In this second course on the Kings of the Old Testament, we look to the books of Samuel, and the story of Saul and David.
Listen online [here]!
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The Kings
of the Old Testament
Adult
Faith Formation Series, May/June 2022
Session 2:
Saul and David (1 and 2 Samuel)
Class Schedule, Tuesdays from 7
to 8pm
May 17th –
Introduction: Goals for this Course, Historical Background, Biblical Books
May 24th – Saul and
David (1 and 2 Samuel)
May 31st – Solomon and
the Divided Kingdom (1 and 2 Kings)
June 7th – The Divided
Kingdom up to the Assyrian Invasion of Israel
June 14th – Kings of
Judah up to the Babylonian Captivity
June 21st – No Class,
Preparing for Ordination of Bishop Elect Fleming
June 28th – The Return
to Jerusalem
Deuteronomy 17:14-20
When thou art come into the land,
which the Lord thy God will give thee, and possessest it, and shalt say: I will
set a king over me, as all nations have that are round about: Thou shalt set
him whom the Lord thy God shall choose out of the number of thy brethren. Thou
mayst not make a man of another nation king, that is not thy brother. And when
he is made king, he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the
people into Egypt, being lifted up with the number of his horsemen, especially
since the Lord hath commanded you to return no more the same way. He shall not
have many wives, that may allure his mind, nor immense sums of silver and gold.
But after he is raised to the throne of his kingdom, he shall copy out to
himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume, taking the copy of the priests
of the Levitical tribe, And he shall have it with him, and shall read it all
the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and keep his
words and ceremonies, that are commanded in the law; And that his heart be not
lifted up with pride over his brethren, nor decline to the right or to the
left, that he and his sons may reign a long time over Israel.
***The King shall not (1)
multiply horses nor return to Egypt, (2) have many wives, (3) amass riches of
silver and gold.***
I. The Composition
of 1 and 2 Samuel
A. