OT II 6. First Samuel.

OT II 6. First Samuel

Post - Test In Jewish tradition, the book of Ruth is read in the synagogue: In Pentecost In Passover On Yom Kippur On Rash Hashanah In the feast of Tabernacles

Post - Test The Hebrew word hesed, means: Jealousy Envy Friendship
Contractual obligations Fedility

Post - Test The Word “Go’el” in Hebrew means: Savior Redeemer
Care-giver Next of kin

Post- Test Write the genealogy from Rahab to king David

Pre - Test Regarding 1 Samuel; All correct except:
The story of Saul is covered in chapters 8-15 The story of Samuel & Eli is found in chapters 1-7 The Story of King David is found in chapters 14-31 The exile of the Ark is found in chapters 4-6 The story of Hanna is in chapters 1,2

Pre - Test The book of first Samuel is concerned with:
The transition to monarchy The division of the kingdom The wars with the Philistines The building of the Temple

Pre - Test In His first talk to Samuel, God told Samuel:
Of what will happen to the Ark Of what will happen to the High priest’s house Of His displeasure with the people Of the need to anoint the first king Of the need to build the Temple

Pre - Test The only woman to be said that she loved a man in the Bible is: Michal Abigail Merab, Saul’s older daughter Bathsheba Abishag

Pre - Test In the Coptic church, we read psalm 151: During Lent
On Great Friday of Pascha On Joyous Saturday On Holy Resurrection Matins In the Resurrection Praise service

Pre - Test David assurance of victory over Goliath can be attributed to: His previous experience in fighting wild beasts Personal zeal for God His friendship with Samuel His speed and experience with the slingshot Events happening in chapter 16

Pre - Test David’s anointment and facing Goliath are to be found in 1Samuel: Chapters 8 & 9 Chapters 11 & 12 Chapters 16 & 17 Chapters 18 & 19 Chapters 20 & 21

Pre - Test There are some differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew texts in 1Samuel chapter 17, these include all except: In the Hebrew text; David and his family are introduced as new characters (vv ) In the Hebrew text; David is with his family in Bethlehem and not with Saul In the Hebrew text; Saul does not know David (vv ). Septuagint version lacks , and In the Septuagint, David does not talk to Saul

Pre - Test A Shekel is approximately: 1 ounce 0.1 ounce 20 grams

Introduction In the Hebrew Bible, first Samuel and second Samuel were one book (the third of the former prophets) It is the 4th of the historical books in the Septuagint. The division of the book in 1st and 2nd Samuel is artificial, since it is one continuous account. I contains the history of transition from Judges to the kings.

Authorship The author is anonymous. And there is no reference to an author in the book. Jewish tradition attributes it to Samuel, while Nathan and Gad the prophets supplied the materials concerning the years following Samuel death (25:1). Old Testament prophets generally served as historians of their times, which make it very possible that the materials in this book were compiled by an unamed prophet from the writings of Samuel, Gad and Nathan

Authorship The work was named after the prophet Samuel (b. B. Bat. 14b) , because the story of his birth opens the book and he is the principal figure in the first part. He greatly influenced events during his life and even after his death, since he anointed the first two kings, whose actions and fate occupy the major part of the book of Samuel. In the book of Samuel itself one source is mentioned: the Book of Jashar, from which David's elegy for Saul and Jonathan was taken (2 Sam. 1.18).

1 Samuel - Outline 31 Chapters – Three parts: Samuel: 1-7 Saul: 8-15
David: (Anointed 16 – Goliath 17)

1 Samuel- Persons Samuel, the only person in the Hebrew Bible whose biography begins before his birth and extends after his death, acted as both judge and prophet. Saul, the first king, who led Israel after Samuel, is depicted in most of the book as an unstable character. When he tries to free himself from Samuel's stern tutelage, a break ensues between the two men, and Saul is rejected in favor of David-the focal figure in both books.

1 Samuel - Persons David, as opposed to Saul, is generally portrayed in a favorable light. His personality is many-faceted and richer than any other figure in the Bible. He is a strong leader, successful in war and peace, a gifted musician and poet, deeply religious, endowed with a strong sense of justice, respectful and loyal towards Saul. Only in his dealings with his children does he appear weak. He sins, abusing his power, but repents wholeheartedly. At the peak of his reign he receives God's promise that his dynasty will reign forever.

1 Samuel – Transition of Powers
1 Samuel describes the transition from the rule of the judges to the monarchic system of government. It tells of the foundation of the monarchy and its early struggles, paying special attention to questions concerning the rights, duties, and restrictions of the kings. It depicts how, through clashes between King Saul and the prophet Samuel, and between King David and the prophet Nathan, a type of kingship emerged that radically differed from the absolute kingship prevalent in the ancient Near East.

1 Samuel – Transition of Power
According to the Bible, kings in Israel were not allowed to do whatever they fancied. They were subject to a higher power and to the rule of law and morality, upheld by the prophets. The book also deals with the transfer of government from the old leaders to the new. Though hereditary succession was not unknown (see esp. Judg. chs 6--9), the three leaders Eli, Samuel, and Saul were not succeeded by their sons, but by others-each of whom had initially been under the patronage of his predecessor. The transfer was effected smoothly in the case of Eli and Samuel, with difficulty in the case of Samuel and Saul, and with bitter conflict in the case of Saul and David, culminating in Saul's recurring attempts to kill David.

Repetition of Stories The election of Saul ( ; ), his rejection by Samuel ( ; 15·9-33), David's first meeting with Saul ( ; )7, 55-58), the killing of Goliath (in one case by David, in the other by Elhanan, ; 2 Sam resolved in 1 Chron. 20.5), Saul's attempt to kill David by throwing his spear at him (18.1o-11; ), David's escape from Saul ( ; ), his taking refuge with Achish ( ; ; ), and his refusal to kill Saul when he had the opportunity to do so ( ; ). The origin of the saying, "Is Saul too among the prophets?" is explained twice and in different ways ( ; ), and there are two divergent accounts of Saul's death (31.1-7; 2 Sam ).

Part I - Samuel Chapters 1-7: 1: Hanna’s Situation
2: Hanna’s prayer, Eli and his sons condition 3: God calls Samuel 4: The fulfillment of God’s words 5: The Ark in the land of the Philistines. 6: The return of the Ark 7: The “Samuel Narrative”

Hanna 1-2 The structure of Hannah's vow is typical of vows in the Bible: First a condition is stated, and this is followed by a commitment if the condition is fulfilled (cf. Gen. 28.2o-22; Judg. 11.3o-31). Here the vow is preceded by an invocation of God. Long hair was characteristic of Nazirites, who devoted themselves to God (Num. 6.5). The word "Nazirite" is actually used by the Septuagint in the present v. and by the Dead Sea manuscript 4QSam in v. 22. Samuel is also called a Nazirite in the book of Sirach (46.13).

Hanna 1,2 Silent prayer was uncommon.
"sha'al" = ask recurs in the narrative several times, more than is expressed in the translation. When the child is born his mother named him Samuel (connected with Sha ul’me’el” = asked from God. Weaning used to take place after several years; according to 2 Mace after three years. One ephah, about 23 -liters (21 quarts). Hannah uses the same words as Eli did before (v. 17), to indicate to the priest that his blessing has materialized.

The Song of Hanna The LORD is the cause of all changes in life.
Sheol the place beneath the earth, where, according to biblical belief, all people go after death. Sheol differs from the "'olam haba'" (the next world), the belief in which developed in Judaism in the Second Temple period, because in Sheol there is no retribution and all its inhabitants are equal, without regard to their former status or behavior in life. Jewish interpretation of 2:6 Raising up from Sheol does not refer to resurrection from death-a later belief as well-but to deliverance from near death (see Ps ).

Chapter 2 The little robe Hannah made every year for Samuel symbolizes her enduring Jove for him. 2:22 And how they lay: The sin of lying with these women (d. Exod. 38.8) is mentioned neither before in the narrative nor afterwards by the man of God; in the Dead Sea manuscript 4QSam and Septuagint this part of the verse does not occur. 23-25: Eli's rebuke is concerned with the reports the people spread about and the punishment threatening his sons rather than with their sins.

Chapter 2 2:30 “ For I honor those who honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored.” 35: Faithful and enduring: The Heb uses the same word, indicating that because the priest will be faithful, his house shall be enduring. Possibly the priest meant is Zadok, who replaced Abiathar, a descendant of Eli in 1 Kings 2:27 “So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.”

