The warn inter view Early Judean David Narratives anything that day, for he thought, It is an accident, he is not ceremonially clean, for he has not been cleansed.d 27 But when on the day following the new moon, David's place was empty, Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or to-day? 28And Jonathan answered Saul, David urgently asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, 29for he said, 'Let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brotherse have commanded me. Now if I have found favor in your sight, let me slip away and see my kinsmen.' Hence he has not come to the king's table. 30Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, Son of a depraved woman!f Do I not know that you are associated with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he is doomed to die.h 32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Why should he be put to death? What has he done? 33But Saul lifted up his spear at him to smite him. So Jonathan knew that his father had determined to put David to death. 34Therefore Jonathan rose from the table in hot anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David,i because his father reviled him. 35 But in the morning Jonathan went out into the ing and field at the time appointed with David, and a little secret lad with him. 36And he said to his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the lad came to the place where the arrow which Jonathan had shot lay, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond you? 38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Hurry, quick, do not stop! So Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and brought them to his master. 39But the lad had no knowledge of anything; only Jonathan and David understood the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap, i and fell on his face to the ground and prostrated himself three times, and they kissed each other and wept at length d 2026 So Gk. The Heb. is a mere repetition. e 2029 So Gk, and Luc. Heb., my brother. Popular Judean David Stories I Sam. 23 15Now David feared because Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesha. 16And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David in Horesha and strengthened his hand in God. 17And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you shall be king over Israel and I shall be f 2030 The Heb. is doubtful. It may mean, son of depravity, or perverseness, or, after the Gk., son of an escaped slave girl. It is not intended, however, to reflect at all on the mother, but only on the person addressed. * 2030 So Gk. and Luc. Owing to the transposition of one letter the Heb. reads, You have chosen. h2031 Heb., he is a son of death. 2034 The Gk. omits, for he was grieved for David. 12041 So Gk. and the corrected Heb. text. It may be a later addition. David's flight at Nob Early Judean David Narratives with each other. 42Then Jonathan said to David, Go in peace! As to what we two have sworn in the name of Jehovah-Jehovah will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever. Then David rose and departed and Jonathan went into the city. 21 1And David came to Nob, to Ahimeto the lech the priest. And Ahimelech came trempriests bling to meet David and said to him, Why are you alone and no one with you? 2And David answered Ahimelech the priest, The king has entrusted me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter upon which I am sending you and which I have commanded you;' and I have directed the young men to meet me at a certain place. Now, therefore, if you have five loaves of bread at hand, or whatever can be found,m give it to me. 4And the priest answered David, saying, There is no ordinary bread at hand, but there is holy bread, if only the young men have kept themselves from women." 5And David answered the priest and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us; as always when I set out on an expedition, the weapons of the young men were consecrated, though it is but an ordinary journey; how much more then to-day shall their weapons be holy !P 6So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread, Very Late Popular Prophetic Tradition at Ra I Sam. 19 18Now David David's flight fled and escaped and came to to Samuel to Ramah and told Samuel him all that Saul had done to mah him. And he and Samuel went and remained in Naioth. 19 And when it was told Saul, saying, David is there at Naioth in Ramah, 20Saul sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying with Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, so that they also prophesied. 21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22Then Saul's anger was arouseda and he himself went to Ramah. And when he came to the cistern of the The idea is, k 2011 RV, until David exceeded, i.e., came out ahead in the weeping contest. to say the least, peculiar. The Gk. omits David, and suggests the above reading. 1918 The meaning of this word is unknown. It may come from the root, to dwell. m 213 Heb., What is under your hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand or whatever is found. 214 The Heb. omits, as frequently, the apodosis; Gk. and Luc. add, that they might eat. • 215 Or, bodies. Gk., all of the young men. P215 The passage is exceedingly difficult, although the general sense is clear. a 1922 So Ġk. The clause, Saul's anger was aroused, has apparently dropped out of our present Heb. text. 216 I.e., the bread set before Jehovah in the sanctuary. Lit., bread of the presence. Early Judean David Narratives t that was taken from before Jehovah in order to put hot bread there the day it was taken away. Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah, by the name of Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen." 8And David said to Ahimelech, Have you not here at hand a spear or sword? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's matter required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, there it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here. And David said, There is none like that, give it to me. Very Late Popular Prophetic Tradition 8 threshing floor, which is on the bare height, he asked, saying, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, There they are at Naioth in Ramah. 23But when he went thither to Naioth in Ramah, the spirit of God also came upon him, and he went along prophesying, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel, and lay naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?v 20 laThen David fled from Naioth in Ramah." as an 22 1David therefore departed thence and escaped to the stronghold of David Adullam. And when his brethren and all his father's clan heard it, they outlaw went down there to him. 2And every one who was in distress, and every leader one who was in debt, and every one who was embittered gathered about him, and he became their leader. And there were with him about four hundred men. parents 3And David went from there to Mizpeh in Moab; and he said to the king His of Moab, Let my father and my mother dwell with you, until I know what with God will do for me. And he left them in the presence of the king of Moab; the and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. Moab And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in Mizpeh;d depart and come into the land of Judah. Then David departed and came into the forest of Hereth. in 20. 1922 So Gk. and Luc. Heb., to the great cistern which is in Secu. t 217 Because of some ceremonial obligation. u 217 Gk., muleherd. 1924 For the older tradition regarding the origin of the proverb, cf. 101o, § 6. 