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Two issues concerning the relationship between Jonathan and David are discussed, one found at the beginning and the other at the end of their joint adventures as described in 1 Samuel. First, we consider how we should interpret the covenant between Jonathan and David. It is shown that this need not be interpreted positively in all respects. It is not mentioned anywhere that David inquired of Yahweh before making this covenant. It also looks like Jonathan lacked crucial information about Yahweh's rejection of Saul. In the end, their covenant is a pact between the rejected house of Saul and the elected house of David, which appears not to have been blessed by Yahweh. Second, it is investigated whether Jonathan has actually made a choice between his father, Saul, and his friend David. The narrative seems to hint that Jonathan has in fact chosen Saul's side. In the end, Jonathan decided not to stay with David but to return to his father's house. As a consequence, Jonathan fought Saul's battle and, ultimately, died with him, resulting in David's grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the well-known repetitions in the book of Judges, this article maps a number of meaningful cases of repetition in the form of parallel structures in chapters 1, 14–16 and 17–21. This special use of repetition can be regarded as characteristic of the editor who was responsible for the book in its final form. The analysis of this phenomenon helps to provide a better view of the structure of the book as a whole and to explain the function of the double references to the death of Joshua and to the twenty years of Samson as a judge. The specific use of parallel structures at the beginning and end of the book can also be related to theories that attempt to reconstruct the formation of the book and the way in which it is connected to both the preceding book of Joshua and the following book of Samuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single verse near the conclusion of 1 Samuel 17 mentions that after defeating Goliath, David took the giant's severed head to Jerusalem (1 Sam. 17.54). The present paper argues that this text's communicating of David's preeminence through his act of decapitation draws on the widespread understanding of heads as uniquely powerful and vulnerable, while triumph over a giant or monstrous body casts the future Israelite king as uniquely dominant over monstrous enemies at the physical extreme. Narratives of monster-combat that center an adversary's head and its subsequent display are widespread; the present paper discusses the Gilgamesh/Ḫumbaba and Perseus/Medusa narratives, with their corresponding visual art manifestations, to show how the biblical allusion to monstrous capital display functions socially and literarily to constitute David's power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of all the characters of the book of Judges none has more in common with the David of the socalled 'History of David's Rise' than Samson. A careful comparison of Judg. 13.1-16.3 with 1 Sam. 16-23 reveals numerous similarities between the two figures, including the way their slaying of lions presages their most striking acts, and the way in which Yahweh and Saul, respectively, use the prospect of marriage to manipulate them to attack Philistines. We also find parallels in their calls, relationship to the rûahḥ YHWH, relationship to family, and use of wisdom. These extensive similarities naturally lead us to consider the differences which may explain Samson's failure and David's success. David is a leader, while Samson acts solo; David is beloved while not loving anyone, while Samson loves without being loved himself. These observations support deuteronomistic ideology highlighting leaders and leadership, and devaluing human love for other humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to elucidate the nature and significance of the enigmatic mantle transfer rite involving Elijah and Elisha in 1 Kgs 19.19. When Yahweh instructs Elijah to anoint Elisha to be prophet in his place, Yahweh has a type of symbolic adoption in mind to take Elisha as an heir through the rite of mantle transfer. This article argues that Elijah's mantle is a marker of his identity, and that the conferment of his clothing is a means of claiming Elisha, who subsequently takes leave of his natural father (v. 20). Elijah and Elisha function in the northern kingdom as cultic prophets, performing duties typical of both prophet and priest, not unlike Samuel. This double role gives context for an analogy—or possible typology—for Elisha's inheritance with that of the Levitical priest in Deuteronomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to its superscription, Psalm 7 was uttered by David in reaction to ‘the words of Cush, a Benjaminite’, a reference that has produced a range of speculation. This study argues that the connection drawn between the psalm and the David story is prompted by similarities between the poem and a wide range of interconnected narratives in Samuel, all of which relate to David's restraint in his dealings with Saul and other Benjaminites. The specific episode involving Cush is best placed in the context of David's flight from Saul when he is hiding in the ‘strongholds’, in light of previously identified similarities to 1 Samuel 24 and newly identified parallels to 1 Chronicles 12. In this connection, a new solution is suggested for the psalm's problematic v. 5b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship on Samuel has acknowledged a pattern of instances where a central figure receives ‘news of death’. This article proposes a new version of this pattern, which takes into account an additional, pivotal case—the messenger’s report of the death of Uriah—and suggests that the pattern traces the central question of the future of Davidic kingship. David’s reaction to Uriah’s death marks a shift in attitude that calls into question the fate of his royal family, an attitude that is reversed in his response to the death of Bathsheba’s infant son. The events that follow, however, continue to threaten Davidic kingship in ways underscored by the ‘news of death’ scenes relating to the fall of Amnon and Absalom. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reconsiders 1 Samuel 13—15 and the negative characterization of Saul that has been perpetuated by subsequent interpreters. It considers the story of Saul’s reign in light of the account of the call for a king in 1 Samuel 8, where a narrative contrast is established between obedience to the people and obedience to God and where the subordination of the people to their king is prophesied. This article shows that a key element of 1 Samuel 13—15 is Saul’s preference for the will of the people and concludes that the fact that this contradicts the prophesied image of kingship in 1 Samuel 8 enables a more positive interpretation of Saul and his reign. Rather than a king who makes servants of his people, we encounter a king anxious to serve them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Numerous scholars maintain that the book of Ruth alludes to the Judah--Tamar narrative in order to provide a contrasting, wholesome portrait of the ancestry of David. This study argues that the book also alludes to the related narrative of David and Bathsheba, casting David's conduct in that episode as a departure from the favorable qualities of the bloodline modeled by Ruth and Boaz. The latter half of the book of Ruth contains three subtle features, each of which bears a unique resemblance to a feature of the Bathsheba tale; and in all three instances, it is proposed that the author of Ruth seeks to underscore a contrast between the characters in the two respective stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the semiotic patterns of the story of Saul's anointing in 1 Sam. 9.1-10.16, this article demonstrates that this narrative follows the conventions of 'action fiction' genres. By providing multiple enigmatic details, whose import becomes clear only in ch. 13, the narrative keeps the audience in suspense and thus not only entertains it but also draws its attention to the fact that Israel's first king was inaugurated clandestinely, under Philistine military occupation. This interpretation affirms the literary integrity of I Sam. 9-12 and identifies it (together with chs. 13-15 and in contradistinction to ch. 8) as a Deuteronomistic contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study intends to replace Martin Noth's Deuteronomistic History hypothesis with an approach that makes better use of all available data. Three thesis statements establish a new paradigm for future research. First, to the extent that they have Deuteronomy in view, the Former Prophets represent not a deuteronomistic ideology, but a Deuteronomic debate. Second, the like-minded intellectuals who produced these scrolls did not intend to create authoritative scripture because their writings were not intended for mass consumption. Third, each book of the Former Prophets presents a distinctive pattern of response to Deuteronomy, usually negative but occasionally positive. In sum, what we have in the Former Prophets is a conversation with Deuteronomy. What we do not have, except for a few late glosses, is deuteronomism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]