Chapter 3 – God Calls Samuel
a: Revelation. God's revelation to Samuel, which elevates him to the rank of prophet, contains a second message of calamity to the house of Eli. The narrative consists of five parts: an introduction, dialogues between Eli and Samuel, the revelation (in the center), again dialogue between Eli and Samuel, and a conclusion.

1-3: The exposition supplies the background information. Because tl1e word of the Lo1w was rare and propl1ecy (i.e., revelations) was not widespread, neither Samuel nor Eli recognizes at first who is calling. In this way an ironic situation is created (dramatic irony). Samuel, who waits upon the almost blind Eli, sleeps near the Ark of God

(from where God's voice is heard, see Exod ). The lamp of God, which used to burn from evening to morning (Exod. 27.2o-21), had not yet gone out-so it is still night. In his innocence and humility, it does not enter Samuel's mind that it is God who is calling to him. Though aware that he was mistaken before, he again and again gets up and goes to Eli.

6: To reassure Samuel, Eli fondly adds my son. 7: The v. is inserted at this particular point in order to explain why at the third call the inexperienced Samuel still does not understand who is calling, whereas Eli now realizes that it is the LORD. 10: Samuel's state of awe causes him not to add "LORD" in his response, as Eli has instructed him to do

Chapter 4 – Fulfillment of God’s Words
The name Palestine was derived in the Hellenistic-Roman period came from the area of the Aegean Sea and settled on the eastern Mediterranean coast about 1200 BCE. According to the Bible their origin was from Caphtor (Jer. 47.4; Amos 9.7), which is identified with Crete. Archeological excavations in the coastal cities have brought their material culture to light, but little is known of their spiritual culture. Having better fighting equipment, including chariots, they were militarily superior to Israel

3: It was not unusual to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, as a physical sign of the presence of the LORD (see 2 Samuel 11:11). 13: Trembli11g for the Ark of God, more than for his sons. 17: The bad news is conveyed in increasing order, seen from Eli's perspective. 18 When he mentioned the Ark of God, [Eli] fell backward off the seat beside the gate, broke his neck and died; for he was an old man and heavy. He had been a Judge of Israel for forty years.

21-22: Names were usually given by the mothers. Ichabod means "no-glory," or "where is glory." Glory (Heb "kavod") is elsewhere associated with divine presence and especially with the Ark (e.g., Exod ; Pss ; 79.9). In the explanation of the name the capture of the Ark is emphasized. Instead of departed and gone the Heb reads "exiled”

Chapter 5 – The Ark in the Land of the Philistines
5.1-12: The hand of the LORD. In spite of Israel's defeat and the capture of the Ark, the LORD's rule over the Philistines and His superiority to their god are evident and recognized by the Philistines themselves.

The narrator takes no interest in the political and military consequences of their victory: their penetration into the heart of the country and the destruction of Shiloh and its sanctuary (see Jer ; Ps ). "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel” Jer “So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,” Ps

He is concerned only with their affliction by the hand of the LORD (which is mentioned four times in this ch and three times in the next). The recurrence of the situations in the temple of Dagon and in the Philistine towns shows that the described misfortunes did not happen accidentally. The narrative makes fun of the Philistines

the five cities of the Philistines Ashdod Gaza, Gath, Ekron, and Ashkelon. 2: Dagon, the Near Eastern god of grain, who was adopted by the Philistines. Placing war trophies in the sanctuary was not uncommon (see 21.10; 31.10).

3-5: The description of Dagon lying face down on the ground before the Ark makes a mockery of the Philistine god; this is even more pronounced when the fallen god has also lost his head and hands. The mockery extends to the custom not to tread on the threshold because parts of the god have lain on it (d. Zeph. 1.9). To this day: A temple of Dagon stood at Ashdod as late as the Maccabean period (1 Mace ; 11.4).

6: Hemorrhoids: Cf. Ps , where "He beat back his foes" is explained in the ancient Aramaic translation of Jonathan: "He beat his foes with hemorrhoids at their back." Some scholars, however, identify the disease as bubonic plague, since instead of hemorrhoids, the Heb reads "tumors," which are characteristic of bubonic plague, and Septuagint mentions mice, which are known to have spread it. In addition, hemorrhoids are neither fatal nor epidemic, whereas according to vv the disease in question was.

Chapter6 – The Return of The Ark
4-5: The golden hemorrhoids and golden mice correspond to the nature of the plagues; they are a gift to honor the God of Israel and to appease Him. The mice that are ravaging the land by destroying the grain crops are a blow to Dagon, the god of grain (but see also 5.6 n.). Upon you, who are afflicted by disease, and your gods, who are deeply humiliated, and your land, which is ravaged by mice.

6: The precedent of Egypt (see also 4.8) serves to convince those Philistines who, believing that their misfortunes happened by chance (see v. 9), are still unwilling to part with their precious trophy. 7: As a mark of reverence for the Ark, the cart and the cows transporting it should not have been defiled by previous use. Cows were kept for work rather than for milk or meat; milch cows would have young calves and naturally be drawn to them.

12: The cows went straight ahead, as if they knew the way. Lowing as they went, better, "lowing continuously." This seemingly unimportant fact is mentioned in order to show the distress of the cows at being unable to follow their instinctive urge and return to their calves. 19: The number fifty thousand is far too big for a little town like Beth-shemesh. Read only seventy, as in Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus. 20: God's holiness is awesome-approaching the Ark, without being consecrated, involves peril of death (Num ). The Ark cannot return to Shiloh because the town has been destroyed.

Chapter 7 – The Samuel Narrative
7.2-17: The spiritual leader: After the Ark narrative, in which Samuel was not mentioned at all, the present narrative again focuses on him. Samuel is the last of the judges, but unlike most of his predecessors, he does not deliver Israel from its enemies by military means. His leadership is religious and judicial. The narrative demonstrates that if Israel gets rid of its idols and serves the LORD alone, it will overcome its enemies and live in peace.

2: Twenty years, half a generation. This number fits the chronology of the book of Judges, which is based on periods of forty years, but also twenty and eighty years. 3-4: Ashtaroth (plural), images of Ashtoreth, the main Canaanite goddess (of fertility and love). Baalim (plural), images of Baal, the god of heaven and earth, who was the head of the Canaanite pantheon. The removal of foreign deities is also mentioned in Gen ; Josh ; Judg. 10:16.

5: There was probably a religious center at Mizpah, where the community used to assemble before the LORD (see Judg. 20.1; 1 Sam ). Samuel, who later became renowned for his success in praying (Jer. 15-1; Ps. 99.6), will beseech the LORD to forgive Israel its sins and deliver them from the Philistines. 6: The ritual of pouring out water is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. In the Second Temple period water was poured out on the festival of Sukkoth, probably as a request for rain. But here it is done as a request for remission of sins, just as are the prayer, fasting, and confession.

Instead of acted as chieftain, which suggests a connection to the preceding book of Judges, the Heb may be translated "acted as magistrate" (cf. Moses sitting as magistrate, Exod ). 9: According to Jewish traditional interpretation sacrifice was permitted everywhere before there was a central sanctuary. Modern scholarship, however, holds that sacrifice outside the central sanctuary became prohibited only when the law of Deuteronomy, demanding centralization of the cult, was introduced during the reign of King Josiah (64o-609 BCE). See notes to Deut.

15-17: 5 Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. 16 Each year he made the rounds of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and acted as judge over Israel at all those places. 17Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there too he would judge Israel. He built an altar there to the LORD. In order to facilitate the administration of justice Samuel makes yearly rounds of the towns in the central region of the country, going out to the people instead of requiring them to come to him.

Part II – King Saul Chapters 8 – 15: The people asks for a king
Saul looks for the lost donkeys Samuel anoints and proclaims Saul a king The first war of Saul Samuel Transfers leadership to Saul Saul fight against the Philistines and his disobedience Saul second fight against the Philistines and his vow Saul fight against Amalek and his 2nd fatal disobedience

Chapter 8 – The People ask for a king
7 and the LORD replied to Samuel, "Heed the demand of the people in everything they say to you. For it is not you that they have rejected; it is Me they have rejected as their king. 19But the people would not listen to Samuel's warning. "No," they said. "We must have a king over us, 2Dthat we may be like all the other nations: Let our king rule over us and go out at our head and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he reported it to the LoRD. 22 And the LoRn said to Samuel, "Heed their demands and appoint a king for them." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "All of you go home."

