; Samuel mystifies Saul by treating him like King; Saul is humble

• 10. Sam. anoints Saul King

× Saul Prophecies --proverb: " Is Saul also among the prophets?"

× Sam. predicts that asses will be forgotten, both by Kish and Saul; "god gave him another heart"

× Saul hides among the baggage before

• 11. Saul consolidates rule over people by leading triumphant battle over Ammonites, gains loyalty

• 12. Sam. preaches, warning and retrospective

• 13. Saul and son Jonathan battles Ph.

• 14. Jon. makes unauthorized sneak attack; rallies troops; Saul makes pledge no one shall eat till he's avenged on enemies; Jon. didn't hear; dips staff in honey; eyes become bright (cf. Eden) ; Saul angry when Jon. confesses; people ransom J. Saul relents-- weakness as leader

• 15.* Sam. tells Saul God says to massacre Amalekites for old grudge; Saul kills all except Agag and the good livestock; God is angry; repents choice of Saul, who makes monument for himself (typical king).

× Sam. confronts him; Saul evades the accusation; finally repents; says he feared the people instead of God; Sam. grieves and condemns; won't see him till he dies; God repents choosing Saul (God not appealing)

× Problem with Saul--he's still among prophets; lacks true qualities of kingship; can't control his own inspiration; power only God's. Final recourse to necromancy (Joel Rosenberg, 128)

• 16.* God makes a second choice (cf. Genesis (Noah), Ruth, etc.) through Sam.'s secret mission to Jesse's house; doesn't pick the eldest or largest--Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on outward appearance, but Lord looks on the heart."

× parade down to youngest son keeping sheep (last/first)--beautiful eyes, handsome--David chosen.

× Evil spirit torments Saul; selects David (unkowingly) to play lyre to comfort him; loves David

× [David's preference of house of Saul to his own, where he's not recognized, youngest son]]

• 17.* Goliath, the Giant--epic narrative; alternative introduction of David to 16 (cf. Opening of Gen.--doubling story adds emphasis?)

× taunt and challenge--single combat determines war

× Junior brother sent to take grain to senior soldiers

× fairy tale narrative: D asks who is this; older brother is angry; D. before Saul says he can do it though mere shepherd; cant use armor, just stones; goliath disdains him

× after triumph, D. identifies himself

× [David's political savvy and ambition contrast to Saul; never manifests prophetic ecstasy (Rosenberg)129]

• 18.*Jon. loves him; gives D. his armor; Saul makes him general.

× Women sang: "Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands"

× Saul angry and paranoid; David plays lyre for him; Saul throws spear at him twice. Sends him away as general; people love D.

× S. plots to get rid of David [malicious plot--Potiphar's wife, etc.]

× David and Michal: she loves D., tells Saul; he sends David on task to get 100 Phil. foreskins as marriage offer; he brings back 200

• 19.* S. tries to get Jon. to kill David

× J. tells D. and offers to spy, and tries to convince Saul to stop, but Saul lies to him

× Michal helps David escape Saul's assassin out window; makes decoy; lies to Saul that she had to because D. theatened her.

× Saul chases David to Sam. where D. hides and is diverted by being forced to prophecy, repeating ironically " Is Saul also among the prophets.

• 20. Jonathan conspires to protect D. from Saul

• 21. David flees into first exile; plays mad before Achish of Gath; settles parents in Moab

• 22. D. hides in Caves; gains following; Saul kills Ahimelech and other priests who helped David; his own men wont do it, only Doeg, the Edomite.

• 23. Despite danger from Saul, at behest of God, David delivers Keilah from Phili. ; then hides in wilderness

• 24.* Saul goes to pee in cave at Engedi, where D. hides. Stealthily cuts off piece of Saul's robe, but protects Saul from his men--the Lord's anointed. D. calls after Saul, showing his innocence, repaying evil with good.

× Saul repents tearfully; acknowledges David's future kingship and exacts promise of saving his descendants. [David's investment in sacrosanct kingship]

× notice narrative: suspense in Saul's answer, point of view, tone of voice, allusion

• 25. Samuel dies; Nabal insults David; Abigail convinces him not to take vengeance; D. is grateful for her rest raint; N. dies; D. takes her as wife.

• 26. David spares Saul again; S. repents again

• 27. D. dwells with Philistine, Achish; pillages other tribes

• 28. After Sam. dies, Saul consults witch of Endor in disguise; Sam. conjured; disguise unmasked; Saul freaks; Endor feeds him; he leaves

• 29. Phil. lords wont accept David on their side; Achish makes him leave

• 30. D. recovers all spoils from Amelkite raid; insists they be shared among troops too weary to fight

• 31. Philistines kill Jon., defeat Saul who falls on his own sword

• Summary and commentary II Sam.

• 1. Amelekite reports killing Saul at his request, brings David crown; David weeps and has him killed

× lament for Saul and tribute--good poem: "how the mighty are fallen and the weapons of war perished" cf. Hannah's triumph song in I Sam. 2

• 2. God commands David's every move; to Hebron, where he's anointed

× Ishbotheth, Saul's son rules in Israel; David in Judah. Abner, I's general; Joab D's general; gruesome personal combat by 12 warriors on each side; David's win. Abner unsuccessfully tries to convince Joab to make peace

• 3. Long war between house of Saul and David; David's gets stronger, Saul's weaker

× Abner gets into conflict with Ish. over one of saul's concubines and goes over to David

× David demands he bring Michal along; Michal's new husband sent away

× Joab treacherously kills Abner, out of jealousy and to revenge old grudge; David upset, curses Joab's house; exonerates himself from responsibility, mourns Abner

× [David's job: political unification of rival tribes]

• 4. Rechab and Baanah bring Ish.'s head to David; he has them killed; doesn't want to encourage treachery against Saul's house

• 5. Israel asks for David's kingship and anoints him

× D. takes Jerusalem (Zion) from Jebusites; Hiram builds him a house; his rule is consolidated; god with him; takes more concubines and wives

× God leads him in victory over Philistines

• 6.* D. brings ark up to Jer. with singing and dancing; David leaps and dances before it

× one delay on the way.

