Warrior Dialogue in Samuel: Honor, Shame, and Divine Proxy
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Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations 5-2021 Warrior Dialogue in Samuel: Honor, Shame, and Divine Proxy Robert Kranz [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Kranz, Robert, "Warrior Dialogue in Samuel: Honor, Shame, and Divine Proxy" (2021). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 341. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. ABSTRACT Discourse between warriors plays a role in several battle scenes within the books of Samuel. The repartee is a way for the narrator to add color and depth to the narrative and develop essential themes. Social-scientific criticism has often examined these interactions through the cultural lenses of honor and shame. Peristiany, Bourdieu, and Pitt-Rivers are just some scholars who developed cultural frameworks based upon the importance of honor and shame in the Mediterranean region. Malina, extrapolating from North African cultural studies by Bourdieu, developed a challenge and response model for the acquisition of honor as depicted in the Bible. However, not all warrior engagements align with these Mediterranean honor frameworks. Anthropologists, sociologists, and biblical scholars have noted the deficiencies of these models. This thesis examines several warrior exchanges in Samuel and seeks to demonstrate that warrior engagements reflect more complex and nuanced views of honor and shame than the Mediterranean models describe. In light of this, more recent sociological models such as Stewart’s cross-cultural model and Facework theory are compared against these texts to evaluate their relevance. In certain instances, these more modern theories more aptly reflect the evidence within the biblical text. On another level, there is the action of the divine behind the narratives. The verbal sparring between combatants sometimes reflects the divine intent, what this study calls “divine proxy.” It is through this device that the narrator communicates theological truths important to the scene. Warrior Dialogue in Samuel: Honor, Shame, and Divine Proxy A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Theology Abilene Christian University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts, Old Testament By Robert A. Kranz May 2021 To my wife, Amy. Whose love, encouragement, and commitment to this journey have not only made it possible but enjoyable. אצמ השׁא אצמ בוט ו קפי וצר ן הוהימ ן וצר קפי ו בוט אצמ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The choice of warrior dialogue as my thesis topic was somewhat accidental. During the Fall of 2020, while discussing potential paper topics for an Old Testament class with Dr. Mark Hamilton, I expressed the desire to do something that might be relevant to a future thesis. After unsuccessfully pitching several ideas of my own, I asked what topics he felt were interesting and needed more scholarly attention. Among the ideas he presented was what we initially termed “Warrior Banter.” After some thought, I decided to take up the topic. From that initial paper came an article in Restoration Quarterly and now this thesis. It has proven to be a subject that has given me a greater appreciation for the narrative beauty, sophistication, and character development within the books of Samuel. At the same time, this study has highlighted the value of cross- discipline approaches to biblical interpretation and the inherent difficulties and challenges that come with them. Each question resolved has led to many more to be pursued, which I think is the mark of an exciting subject. I want to thank Mark Hamilton for his suggestion of a topic, his patience, insights, guidance, and support throughout this endeavor—and my degree as a whole. I have enjoyed our regular discussions on this topic and the many other paths our conversations have taken. I could not ask for a better committee chair, advisor, and mentor. Special thanks go to my other committee members, Richard Wright and Gregory Mobley. They have provided valuable insights and suggestions during this process and asked questions that helped me refine and clarify my claims and arguments. I apologize for the length of this thesis you have had to review. I greatly appreciate the generous support of Chris Flanders, who pointed me to more recent scholarship on honor and shame. His insights and directions were invaluable to me in the development of Chapter One. He was kind enough to review portions of that chapter and answer my many questions along the way. My friend and fellow Old Testament graduate student, Isaac Borbon, has been a helpful sounding board for my ideas. Together, we navigated the thesis research, prospectus, and writing process. His friendship is the embodiment of Prov 27:17. Finally, no list of acknowledgments would be complete without expressing my gratitude to my family. My wife, Amy, and our sons, Adam and Nathan, have had to endure more discussions about warrior dialogue and social theories than they cared to hear. Without their love and support, this would have been a much more challenging process. Unless otherwise noted, all biblical translations are my own, as are any errors, oversights, or omissions herein. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... iv I. HONOR AMONG WARRIORS ............................................................................ 1 Who Is a Warrior? ................................................................................................... 4 Honor and Shame in the Mediterranean ................................................................. 7 Definitions ................................................................................................... 7 Honor .............................................................................................. 7 Shame, Dishonor, and Scorn ........................................................... 9 Mediterranean Honor Theory ................................................................... 10 Peristiany’s Eastern Mediterranean Studies .................................. 11 Pitt-Rivers’s Andalusian Studies .................................................. 14 Bourdieu North African Studies ................................................... 19 Malina’s Challenge and Response Model ................................................. 25 Stewart’s Cross-Cultural Model ........................................................................... 28 Facework Theory .................................................................................................. 38 Challenges with Social-Scientific Interpretation .................................................. 47 II. ISRAELITE WARRIOR DIALOGUES WITH FOREIGNERS ......................... 56 David and Goliath ................................................................................................. 57 The Battle of Michmash Pass ............................................................................... 64 Features of Philistine Engagements ...................................................................... 68 The Rescue of Jabesh-Gilead ................................................................................ 69 Monomachia ......................................................................................................... 76 Summary ............................................................................................................... 85 III. WARRIOR DIALOGUES BETWEEN ISRAELITES ........................................ 87 David and Saul: The Wilderness Encounters ........................................................ 87 The En-Gedi Cave Encounter ................................................................... 89 Confrontration at Hachilah Hill ................................................................ 96 David, Nabal, and Abigail .................................................................................. 102 Abner and the Sons of Zeruiah ........................................................................... 129 Combat by the Pool of Gibeon ................................................................ 129 Asahel’s Pursuit of Abner ....................................................................... 133 Abner and Joab at the Hill of Ammah .................................................... 134 Summary ............................................................................................................. 139 IV. SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................ 141 Divine Proxy ....................................................................................................... 143 Honor .................................................................................................................. 145 Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 148 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................