Chapter 8 – The People ask for a king
20: The people want a king to rule the country in times of peace and lead the army in times of war. Go out at our head is a military term (see 18.13). 22: Because of Samuel's objection the LORD reiterates His command (v. 7), adding explicitly that Samuel appoint a king. Samuel, however, not eager to execute the order, does not transmit this to the people, but tells them to go home. Samuel represent the old system (the confederacy) which proven to be not ideal in facing the repeated threats.

Chapter 9 – Saul looks for the lost Donkeys
: The anointing. The story of the young man who went to search for lost asses and found a kingdom is told vividly. Everything happens in a natural way, yet, as elsewhere in the Bible (see esp. the Joseph story in Genesis), God's directing the course of events is manifested in the "accidental" occurrences. Only thanks to his persevering servant-and against his own intention-does Saul happen to get to Samuel's town, and only thanks to the chance encounter with some girls does he enter the town at the precise moment when Samuel comes out, thus meeting the prophet who will anoint him.

Chapter 9 – Saul looks for the Lost Donkeys
7"But if we go," Saul said to his servant, "what can we bring the man? For the food in our bags is all gone, and there is nothing we can bring to the man of God as a present. What have we got?" 8The servant answered Saul again, "I happen to have a quarter-shekel of silver. I can give that to the man of God and he will tell us about our errand."-9forrnerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," for the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.-10Saul said to his servant, "A good idea; let us go." And they went to the town where the man of God lived.

8: Were it not for the quarter-shekel (a measure of weight, approximately 2.5 gram or a little less than 0.1 oz.) of silver the servant happened to possess, Saul and Samuel would not have met. 9: This explanatory note, which separates Saul's reply from the servant's proposal, is inserted here in order to explain the term "seer" in v. 11 and to provide the background for the expression "come, let us go" (so in the Heb), used by Saul in v. 10.

15 Now the day before Saul carne, the LORD had revealed the following to Samuel: 16 "At this time tomorrow, I will send a man to you from the territory of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him ruler of My people Israel. He will deliver My people from the hands of the Philistines; for I have taken note of ”My people” their outcry has come to Me.

15-16: The revelation shows that the "accidental" occurrences were guided by God. The term ruler ("nagid") designates in the book of Samuel a governor who is appointed by God, whereas "king" ("melekh") connotes nomination by the people. The repetitions of My people here and in v. 17 indicate God's affectionate relationship with Israel. Their outcny has come to Me, cf. Exod. 3·9·

27 As they were walking toward the end of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to walk ahead of us"and he walked ahead-"but you stop here a moment and I will make known to you the word of God." 27: Saul's anointing must be kept secret because of the Philistines.

Chapter 10 - Samuel anoints and proclaims Saul a king
Pouring Oil 2-6: The three signs are to convince Saul of the truth of Samuel's words and to persuade him that he will indeed be king. 2: The tradition that the tomb of Rachel, the ancestress of Saul's tribe Benjamin, was located near Ramah in Benjaminite territory contradicts the tradition that it was near Bethlehem (Gen ), but is corroborated by Jer :

From the items intended for the sanctuary of Bethel two loaves of bread will be given to Saul, whose food has run out (9.7). 5: The Hill of God (Gibeah of God) is also called Gibeah of Saul, Gibeah of Benjamin, or just Gibeah. Music served to induce a state of ecstasy (see 2 Kings ).15). The ecstatic, communal prophets were essentially different from the later literary prophets. 6: Tile spirit of tile LORD manifests itself in some exceptional ability, like prophesying or leadership.

8: Samuel informs Saul of their relationship right from the beginning: The king is subordinate to the prophet and must follow his instructions. 9: Another heart, another personality. From a simple, diffident peasant Saul is transformed into a charismatic leader. 10-12: The episode demonstrates that Saul has become another man

12: And who are their fathers, a disdainful rhetorical question. The other prophets do not come from distinguished families like Saul, which makes his affiliation with them even more astonishing. "Is Saul too among the prophets?" The proverb, whose origin is explained differently at 19.24, expresses surprise at a person who engages in something foreign to him or associates with people unlike himself. 16: The last sentence may also be translated: "But he did not tell him anything about the kingship, as Samuel had said." In compliance with Samuel's instructions Saul keeps the kingship a secret, even from his close relatives.

Chapter 11 -The first war of Saul
Acts like the Judges Not interested in being a king but has the charismatic spirit Responds to the Ammonite threat – king Nahash Cuts the oxen and sends the pieces – to stir people to fear and anger. Wins his first war

Chapter 12 - Samuel Transfers leadership to Saul
Samuel address is similar to St Paul’s to the priests of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-24) 18: The miracle demonstrates both the anger o£ the LORD and the power of Samuel's prayer. In the land of Israel rain only falls from the late £all to the early spring. Rain during the harvest in the summer would cause the crop to spoil 23: Samuel, whose authority is reconfirmed by the miracle, will continue to represent the people before God by means of prayer and represent God before the people by means of instruction. 25: The fate of the people and the king are intertwined.

Chapter 13: Saul fight against the Philistines and his disobedience
: The king's failure and the prince's success. Saul, in his first war against the Philistines, dreads their superior force, whereas Jonathan his son, convinced that God can grant victory "by many or by few" (14-6), takes action and achieves an impressive victory. 8-15a: The episode of Samuel's clash with Saul connects with 10.8, where Samuel explicitly told Saul to wait for him

9: It was customary to offer a sacrifice before battle (see 7.10). There are several instances of kings sacrificing, e.g., David (2 Sam. 6.17), Solomon (1 Kings ), Jeroboam (1 Kings 13.1).

11-12: To Samuel's short question, Saul, to justify himself, gives a lengthy answer. 13-14: Samuel is angry that Saul did not obey him and offered the sacrifice, a task that Samuel, as religious leader, wished to retain for himself. Samuel acknowledges Saul as the political leader of the people, not as the religious one. The words commandments and commanded are in Heb of the same root as appoint (tz-v-h), thus connecting the punishment with the sin according to the principle of measure for measure. Ruler, see n.

19-22: The Israelites are inferior to the Philistines not only in number, but also in the quality of their weapons. Not being allowed by the Philistines to manufacture or repair iron tools (the period described coincides with the beginning of the Iron Age), they do not have iron weapons, and are also dependent on the Philistines for the (expensive) maintenance of their agricultural implements

Chapter 14: Saul second fight against the Philistines and his vow
24: Saul does not want the people to pause in the pursuit of the Philistines, but the result of his curse is that they become faint from hunger (cf. the rash vow of Jephthah, which also afflicted his own child, Judg. 11.3o-31).

32-34: It was forbidden to eat meat with the blood, which was considered to be the life (Lev ; Deut ). Accordingly, for meat to be kosher, rabbinic law requires that all traces of blood be meticulously removed. By slaughtering on the ground the blood will not drain out properly and will mix with the meat, whereas by slaughtering on a stone the blood can drain out and flow down, leaving the meat fit for consumption.

36-39: It was customary to inquire of God before going to battle (Num ). The lack of response is an indication of guilt : The guilty person was found by means of the Urim and Thummim. These were lots allowing only yes-or no answers (cf. Saul's questions in v. 37), so the people had to be divided into two groups, one group being indicated at each stage. From the fuller Septuagint reading the method becomes clear: The appearance of Urim meant yes; of Thummim, no (the omission in the Masoretic Text is probably due to haplography, the copyist's eye skipping from the first Israel to the last).

45: Not a hair of his /rend shall fa ll to the ground: The same hyperbolic expression occurs in 2 Sam ; 1 Kings Saved, lit. "redeemed." Although Jonathan did not hear his father's oath, he is considered formally guilty, and therefore has to be redeemed (d. Midraslt Samuel: "Israel gave his weight in gold and redeemed him"). Biblical law allows in some cases redemption of the offender (see Exod ).

Chapter 15 - Saul fight against Amalek and his 2nd fatal disobedience
: Rejection. As in Saul and Samuel clash over the king's insubordination to the prophet, and Samuel tells Saul that his kingship will not abide. But whereas in the earlier narrative the rejection referred to his dynasty, here it applies to Saul himself. There the clash occurred in connection with the war against the Philistines, here against Amalek, a nomadic people to the south of Israel. The Amalekites are regarded in the Bible as vicious adversaries of Israel; in later times the name Amalek came to signify "archenemy of the Jews."

1: At the beginning of the narrative-without an introduction-Samuel stresses Saul's obligation to obey. 2: The Amalekites' vile attack upon Israel is described in Exod ; Deut 3: Proscription, practiced by Israel and other peoples in the ancient Near East, was a way of consecrating the fruits of victory to the deity; it meant exterminating all the people and all their belongings, as emphasized in the present v.

17: You may look small to yourself (cf. 9.21), but as head of Israel ·you bear responsibility 20-21: To Samuel's accusation Saul replies by repeating his previous arguments. 22But Samuel said: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As much as in obedience to the LORD's command? Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice, Compliance than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, Defiance, like the iniquity of teraphim." Because you rejected the LORD's command, He has rejected you as king."

22-23: The poetic form of these vv. serves to highlight their significance. They convey the message that right is more important than rite. Samuel is the first in the line of prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Micah, who do not attribute paramount importance to sacrifices.

Most of the literary prophets demand moral behavior along with ritual; only Jeremiah ( ) resembles Samuel in demanding obedience to the LORD. The fat of rams, the best part. Rebellion against the LORD is like the sin of divination (which is a form of idolatry; see Deut. 18.g--14), both involving turning away from Him. The repetition of rejected hints at the principle of measure for measure, the punishment corresponding to the sin. By enthroning Saul the people rejected the LORD as king (8.7); now the LORD rejects Saul as king

24: Though now admitting his guilt, Saul still shifts the blame to the troops. 25: In asking for forgiveness Saul hopes that his rejection will be revoked. 28: Samuel gives a symbolic interpretation to the tearing of the robe (for a similar interpretation, see 1 Kings 11.3o-31; cf. also 1 Sam. 24.5).

29: This verse seems to contradict vv. 11 and 35· The LORD does occasionally regret His previous decisions, for instance when a person's behavior displeases Him (see Gen. 6.6). Perhaps the sense is that He is not fickle like human beings. 30: This time Saul does not shift the blame to others, but he still accompanies his confession with a personal request to prevent his public humiliation. 31: Samuel's compliance with Saul's request does not mean that he has forgiven him.

Part II – King David Chapters 16 – 31: Anointing David
David and Goliath David, Saul and Michael David escape to Samuel David and Jonathan David and Ahimelek the Priest The Massacre Saul pursue David to Keilah & Ziph Saul pursue David to the cave at En-Gedi

Part II – King David The death of Samuel, Nabal and Abigail
David and Saul in the wilderness of Ziph David and Akish The necromancer at En-Dur Akish sends David back The Amalekites The death of Saul

16 – Anointing David : Anointing renewed. In this first story about David he still plays a passive role. Even his name is not mentioned until the last v. His being chosen, though the youngest and least esteemed of eight brothers, agrees with the biblical motif of the yotmger being preferred to the elder: Abel to Cain (Gen ), Isaac to Ishmael (Gen ), Jacob to Esau (Gen ), Joseph to Reuben (Gen ; , 22-26). This indicates that not seniority, but suitability, is the decisive factor.

16 – Anointing David 11: The shepherd who tends the flock is the one suited to tend the people (cf. Ps. 78.7o-71). Moses is depicted as a shepherd (Exod. 3.1) and "shepherd" was a common epithet of the king in the ancient Near East. 4-23: The king's musician. David, on arriving at the court, immediately wins Saul's affection, and the initial relations between the king and the young musician are most promising.

16 – Anointing David Saul's problem, the subject of the first part of the narrative, is solved by David in the second part. 14: The spirit of the LORD departed from Saul when it gripped David (v. 13), and in its place carne an evil spirit manifested in attacks of mental disorder. 16: Music therapy may be beneficial in relieving mental distress.

16 – Anointing David 18: The person recommended is not only a skilled musician (cf. Amos 6.5), but excels in many other fields as welL The characterization summarizes David's traits, which will emerge in the following narratives (and which make him suitable to be king). David's depiction as a musician contributed to the tradition that he composed the psalms. 20: The presents serve to express Jesse's loyalty and to secure a favorable treatment for his son.

17 - David and Goliath : The shepherd boy and the giant. The story of David and Goliath demonstrates the triumph of faith over physical strength. The detailed description of Goliath's weapons and the rejection of Saul's armor by David serve, together with David's speech before the battle (vv ), to underscore this idea.

17 - David and Goliath Several details in the narrative are inconsistent with the preceding ch: David and his family are introduced as new characters (vv ); David is with his family in Bethlehem and not with Saul (vv ); and Saul does not know David (vv. ss-sB). These discrepancies do not occur in the much shorter Septuagint version (which lacks , and ). The Masoretic version is most probably a combination of two narratives-one identical with the Septuagint version, the other independent and unaware of the foregoing narratives. (For additional inconsistencies in the narrative, see v. 54 n. and 2 Samuel n.)

17 - David and Goliath 1-3: The exposition describes the parallel position of the opposing forces. 4-7: The equilibrium is disturbed by the appearance of the Philistine champion, whose height and arms are described in atypical detail. The description of the man's armor and weaponry serves to explain why he caused such great terror among the Israelites and also to contrast him with David, who prevails over him without any military equipment (vv. 39, 45, so).

17 - David and Goliath The custom of champions from both sides fighting each other as representatives of their armies is known from the Bible (2 Samuel ) and also from the Iliad ( ; <)1), where Trojan and Greek champions-Paris and Menelaus, Hector and Ajax-oppose each other (the Philistines originated from the area of the Aegean; see 4.1b n.). Its purpose was to prevent largescale fighting of the entire armies.

17 - David and Goliath 4: The name Goliath is mentioned only here and in v. 23. Otherwise the man is always called the Philistine. Perhaps he was initially anonymous, and his name was added later from 2 Samuel Six cubits and a span, almost 3 meters (about 9 feet). 5: Five thousand shekels: approximately 6o kg (about 130 pounds).

17 - David and Goliath 7: Like a weaver's bar: The comparison refers either to the size of the shaft or to a loop attached to it to facilitate hurling. In the first case, the weaver's bar is the beam to which the warp is fastened in a loom; in the second, it denotes the shaft carrying the eyed strings for separating the threads of the warp. Six hundred shekels, about 7 kg (15 pounds).

17 – David and Goliath David’s faith is related to his anointing as a king in the last chapter. He is the anointed king of Israel who is responsible to defend his people against their enemies. He also know that he will be enthroned as king. David does not have the same confidence with Saul because Saul also is the anointed of the Lord. He does not, for obvious reasons, tell Saul of his real reason for confidence of his victory over Goliath.

17 - David and Goliath 38-39: David has no military experience and is not used to wearing armor. 40: David prefers the simple implements of the shepherd. Wadi is a dry streambed. Sling, a strip of cloth or leather folded double, in the center of which a stone is placed: The sling is held at the ends and rotated, and then one end is suddenly released, which causes the stone to fly with great force to its target. Exactly hitting the mark requires considerable dexterity (d. Judg )..

17 - David and Goliath The sling was used by shepherds, hunters, and soldiers. 43-47: Delivering speeches before the battle, which is also attested in the Iliad (see vv. 4-7 n.), served to strengthen the spirit of one side and demoralize the other. Whereas the Philistine trusts in his arms, David trusts in the LORD of Hosts, tile God of the ranks of Israel, who determines tile battle. 48: The heavily armed Philistine moves slowly; David runs quickly.

17 - David and Goliath 49: While still at a distance, David hurls the stone at the unsuspecting Philistine. 50-51: Though killed by the stone, Goliath is finished off with his own sword Psalm 151 is dedicated to this victory, the Church sing this psalm at the beginning of Joyous Saturday. It is Christ who killed death by its own sword (killed death by Death) as we watched on Holy Friday.

18 - David, Saul and Michal 8.6-30: Jealousy. David, who after his victory over Goliath is successful in all his undertakings and loved by everyone, including the king's son and daughter, arouses the jealousy and enmity of Saul, who schemes to get rid of his (supposed) rival, but his attempts all fail. Three times the narrative states that David is successful (vv. 5, 14, 30), and three times that Saul fears David because the LORD is with him (vv. 12, 14-15, 28-29).

18 - David, Saul and Michal The narrative makes Saul completely transparent by repeatedly and explicitly disclosing his feelings and motives. 6: For the custom of women greeting the victors with dance and song, see Exod. 15.2o-21; Judg ; 2 Samuel 1.20.