× Michal, Saul's daughter, watches through window; despises him--other perspective at moment of David's greatest triumph. Makes sarcastic comment about D's nakedness in dance. David retorts that he will offend her more, but other women will like it. Michal will have no more children

× [David using marriage for political means of stabilizing kingdom; also in bring ark "home" creating civil rather than prophetic, charismatic religion] [Alter's analysis of the story of this relationship 119-126.]

• 7. God speaks to D. through prophet Nathan promising prosperity and fame; shows future generations; David prays long speech of thanks

• 8. D. conquers and reigns.

• 9. Is kind to Meshibosheth, Sauls grandson

• 10. Defeats Ammonites and Syrians; peace established

• 11. *More battle, but David stays at home. [political relevance of D's non-combatant stance; military vs. court society] D. sees beautiful woman bathing. Bath-Sheba. Sends for her; she gets pregnant.

× Under pretext of getting mil. report, D. talks to Uriah, tries to get him to go home to sleep with Bath. Uriah, good soldier, refuses

× David writes to Joab to put Uriah in frontline where he'll be killed; Joab does it but sends back messenger to make David show his hand; D. humiliates himself before the messenger

× Bathsheba mourns and is taken as David's wife; bears him a son.

× God is displeased

• 12. * Nathan tells D. parable (more indirect speech) that traps David into expressing outrage against his own deed. David caught and condemned by God through Nathan. Punishment: no peace; evil raised up in your own house; because of secrecy, David will be publically humiliated by having his wives slept with by neighbor

× David admits and repents; also his child by Bath. will die; David fasts and hopes, but child dies; David feels despair; then conceives a second son.

× Joab wins another battle and enslaves more people.

• 13.* Absalom story--[Women as focus of trouble][political dimension: David's attempt to create stability by marrying many women from differnt tribes leads to intrafamilial rivalries, evidenced in absalom taking over father's concubines. Rosenberg 135]

× Amnon is lovesick for Tamar, his half-sister and sister of Absalom, David's son. Jonadab suggest scheme: play sick get her to nurse and then...

× Vivid rape narrative; Amnon's love afterward turns to hate; she is wronged; Absalom nurses revenge.

× Absalom kills Amnon and flees; David grieves first for Amnon and then for Absalom's departure.

• 14. Joab schemes to reconcile king and Absalom

× (like Nathan Parable) has old woman tell David story of intrafamilial feud; David suggests peacemaking strategy; woman applies it to him. David agrees to forgive Absalom; Joab then (inexplicably) fails to function as intermediary till Absalom burns his field; finally David and Absalom reconciled and Abs. returns.

• 15. Absalom's exceptional beauty; his growing ambition; goes to Hebron and declares himself king; Ahithophel, David's counselor, joins conspiracy. David flees Jerusalem in distress; leaves behind Hushai as spy.

• 16. * David's agony and mercy on his enemy, Shimei, who throws stones at him. Following Achit.'s counsel, Abs. publically goes into David's concubines on the roof of the palace, strengthening his political power. (also fulfilling God's prophecy)

• 17. * Ach's counsel (he's in love with Absalom) stymied by Hushai's interference; his messengers sent to David with report--great suspense, hiding in well, etc.--David warned to flee over Jordan

× Ach. hangs himself when he sees his counsel not followed

× Abs. chases David into wilderness; people start to support him

• 18.* D. musters army; they wont let him be exposed to battle; asks them to deal gently with Abs. Abs. gets head caught in oak tree; left hanging; Joab kills him. David receives the news in great agony; narrative makes much of two messengers delivering them.

• 19. Victory turned to mourning [compensation principle; David's humanity restored? first personal rather than political voice (alter)]. Joab makes D. aware of political need for king to appreciate and lead people

• Mephib. and Shimei prostrate themselves before David and are forgiven.

• Israel and Judah squabble over which tribe the King belongs to

• 20. Following Sheba, Israel abandons David as he returns to Jer.

• reclaims concubines but wont go into them

• Joab pursues Sheba and treacherously kills a rival general of David, Amasa; besieges Abel; old woman arranges to have Sheba's head thrown to Joab; siege lifted.

• 21. God sends famine; tells David to hand compensate Gibeonites for Saul's excess brutality to them; David hands over seven of Saul's descendants, who are hanged; then gives proper burial to Saul and Jonathan

• D. fights Phil.; tires

• 22. David's song of victory and thanks--Deliverance

• impressive statement of gratitude and evocation of God's strength; includes questionable claim of his own perfect purity (21-4)

• 23. Song continues with "oracle" in praise of good king; catalog of David's heros, ending with Uriah the Hittite (suggests the reader's scepticism about DAvid's claims of purity)

• 24. Lord is angry with Israel (no reason given); incites David against them by having David take a census

• Joab tactfully objects but carries it out

• David feels guilty and repents for iniquity; through prophet Gad, God offers him choice of three punishments: three years of famine, three months of defeats by foes, three days of pestilence. David chooses God's mercy rather than man's. Angel of death slays 70,000. God says enough; then David says take me and my family instead of them. David insists on buying Araunah's threshing floor to raise altar; then plague is averted.

• emphasis of ending of book is rebuke of David's arrogance.