Saul, Doeg, Nabal and the “Son of Jesse”: Readings in 1 Samuel 16—25
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Saul, Doeg, Nabal and the “Son of Jesse”: Readings in 1 Samuel 16—25 By Joseph Lozovyy Ph.D. Thesis The University of Edinburgh 2006 TO MY PARENTS DECLARATION I declare that I have composed Saul, Doeg, Nabal and the “Son of Jesse”: Readings in 1 Samuel 16—25 and that it is my own work, that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, for any other degree or professional qualification, and that all sources used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by complete references. Joseph Lozovyy TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations . ix Abstract . xiii Foreword . xiv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION I. Introductory Remarks . 1 II. Various Approaches to 1 Sam. 25 . 3 A. Historical Critical Approaches to 1 Sam. 25 . 3 B. Literary approaches to 1 Sam. 25 . 8 1. David as the Hero of the Story . 15 a) Positive Views . 16 b) Negative Views . 20 c) Narrative Analogy . 21 2. Abigail as the Heroine of the Story . 23 3. Nabal as the Hero of the Story . 26 III. The Stories in 1 Sam 21 and 22 . 27 A. Difficulties and Tensions in Studying 1 Sam. 21 and 22 . 27 B. Literary Approaches to 1 Sam. 21 and 22 . 31 1. Negative Views of David . 32 2. Positive and Semi-Positive Views of David . 35 IV. MT, LXX, Q and Josephus in 1 Sam. 16—25 . 40 A. Samuel Scroll in Qumran . 41 B. The Septuagint Versions of 1—2 Samuel (1—2 Reigns) . 44 C. The Text of Samuel in MT, LXX, Q and Josephus . 46 D. 1 Samuel 17—18 and its Versions . 49 V. The Need for the Present Study . 58 VI. The Approach Taken Here . 60 A. Limitations . 60 B. The Text and the Reader . 61 C. Procedures . 62 iii CHAPTER II NABAL THE CALEBITE I. Introductory Remarks . 64 II. Characterization of Nabal . 65 A. Nabal’s Name . 65 1. The Meaning of lbn and hlbn . 65 2. Other Explanations . 66 B. Nabal’s Reputation . 68 C. Nabal’s Greatness . 69 D. Nabal’s Status . 70 E. Nabal’s Origin . 72 III. Geographic Setting . 76 A. Paran or Maon? . 76 1. Argument for Maon . 77 2. Argument for Paran . 78 B. Maon: the Wilderness or the Town? . 81 IV. Narrative Analogy and 1 Sam. 25 . 83 V. Looking for the Answers . 88 A. Was Nabal a Calebite Chieftain? . 88 B. Saul’s Monument and Nabal’s Residence . 91 C. The Nature of Nabal’s Business . 93 VI. Summary . 102 iv CHAPTER III DOEG THE EDOMITE I. Introductory Remarks . 103 II. Doeg the Edomite in Biblical Tradition . 103 A. The Characterization of Doeg the Edomite . 105 1. Doeg’s Edomite Origin . 105 a) It Points to Doeg’s Race . 108 b) It Points to Doeg’s Residence . 109 c) It Points to Doeg’s Characterization . 109 2. A Question of Doeg’s Detention . 110 a) Detention for Non-Religious Reasons . 111 b) Detention for Religious Reasons . 111 1) Reception of an Oracle . 111 2) Act of Penance . 112 3) Observance of a Sabbath or a Holy Day . 112 4) King’s Business . 114 5) Professional Business . 114 c) rc[n is Employed as a Literary Device . 115 3. Doeg’s position in the Court of Saul . 117 a) Literal Sense . 119 1) Mighty Bodyguard (~ycrh ryba) . 119 2) Chief of Saul’s Shepherds (~y[rh ryba) . 121 b) Figurative Sense . 122 1) “Shepherds” as a Class of Functionaries . 122 2) A “Shepherd” as a Military Title . 123 3) A “Shepherd” as a Ruler . 123 B. Looking for the Answers . 124 1. Doeg’s Identity . 124 2. Doeg’s Testimony . 129 v a) The Extent of Doeg’s Knowledge . 129 1) What Did Doeg See happened in Nob? . 129 2) The Five Loaves of Holy Bread . 134 b) The Key Point in Doeg’s Testimony . 136 3. Ahimelech’s Defense . 141 4. Doeg and Saul . 142 III. Summary . 148 CHAPTER IV SAUL, DOEG, NABAL vs. JONATHAN AND THE “SON OF JESSE” I. Introductory Remarks . 150 II. Saul vs. David the “Son of Jesse” . 152 A. A Matter of the Heart of God’s Elect . 154 B. The Origin of God’s Elect . 162 III. Jonathan and David . 168 A. The “Love” Factor in the Jonathan/David relationship . 170 B. The Design of 1 Sam. 18:1-4 . 172 C. The Nature of the Covenant . 174 IV. Saul, Doeg and Nabal and the “Son of Jesse” . 181 A. Doeg vs. the “Son of Jesse” . 181 B. Nabal vs. the “Son of Jesse” . 189 V. Summary . 195 vi CHAPTER V THE BOOK(S) OF SAMUEL AND ITS WRITER(S) I. Introductory Remarks . 197 II. The Calebites in Biblical Tradition . 198 III. 1 Samuel 25 and its Author(s) . 202 A. The Key Points in Abigail’s Speech . 204 1. Call to Apply Judgment and Discernment . 206 2. Warning to the Enemies of God’s People . 207 3. “An Enduring House” . 208 4. “The Bundle of Living” . 209 5. Call to Memory . 210 B. Nabal and Abigail: The Characters’ Representative Nature . 211 IV. 1 Samuel 17—22 and its Writer(s) . 212 A. Sam. 17:54 and 1 Sam. 21:10[9] . 213 B. 1 Samuel 21—22 . 214 V. History and Ideology in 1 Samuel 16—25 . 215 VI. Conclusion . 231 CHAPTER VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS I. Looking Back . 233 II. Looking Ahead . 239 vii Appendix I: Temporary Setting . 242 Appendix II: Doeg in Rabbinic Literature . 245 Appendix III: The Phrase hwhy ynpl in the Hebrew Bible (A Word Study) 253 Appendix IV: Who Were the Biblical Amalekites? . 255 Appendix V: The Significance of the phrase “The Sword and the Spear” in 1 Samuel . 264 Appendix VI: Nabal’s Downfall . 269 Appendix VII: The Chronicler and the Post-Exilic Writers . 274 Appendix VIII: The Making of 1 Samuel . 281 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 290 viii PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS ABD The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. D. N. Freedman et al., 6 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1992) ASV American Standard Version (1901) BDB Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, eds. of W. Gesenius’ Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. (Oxford University Press, 1907) BHS Elliger, K. and W. Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart: Beutsche Bibelstiftung, 1977) DB A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed, James Hastings, (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1898) IDB The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, ed. Buttrick G. A., (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962) ISBE The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, rev. ed, 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979-88) EB Encyclopedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary Political and Religious History, the Archaeology, Geography, and Natural History of the Bible, ed. T. K. Cheyne, (London: Adam & Charles Black, 1903) EJud Encyclopaedia Judaica, (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Ltd., 1971) HALOT The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, translated and edited under the supervision of M.E.J. Richardson (Leiden: Brill, 1994-99) HB The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) HDR History of David’s Rise Josephus Ant. Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities JPS Jewish Publication Society OT (1917) KJV King James, or Authorized Version (1611) LXX The Septuagint LXXA The Codex Alexandrinus, a major uncial manuscript of the Septuagint LXXB The Codex Vaticanus, a major uncial manuscript of the Septuagint LXXL The so-called Lucianic manuscripts of the Septuagint LXX– LXX < MT (+ Q) LXX+ LXX > MT (+ Q) MS, MSS manuscript, manuscripts MT The Masoretic Text ix MT– MT < LXX + Q MT+ MT > LXX + Q NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, ed. Willem A. VanGemeren, 5 vols. (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1996) NASB The New American Standard Bible (1977) NET The NET Bible (The New English Translation) NIV New International version (1984) NKJV New King James Version (1982) NRSV The New Revised Standard Version (1989) OG The Old Greek translation Q Qumran Text RSV The Revised Standard Version (1952) Syr. The Syriac translation or Peshitta Targ. The Targum TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. G. J. Botterweck, H. Ringgren, and H.-J. Fabry (1974-) TNK JPS Tanakh Version (1985) Vulg. The Vulgate (Jerome’s Latin translation) YLT Young’s Literal Translation ZPEB The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. Merrill C. Tenney, 5 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975) 1QSam Samuel Manuscripts from Qumran Cave I 4QSama,b,c Samuel Manuscripts from Qumran Cave IV JOURNALS AND SERIES AASF Annales Academiæ Scientiarum Fennicæ AB The Anchor Bible Series AJT Asia Journal of Theology AnB Analecta Biblica Series ArtS The Artscroll Tanach Series ATD Acta Teologica Danca Series BASOR Bulletin of American School of Oriental Research BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium BG Biblische Gestalten Series Bib Biblica BI Biblical Interpretation BIS Biblical Interpretation Series, ed. R. Alan Culpepper and Rolf Rendtorff BR Bible Review BS Bibliotheca Sacra (Dallas) BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BWANT Beitrage zur Wissenschaft vom alten und neuen Testament x BZ Biblische Zeitschrift BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CBOT Coniectanea Biblica, Old Testament Series CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBQM Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series DJD Discoveries in the Judean Desert Series, Clarendon Press, Oxford DSB The Daily Study Bible, ed. J. C. L. Gibson EAJT East Asia Journal of Theology EBC The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: With the New International Version of the Holy Bible, ed. F. E. Gabelein, 12 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979- 88) EF Erträge der Forschung Series EJ Evangelical Journal ETL Ephemerides theologicae Lovanienses FOTL The Forms of the Old Testament Literature Series HAR Hebrew Annual Review HB Herdes Bibelkommentar HBT Horizons in Biblical Theology HSAT Die Heilige Schrift des Alten Testamentes, ed.