18 - David, Saul and Michal 7-8: Thousands and tens of thousands are regularly paired in the parallelisms of biblical poetry (e.g., Deut. J2.JO; Ps. 91.7), the greater number always appearing in the second line. Thus, although a stereotypical phrase is being used, Saul infers from the order of the numbers that the women praise David more than him. 10: The next day The indication of time hints at a causal relation between Saul's vexation and his fit of mental disorder. Rave, lit. "speak in ecstasy" (see , 10).

18 - David, Saul and Michal 17: Saul is prepared to give his daughter to David as promised (17.25), but he imposes additional conditions. Warrior, lit. "man of strength," i.e., of courage. Saul wants David to undertake daring and dangerous exploits. The battles of the LORD are in fact the battles of Israel. 18: David's reply shows his humility. 20: Michal is the only woman in all biblical narrative of whom it is said that she loves a man (see also v. 28).

18 - David, Saul and Michal 25: Since David is poor (v. 23) he cannot pay the bride-price. Foreskins: This would prove that David has killed Philistines, who were not circumcised (see 14.6 n.), and not men of another group. 27: According to the Masoretic Text David doubles the bride-price, which shows his prowess in battle. He becomes the king's son-in-law at Saul's, not his own, initiative. This position gives him right of succession, though Saul's own sons have precedence

19 – David Michal and Samuel
: Escape. All three stories in this chapter deal with Saul's unconcealed efforts to kill David. Jonathan and Michal prove their love for David by acting in his behalf, opposing their father. 13: Michal risks her life in order to gain time for David and enable him to get farther away. Household idol, see Gen , 35· Psalm 59 For the leader; a psalm of David; when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to put him to death! Save me from my enemies, 0 my God; secure me against my assailants. Save me from evildoers; deliver me from murderers. For see, they lie in wait for me; fierce men plot against me for no offense of mine, for no transgression, 0 LORD; for no guilt of mine do they rush to array themselves against me. Look, rouse Yourself on my behalf! You, 0 LORD God of hosts, God of Israel, bestir Yourself to bring all nations to account; have no mercy on any treacherous villain. Selah. They come each evening growling like dogs, roaming the city. They rave with their mouths, “sharp swords” are on their lips; [they think,] "Who hears?" But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You mock all the nations. My strength, I wait for You; for God is my haven. My faithful God will come to aid me; God will let me gloat over my watchful foes. Do not kill them lest my people be unmindful; with Your power make wanderers of them; bring them low, 0 our shield, the Lord, because of their sinful mouths, the words on their lips. Let them be trapped by their pride, and by the imprecations and lies they utter. In Your fury put an end to them; put an end to them that they be no more;

19 –David Michal and Samuel
7: Michal lies to her father, telling him that self-preservation prompted her to help her husband to escape, while in fact she acted out of love for David. Her explanation does not account for the deception of her father with the household idol 18: David flees north to Samuel, who has anointed him, and not south to his family in Bethlehem, where Saul would probably look for him.

19 -David Michal and Samuel
24: "Is Saul too among the prophets?" The origin of this saying was explained differently at There, following Saul's election, it referred to him in a positive sense; here, after his rejection, it alludes to his disgraceful, degrading behavior.

20 – David and Jonathan : Friendship. The story demonstrates Jonathan's profound friendship for David, in spite of his knowledge that David's success will be at his expense. The narrative consists of four parts. The first part, in Jonathan's house, and the second part, in the open, deal with planning; the third part, in Saul's house, and the fourth, in the open again, tell of the execution of the plans. Like the previous narrative, it shows Saul being deceived by a member of his own family. day

20 – David and Jonathan 1: The repetitions in David's question express his distress. 2: Jonathan is unaware of Saul's attempts to kill David (see 19.6). 5: The new moon was celebrated as a festival (see Num ; 2 Kings 4.23; !sa. 1.13; Amos 8.5), which included a festive meaI in post-biblical times the day lost its importance as festival, but great significance was attached to the Rabbis' official proclamation of the new moon since that determined when festivals would be commemorated. The moon's renewal is still marked in Jewish liturgy by special prayers and by the ceremony of Blessing the Moon, which is performed at night, when the new moon can clearly be seen. Third, counting from and including the present

20 – David and Jonathan 8: Faithfully, in accordance with the covenant (see 18.3). Don't make me go back, as you did last time (19.7). 11: The open, where one can talk in private (d. Gen. 31-4). 12: Third, see v. 5 n. 13: Thus ... and more, see J-17 n. If Saul's response is favorable, Jonathan will inform David through a messenger; if harmful, Jonathan will come and disclose it himself, because a messenger could reveal David's whereabouts to Saul. As He used to be with my father, a hint that David will be king.

20 – David and Jonathan 14-16: Jonathan, who deals faithfully with David now, wants David to deal faithfully with him and his offspring in the future. 15: My ho11se: To secure his throne the king of a new dynasty often killed the former king's relatives (1 Kings 15.29; 16.11; 2 Kings 10.11). Jonathan recognizes that David will succeed his father. 17: Jonathan's motive to help David is his deep love for him, not his desire to secure his and his offspring's future destiny. 23: May the LORD be [witness] between you and me: May the LORD watch over each of us that we keep the covenant

20 - David and Jonathan 26: Ritual impurity prevented one from participating in ritual meals. A frequent cause of impurity was the emission of semen, but in that event one could become pure again in the evening according to the legislation in Lev : My brother has summoned me, probably the eldest brother (see n.). Slip away, lit. "escape." 30: It is clear from Jonathan's answer that he sides with David. This infuriates Saul and causes him to use obscene language. Both shame (besides its usual meaning) and nakedness denote the genitals. The insult is directed at the son, not the mother. 3

20 – David and Jonathan 3: Saul has no answer to Jonathan's questions, because David has committed no capital crime, so Saul throws his spear at him. 34: Grieved, see v. 3· 38: Jonathan's words are directed at the boy and David at the same time.

21 - David and Ahimelek the Priest
: The helpful priest. David, finding himself, after his hasty flight, without food or weapon, gets consecrated bread and Goliath's sword. 2: Ahimeech was the great-grandson of Eli and brother of Ahijah (see 14-J).Jn alarm, because David, a high army commander, came unaccompanied. 3: In order to obtain food David lies to Ahimelech. His lie has dire consequences.

5: Consecrated bread, see Leviticus · The bread was renewed once a week, and the old bread was eaten by the priests in the sacred precinct. Provided tlze young men . have kept away from women: According to Lev sexual intercourse entails ritual impurity. Ahimelech respectfully refrains from mentioning David himself, but he is of course included in the provision.

6: Soldiers were prohibited from having sexual relations (as can be inferred from Deut ). Not only the persons but the eating vessels as well are ritually pure. 8: Doeg's presence at the sanctuary is noted because of its importance for the story in the next ch. Foreigners were employed in David's young kingdom (1 Chron ). 10: The sword of Go'liath was kept at the sanctuary as a trophy (d ; 31.10). Its exact place is described because it will play a role in the next ch. Ephod, see 14.3 n.

: In Philistia. David flees to the Philistine city of Gath, believing that there he will be out of danger, but he barely succeeds in saving his life. 12: The song of the women (18.7) has spread to the Philistines (see 29.5), and the courtiers infer from it that David, who features in the song together with Saul, is master of the Iand-a conclusion not far from that of Saul himself (18.8). 13: David, understanding that he has been recognized, fears for his life, because the cited song celebrates his victory over the Philistines and particularly over Goliath, whose origin was from Gath.

14: For their benefit, the Heb can also be interpreted, "[when] in their control." 15: David's clever ruse succeeds. It is clear that Achish wants David to be expelled (the expulsion is mentioned explicitly at the heading of Ps. 34) PSALM 34 The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. 11Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? PSALMS 47 13Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 21Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

22 – The Massacre 22.1-5: Head of a band. David, as leader of a group of people who fled from the established order, now has a force of his own at his disposal. 1: The members of David's family, who are in danger from Saul, join David at Adullam, situated in the border region between Judah and Philistia. 3: David takes care of his parents, for whom a fugitive's life would be too strenuous. He probably has family relations in Moab, since his great-grandmother was a Moabite, who married into a family from Bethlehem (Ruth 1.1, 4; 4-17)- According to the Bible the relations between Israel and Moab were always hostile, this story being the only exception.