20 221 Heb., cave; but the parallels in II Sam. 2313, I Chr. 1115, and the reference in demand the very similar Heb. word meaning, stronghold. a 222 Cf. the similar band of outlaws who gathered about Jephthah, Judg. 113. b223 So Syr. and Lat. Gk., be. A scribal error in the Heb. gives the unnatural reading, come forth. 224 So Syr., Lat., Targ., and a slightly modified reading of the Heb. d 225 So Syr. Heb., stronghold, but according to 233 the stronghold of Adullam was in Judah. The change of one letter gives the harmonious reading followed above. king of mali cious testi mony § 13. Saul's Vengeance upon the Priests of Nob, I Sam. 226-23 Early Judean David Narratives Doeg's I Sam. 22 6Now when Saul heard that David and the men with him were discovered (Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk-tree on the high place, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him), Saul said to his servants who were standing before him, Hear O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse likewise give you all fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me, and no one discloses to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you has pity upon me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant to be an enemy against me,h as is now the case? 9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, answered and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he inquired of Godi for him and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Slaughter of 11Then the king summoned Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and the all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob, and they came all of priests them to the king. 12And Saul said, Hear now, O son of Ahitub! And he answered, Here am I, my lord! 13And Saul said to him, Why have you, together with the son of Jesse, conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me as an enemy, as is now the case? 14Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, But who among all your servants is like David, trusted and the king's son-in-law and captain over your retainers and honored in your household? 15Is this the first time I have inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant nor to any one of my clan, for your servant did not know the slightest thing about all this. 16But the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, together with all your clan. 17And the king said to the runners who stood before him, Turn about and slay the priests of Jehovah, for their hand also was with David, and, although they knew that he was fleeing, they did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands to strike down the priests of Jehovah. 18Then the king said to Doeg, Turn and strike down the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and himself $13 While one or two new facts, as, for example, that Ahimelech inquired of Jehovah for David, 10, are found in 226-23, and not in 211-9, the points of correspondence are so many and close between the two sections that it is difficult to believe, as has sometimes been maintained, that they are not from the same source; the former indeed is the immediate sequel of the latter. The sword of Goliath also figures in both, 219 and 2213. Abiathar likewise reappears in the subsequent early Judean David narratives, e.g., 236, II Sam. 1529, 35, 36 The natural representation and the vivid style strongly confirm the conclusion that it was taken from the early Judean David narratives. € 226 So Gk. and Luc. It was the place of public assembly. Cf. 912. The Heb. has the impossible reading, Ramah. f 228 A long interjected descriptive clause, not uncommon in Heb. 228 Heb., is sick for. h228, 13 So Gk. Heb., to be in wait. i 2210 So Syr., Gk., and Luc., and in 13, 15ff. Heb., Jehovah. 2214 So Gk., Luc., and Targ. The current translation, is taken into thy councils, is hardly tenable. Dis of Da Early Judean David Narratives struck down the priests. So he slew on that day eighty-five men who wore thar's escape 20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, Abiaescaped and fled to David.m 21And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of Jehovah. 22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, because Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I myself am guiltyn of all the lives of your clan. 23 Remain with me, fear not; for whoever seeks your life must also seek mine, since you are placed in my charge. § 14. Saul's Pursuit and David's Magnanimity, I Sam. 231-14, 19-29, 24, 26 Early Judean David Narratives I Sam. 23 1Now when David was told, closure The Philistines are fighting against Keilah vid's and are robbing the threshing floors, place to 2David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall hiding Saul I go and attack these Philistines? And Popular Judean David Stories 23 19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Is not David hiding himself with us in the strongholds in Horesha, in the hill of Hachilah, which is to the south of the desert ?P 20 Now therefore, O king, according to all your heart's desire come down, and it shall be our part to k2218 So Gk. and Luc. The Heb. adds, linen. 2220 The original probably added, and brought the ephod with him. Cf. the omission of 2222 So Gk., Luc., and Syr. One letter in the Heb. has evidently been changed through a copyist's error, so that at present it is untranslatable. 223 Restoring that which must have been the original order in this sentence. §14 231-14 is the direct continuation of the Judean narrative in 22. Abiathar the priest, who alone escaped from the slaughter of the priests at Nob, is present in David's camp, 9. The language and spirit are characteristic of the early David stories. Chaps. 231-2423 and 26 contain what appear clearly to be variant versions of the same incident. In both the Ziphites offer to betray David to Saul, and the geographical background is the same. In each, Saul, while pursuing him, is at the mercy of David, who spares the life of the king because of his regard for the anointed of Jehovah. Both recount much the same conversation between the two which results in their temporary reconciliation. The variations are no more striking than appear in the different versions of events found in Gen.-Judg. Both versions have many of the expressions and ideas characteristic of the Judean school. Chap. 26 appears to be the older and 2319-24 the later popular version of the story. Thus in 2319-2423 the tradition has been expanded at several points: 2319-24 tell at length, and with much repetition, of the preliminary negotiations between the Ziphites and Saul, and 248-22 has a long account of the conversation between Saul and David in which ideas peculiar to later Hebrew thought (cf. especially 20, 21) are prominent. On the other hand, the shorter narrative in 26 is much more circumstantial and individual names are preserved. Cf., for example, 266, 8 and 245.7; 265.14 and 244.6. David's daring visit to Saul's camp is much more natural; while the version in 24, which represents Saul as falling completely into David's power, exalts the magnanimity of the Judean hero and again strongly suggests a popular tradition. The expression and representation in 2319-243 are also much less refined. Cf. 243. 15. The religious conceptions of 26 are the more primitive. Cf., e.g., 2619, 20 and 2421, 22. Chap. 26 probably once followed immediately after 2314 and was removed from this position by a later editor who preferred the fuller version, and who was, perhaps, also influenced by the prominent mention of Maon in both 2324-28 and 25. As often in Gen, and Sam. the older parallel was preserved by assigning it to another setting. P2319 In 261 the hill of Hachilah is east of the desert of Judah (Jeshimmon). tion and tautology suggest that the second part of this verse is from a late editor. The varia |