22 – The Massacre 4: Stronghold, probably at Adullam. But perhaps all the "strongholds of the wilderness" (23.14) are meant, and the space of time mentioned refers to all the wanderings of David in the wilderness. : The massacre. This narrative continues the narrative of : All priests and inhabitants of Nob are killed because of Ahimelech's help to David. Saul, fearing David, whom he considers a rebel, wants to set a deterring example. He does not even shrink from sacrilege. In his insanity he suspects everyone of conspiring against him. 6: Sitting under the tamarisk tree, cf. 14.2; J udg..

22 – The Massacre 4· 5-Spear in /rand, as symbol of his rule (see n.). 7: Saul's courtiers belong to his tribe, Benjamin. Kings used to distribute fields and vineyards and appoint army officers as signs of personal favor (see 8.12, 14). David, however, is of the tribe of Judah and therefore will not benefit the men of Benjamin. 8: My servant: Saul makes it clear that David is his subordinate

22 – The Massacre 10: The giving of provisions and the sword of Goliath to David was reported in 21.7, 10, but no mention was made there of inquiring of the LORD. Either Doeg lied or, more probably, when Ahimelech went behind the ephod to take the sword and unwrap it from its cloth, Doeg imagined that the priest went to inquire of the LORD (see n.). 11-13: Saul summons Ahimelech and all the priests to a trial, accusing them of conspiring.

22 – The Massacre 14-15: Ahimelech justifies himself, arguing that he aided David because he knew of the latter's esteemed and trusted position at the court and he was not aware that this had changed. 15: The Heb can also be translated: "Did I begin now to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me!" According to this rendering Ahimelech denies that he inquired of God for David. This seems to be the truth, because otherwise the narrator would not have kept silent on so crucial a fact.

22 – The Massacre 18: Only Doeg, not being Israelite, is prepared to execute the king's order and kill the priests of the LORD. Linen ephod, see 2.18 n. 19: Compare the enumeration here with the one at The similarity of the two lists (there camels are also mentioned, because those animals were kept by the Amalekites, who were desert nomads) suggests that what Saul failed to do to Amalek, though commanded by the LORD, he did to his own town of priests of the LORD. This strongly condemns Saul

22 – The Massacre 20: The massacre of the priests may be the fulfillment of the prophecy of 2.JJ, and the "offspring" mentioned there may refer to Abiathar. This prophecy fulfillment pattern is frequent in the Deuteronomistic History. 22-23: David feels responsible for the disaster, and he promises to protect Abiathar’s life like his own. Psalm 52 PSALM 52 The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech." Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. 2Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness.Selah 4You love all devouring words, PSALMS 78 You deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living.Selah 6The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, 7"Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness." 8But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 9I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

23 – Saul pursue David to Keilah & Ziph
: Consulting the LORD. In the preceding narrative Ahimelech was (falsely) accused of having consulted God for David; in the present one Ahimelech’s son Abiathar actually and repeatedly consuits God for David. Consulting God is a recurring theme in the narratives about Saul and David. When successful, it is a sign that God is with David; when unsuccessful, that He is not with Saul. The first part of this narrative tells of David's deliverance of Keilah, the second part of his escape from Keilah.

23 - Saul pursue David to Keilah & Ziph
1: The Philistines came at the end of the harvest to plunder the crops (cf. Judg. 6.3). 2-3: David wants to use his force to help Keilah, but his motley band lacks the courage. 4: The LORD's second reply, explicitly promising to deliver the Philistines into David's hands, aids in instilling confidence in the men. 5: He drove off their cattle: The Philistines had come with their livestock (cf. Judg. 6.5).

23- Saul pursue David to Keilah & Ziph
6: Abiathar's flight to David was already reported in 22.20, before David's rescue of Keilah. Kei/ah here may be the result of dittography. An eplwd probably contained Urim and Thummim, the means for consulting the LoRD. Regarding the technique of consulting the LORD see n. 7: The only way to leave the walled town was through the gates, and there David could easily be captured. 11: David asks two questions, but because it was possible to ask only one at a time, he has to repeat his first question.

12: Notwithstanding their rescue by David the citizens of Keilah will deliver him into Saul's hands. They greatly fear Saul after he massacred the whole town of Nob because of the help extended to David. 13: Six hundred: According to 22.2 there were about 400 men with David, so meanwhile the number has increased : Encouragement. Jonathan comes to David's hiding place to encourage him, assuring his friend that eventually he will become king.

14: Strollgholds, table mountains with steep sides, providing natural protection. 17: Saul knows that David will be king, and yet he continues pursuing him, driven by jealousy and enmity. 18: A pact ("berit"), stipulating that when David will be king, Jonathan shall rank next to him.

: Narrow escape. At the last moment, when his capture by Saul seems unavoidable, David is saved. The first part of the narrative contains the dialogue between Saul and the Ziphites concerning David's capture; the second part relates Saul's pursuit and its unexpected outcome : The Ziphites, in proving their loyalty to Saul, are probably under the impact of the massacre of Nob, whose priests were accused of failing to inform Saul (22.17).

21: May you be blessed of the LoRD, a customary blessing (see 15.13; 2 Sam. 2.5; Ps ). The king, uttering satisfaction at being pitied, makes a sorry figure. 26: Instead of trying to encircle, read "encircling" (tn;ing is not expressed in the Heb). David is already encircled by Saul's men and on the verge of being captured, when suddenly the messenger appears. This may be seen as directed by God to save David. 28: Rock of Separation, "because there Saul separated and departed from David" (Abravanel).

24 -Saul pursue David to the cave at En-Gedi
: Magnanimity. David has the opportunity to kill Saul, but refrains from doing so. When the king falls into his hands, David does not take revenge, but shows himself magnanimous and loyal towards him. In the first part of the narrative the event itself is described; the second part contains a speech by David, stating that he never wronged the king; the third part consists of a speech by Saul, who is impressed by David's generosity. The word "hand(s)" recurs frequently (in the Heb even more than in the translation): Though he has Saul in his hands, David will not raise his hand against him.

4: Sheepfolds were often attached to caves, which provided shelter to the animals from heat and cold. Psalm 57, 142 PSALM 57 Prayer for Safety from Enemies (cf. Ps. 108:1-5) To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy." A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 2I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. 3He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. 6They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.Selah 7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. PSALMS 85 8Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 10For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. 11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

5: The LORD's promise cited by David's men has not been mentioned before. It seems that the men interpret Saul's entering the cave as directed by the LORD, in order to enable David to strike his pursuer down. David, however, only cuts off the corner of Saul's cloak as proof that he could have killed him. He is not aware that the cutting of the cloak also has symbolic significance, namely, cutting off the kingdom (cf ; 1 Kings ). The author may be foreshadowing those later events.

6-7: According to biblical scholars, vv. 5b-6 should be placed after vv. 7-Ba. According to Rashi, since the narrator began to talk about the cutting of the cloak, he finishes the subject, remarking that-some time later-David reproached himself even for having cut the cloak; the narrator then returns to the first subject and reports David's reply to his men. The LORD's anointed: Because the king was anointed by a prophet in the name of the LORD, he is inviolable (see 2 Sam. 1.16). 9: Though persecuted by Saul, David honors the king..

14: Wicked deeds come from wicked men, i.e., not from me. 15: David designates Saul here king of Israel to contrast him with himself, who is as insignificant and harmless as a dead dog or (even) a single flea. Such expressions of submissiveness were customary in the ancient Near East. 16: David puts his case in the hands of the LORD. 17: Saul's question expresses his astonishment. My son, in response to "my father" (v. 12, see translators' note), indicates close relationship

. 21: Saul acknowledges that David will be king and that his kingship will endure-as opposed to Saul's kingship. 22: See n 23: See n. Saul abandons the pursuit, yet David and his men go up to the stronghold (in the Heb the word is in the singular), because they do not trust Saul.

25 - The death of Samuel, Nabal and Abigail
: The evil husband and the clever wife. The violent clash between David and the boorish, evil, foolish Nabal is prevented by Nabal's clever wife Abigail, who succeeds in persuading David to refrain from spilling blood. She also alludes to David's future kingship, as did Saul in the preceding narrative.

1: The note concerning Samuel's death, which has no connection with the following narrative, may have been placed here because it was thought that the death occurred at this juncture (d. 28.J). 2-3: The exposition specifies Nabal's wealth even before stating his and his wife's names and qualities. Carmel, see n. Calebite: The clan of Caleb was part of Judah, but Kenizzite in origin (Gen ; Num ; Josh ). 4: Sheepshearing was an occasion for celebration (see 2 Sam

)- 5: Ten young men, to carry the generous gift David expects to receive as reward for his services. 6: Before the request itself good wishes are uttered. The Heb may also be translated: "Say: 'So be it (also) next year: May you be well and may your household be well and all that is yours be well!' " 7: Your shepherds have been with us, under our protection.

10: "Who is David?": Nabal's rude reply expresses contempt (d. Exod. 5.2). By implying that they are runaway slaves he insults both David, who escaped from Saul, and his men, who fled from society. : My bread and my water, food and drink in general (Hos. 2.7)- 13: David is determined to use force; girding the swords is mentioned three times. 14: The narrative's point of view switches to Abigail.

15-16: The young man (or rather, servant), confirming David's statement (v. 7), specifies the protection Nabal's shepherds received. They were a wall: The metaphor denotes defense against marauders. 17: Nasty, better, "evil" (lit. "good for-nothing"). Because speaking to Nabal is impossible, the servant appeals to Abigail. 18: The wise Abigail understands that she has to act quickly in order to anticipate David and that first of all his request must be generously satisfied. Senl1s: A seal! was probably about 7 liters (more than 6 quarts).

24-31: Abigail's speech shows her intelligence and eloquence. She refers throughout to David as my lord and to herself as his handmaid. In the first part she expresses agreement with David as regards Nabal; in the second part she cautions David that by spilling blood now he will do harm to himself in the future

. 24: At his feet, a gesture of pleading (see 2 Kings 4.27; Esth. 8.3). 25: Wretched, better, "evil." Nabal's wife uses the same strong term as Nabal's servant (see v. 17 n.), which indicates that she shares his opinion-evidently the common sentiment. For He is just what his name says: In the Bible people are aware of the meaning of names. Some names occur that, like Nabal, have unpleasant meanings, e.g., Mahlon and Chilion in Ruth 1.2, whose names mean "sickness" and "destruction." Boor: According to Isa the Heb word "naval" denotes a villain, who "leaves the hungry unsatisfied and deprives the thirsty of drink," just as Nabal did to David (see also Prov. 17.7, 21). "

26: Fare like Nnbnl, a hint that Nabal is surely going to die (cf. 2 Sam )-therefore David need take no action himself. 27: Let it be given to the you11g men, a polite expression, implying that the present is too humble for David himself. 28: Enduring house: Abigail knows that David will be king and that his dynasty will endure, because he is fighting the battles of the LoRD (see n.). 29

: Anyone, an allusion to Saul, who set out to pursue David (23.25, 28; 24.15) and seek his life (20.1; 22.23; 23.15). The life ...w ill be bound up in the bundle of life, a metaphor denoting long life. The LORD's bundle of life was believed to contain the names of the living, similar to His "book of life

(Ps ). In post-biblical times the bundle of life came to signify eternal life in the next world, and therefore the expression is found regularly on Jewish tombstones. Fling away the lives, a metaphor denoting the opposite of the preceding one. The lwllow of a sling, the middle of the sling, where the stone would be placed (see 17·40 n.). 30: The good refers to the enduring house (v. 28).

37: His courage, lit. "his heart." The simile like a stone points to paralysis, which was presumably understood as death of the heart, in accordance with the tendency of the Bible to attribute to the heart not only feelings, but also thoughts, traits, and some physical functions (e.g., eating is often described as strengthening the heart). It seems that when Nabal hears what happened and to what terrible danger he was exposed, he suffers a stroke and becomes paralyzed and ten days later he dies. David then proposes marriage to the widow because of her intelligence, beauty, and wealth.

41: To wash the feet of my lord's servants, an expression of extreme politeness and humility. 42: The five maids are mentioned to show Abigail's economic and social status. 43: Jezreel, near Carmel in southern Judah. 44: Since Michal was David's wife, Saul had no right to give her to someone else. By doing so he intentionally hurt both David and his daughter, who had deceived him in order to help her husband (19.11-q).

26 - David and Saul in the wilderness of Ziph
: Magnanimity repeated. The present story is similar to the one in ch 24. In both, David has the opportunity to kill Saul, but though urged by his men to do so, he refuses to harm the LORD's anointed. Instead, he takes one object from him to prove that he could have killed him, and when Saul sees this, he expresses regret at having persecuted David. In addition, there are verbal similarities (e.g., the simile in and 26.20, and the question in and 26.17).

It seems that two variants of the same story have been included in the book-probably because of the differences between them (e.g., in one Saul comes to David in a cave by day and David takes a corner of Saul's coat, in the other David comes to Saul in an army camp by night and takes Saul's spear and water jar). The repetition causes David's magnanimity to emerge as a constant character trait.

The Ziphites tell Saul the whereabouts of David. Psalm 54 6: Ahimelech the Hittite is not mentioned elsewhere. The Hittite empire had its center in present-day Turkey, but Hittites are also mentioned in the land of Canaan (Gen. 23.3; 26.34; 27.46; 2 Sam. 11.3). Abishai, who is willing to accompany David on his dangerous exploit, and his more famous brother Joab, David's future army commander, are always designated sons of Zeruiah, who was David's sister. PSALM 54 Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, "Is David not hiding with us?" Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. 2Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. 3For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them.Selah 4Behold, God is my helper; PSALMS 80 The Lord is with those who uphold my life. 5He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. 6I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

26 -David and Saul in the wilderness of Ziph
12: In coming close to Saul's head David exposes himself to extreme danger. No one saw or knew or woke up; nil remained asleep: The repetitiveness serves to ridicule the defective watch.

17-18: Saul's question aims at achieving certainty, since in the dark he is unable to see David. David, who politely addresses Saul as my lord and calls himself II is servant, tries to dissuade Saul from pursuing him. Saul again calls David my son (see 24.17).

19: They have driven me out: They have compelled me to flee from the LORD's possession-i.e., the land of Israel-to a foreign country, where I will be obliged to worship other gods. This probably alludes to David's intention to flee to the Philistines (see ch 27) and to the popular belief that each nation has its own god, who rules over that nation's territory (d. 2 Kings 5,17; ). In the land of Israel the LORD must be worshipped, in other countries the local gods

20: David begs not to have to die in a foreign country. King of Israel, a single flea, see n. 21: Saul, trying to reassure David, again calls him my son (see vv. 17 and 25). 22: David, who does not trust Saul anymore, ignores his invitation and promise.

25: Saul's final words ever to David are a blessing, assuring him of success. The verbs achieve and prevail are emphasized in the Heb. The concluding sentence, which marks the end of the story (d. 21.1), makes it clear that David rejects Saul's call to return to him

27 – David and Achish : In Philistia again. For the second time David flees to Achish and deceives the Philistine king. But whereas the first time ( ) he came alone and was expelled, now he comes at the head of a useful unit of 6oo men and is received favorably.

27 – David and Achish 1: Because David's decision to enter the enemy's service is rather questionable, his considerations are recounted at some length and in his own words. 3: Stayed with Achish, as his vassal. 5: It was customary for a suzerain to give an estate to his vassal in return for his services. David's aim is to get away from Achish's watchful eyes. 6: Ziklag was evidently crown property at the time of the narrator, during the reign of the kings of Judah-i.e

27 – David and Achish after Solomon and before the Babylonian exile. 8-11: Achish expects David to make raids on Judah. But David refuses to fight his own people, so he raids non-Israelite tribes and clans. After killing their population so as not to leave witnesses, he lies to Achish about the object of his raids. The Negeb, the desert region in the south. The clans of Jerahmeelites and Kenites were attached to Judah

27 – David and Achish 2: This time lying cannot solve David's problem: how to reconcile his obligations to his suzerain with his unwillingness to fight against Israel. Meanwhile David gives an ambiguous answer to Achish, who, however, interprets it as expressing loyalty. As a sign of his trust, he appoints David to the sensitive office of bodyguard. Here thenarrative breaks off, leaving open the question of what course David will take in the impending wa

28 -The necromancer at En-Dur
: Prophecy of doom. This narrative, which explains the reason for Saul's imminent defeat and death in the battle against the Philistines, seems misplaced. It would fit better immediately before ch 31, where that battle is described. Moreover, placed there the break between and ch 29, which clearly belong together, would be avoided.

That position would also solve the difficulty that according to 28-4 the Philistines are already at Shunem in the valley of Jezreel, whereas according to 29.1 they are only at Aphek, close to their territory, and from there they march to Jezreel (29.11).

The narrative consists of five parts, arranged concentrically around Samuel's prophecy: narrator's report, dialogue between Saul and the necromancer, dialogue between Samuel and Saul, dialogue between Saul and the necromancer, narrator's report.

3: The exposition mentions two events, which happened previously, but are important for the present story: Samuel's death and Saul's removal of necromancers. 4: SIILIIJelll and Mount Gilboa lie on opposite sides of the valley of Jezreel. Saul's fear is an indication of his decline. 7: Since discovering the future by legitimate means failed-a bad sign in itself-Saul has recourse to an illegitimate one. It is ironic that he who banned necromancers now consults one himself

. 8: Sheol, the abode of the dead was believed to be beneath the earth. 11: Though dead, Samuel the prophet is still expected to be able to foretell the future. 1214: Apparently only the woman could see the ghost, whereas Saul could only hear him. The appearance of Samuel's ghost is considered to be real-not trickery by the woman or imagination of Saul The Bible believes in the possibility of sorcery, soothsaying and necromancy, but prohibits them as heathen practices (Deut ). Wrapped in a robe: Samuel's robe played a role before; see 2.19; : See , 28.

19: With me, in Sheol, the underworld (see 2.6 n.). 20: He had not eaten, owing to his depression. 21-24: In contrast to the stern Samuel, the woman is depicted as concerned for Saul's well-being. She has compassion for him and urges him to eat (she mentions . only a bit of food, but slaughters n stall-fed calf and bakes cakes). She uses the argument that because she listened to Saul, he should listen to her in return. Much urging, by the woman as well as by the courtiers, is needed to persuade Saul to eat.

28 – The necromancer at En-Dur
23: It was customary to sit 011 the bed (or couch) while eating (Ezek ; Amos 6.4). 25: Saul and his courtiers leave as soon as they finish eating, before anyone can recognize them.

29 - Achish sends David back
: The problem solved. This narrative continues It shows again that God is with David: His problem of how to refrain from fighting against his own people without violating his suzerain's order is solved by the Philistine lords, who mistrust David. The narrative is composed of two rounds of dialogues-the first between the Philistine officers and Achish, the second between Achish and David..

2: The Philistine lords, see 5.8 n. 3: Hebrews, see 4.6 n. 4: Angn;, because in the officers' opinion, David endangers them. The place you assigned him, Ziklag. Tlzat fellow, a disdainful phrase. These men, the Philistines in front of them. 5: Like Achish's courtiers (21.12), the Philistine officers base their argument on the song of the Israelite women (18.7), which celebrated David for his glorious victory over the Philistines.

6-7: Before ordering David back, Achish praises him and stresses his faith in him. It is ironic that Achish has complete confidence in David, who repeatedly deceived him. As the LORD lives: Achish even swears by the God of David. Polytheistic peoples believed in the power of other peoples' gods (see 4.8). The other lords, the Philistine lords adopted the officers' opinion. 8: David, who is happy not to have to participate in the war, pretends to be offended so as to underscore his (feigned) loyalty to Achish.

9: Acceptable to me, lit. "good in my eyes." Achish intensifies his praise of David, even comparing him to an angel of God. The same rather extreme comparison is applied to David-and to no one else-three more times (2 Sam , 20; 19.28). 10: Your lord's servants: David's men became Achish's servants together with David himself 11: To Jezreel, where the Israelite army was encamping (v. 1).

30 - The Amalekites : Defeat turned into victory. In David's absence the Amalekites raided Ziklag, taking captives and spoil. Thanks to the Philistine lords' distrust, and particularly to Achish's order to leave early in the morning, David arrives home soon enough to be able to overtake the Amalekites and rescue the captives and spoil. The first part of the narrative is devoted to the encounter with the Amalekites, the second part to the distribution of the spoils taken from them.

30 - The Amalekites The narrative presents some important contrasts between David and Saul: David successfully consults God, Saul does not; David is victorious in battle, Saul suffers defeat; David rescues all women and children, Saul and his children die, together with many of his troops. The contrasts are highlighted by the fact that David's battle against the Amalekites and Saul's battle against the Philistines took place at approximately the same time (see 2 Sam ). Furthermore, this battle should not have taken place since Saul should have killed all the Amalekites (ch 15).

30 - The Amalekites 1: The Amalekites attacked Ziklag (see 27.6), when there were only women and children in the town. 5: See 6: David, as leader, is held responsible for the disaster. 7: See 23.6 n. 8: In contrast to Saul (28.6), the LoRD answers David, telling him that he will surely overtake and reswe (these verbs are emphasized in the Heb). 10: Too fa int: After marching home from Aphek, the men immediately had to set out again and hurry into the desert in pursuit of the Amalekites.

30 - The Amalekites 11-15: Thanks to the Egyptian boy, David soon discovers the Amalekites and is able to rescue captives and spoil. Because the boy, being ill, was cruelly abandoned by his master, without food or drink, he is prepared to help David-only concerned that he not be killed or delivered to his Amalekites master. 14: Cherethites, Philistines (cf. v. 16; Ezek ).

30 – The Amalekites The name probably points to their origin from the island of Crete (see 4.1b n). Caleb, see n. Burned down Ziklng, in revenge for David's raid (27.8). 15: The law in the ancient Near East required returning slaves to their masters-Israelite law only being an exception (Deut ). 16: The feasting Amalekites are completely oblivious of a possible attack

30 – The Amalekites . 17: The next day after coming there David attacks from before dawn until evening. 20: This is David's spoil, a sign of the men's gratitude, and a radical reversal of their attitude at the beginning of the narrative (v. 6). 24: The men who guard the baggage, thereby allowing the others to move swiftly, have contributed to the victory (cf ). 25: The narrator explains that a rule existing in his time originated from David's prescription.

31 – The suicide : Tragic end. Saul, who was anointed king in order to liberate Israel from the Philistines (g.r6), dies while being defeated by the Philistines. Not only did he fail in liberating Israel, but at his death the Philistines gained domination over most of the country. Saul's career began with the rescue of Jabesh-gilead (ch 11), and it ended with the men of Jabesh-gilead rescuing his dead body. The first part of the narrative tells of Israel's defeat and Saul's death, the second part of the treatment of his and his sons' corpses. 1: The narrative takes no interest in the details of the battle, only in its outcome

31 – The suicide . 4: A few cases of suicide, mostly committed to escape being killed by the enemy, are recorded in the Bible (Judg. 9·54; r6.3o; 2 Sam ; 1 Kings r6.r8). The Bible does not view these suicides negatively, in the way later Judaism would. T/1e uncircumcised, a deprecatory designation (see 14.6). Instead of make sport of, the Heb may be translated "abuse." The abuse of enemy corpses springs from feelings of rage and hatred towards them. 6: All !Jis men, those close to him; the others fled (Radak).

31 – The suicide 7: The people living near the battlefield fled in fear of the Philistines. 1 0: T!Jey placed l1is armor in t!Je temple, cf As!Jtarotll, see 7·3· Impalement of corpses was designed to shame and demoralize the enemy. 12: By their courageous deed, intended to prevent further desecration of the corpses, the men of Jabesh-gilead pay their debt to Saul for the rescue of their city (ch 11). Cremation was not practiced in Israel. In this particular case the flesh was probably burned because it was in a state of decay, and only the bones were buried.

Post - Test Match subject with chapter: The death of Samuel
The necromancer at En-Dur David acting mad Jonathan covenant with David David hiding in the cave at En-Gedi Chapter 24 Chapter 28 Chapter 21 Chapter 20 Chapter 25

Post - Test Match the following psalms with their proper narrative from 1Samuel: Psalm 34 ( I cry out to the Lord with my voice) Psalm 52 (Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?) Psalm 54 (Save me, O God, by Your name) Psalm 57 (Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!) Psalm 142 (I cry out to the LORD with my voice; Chapter 24 Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Chapter 21

Post - Test Out of all Saul’s sins this one was the greatest:
Offering the sacrifice and not waiting for Samuel Keeping Agag and some flocks alive Forbidding his army to eat with an oath Committing sacrilege killing the priests Consulting a medium

Post - Test In 1 Samuel Chapter 25; the statement “his heart died within him” most probably meant: A stroke A sudden death A heart attack Severe Anxiety Fainted

OT II 6. First Samuel.

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OT II 6. First Samuel.

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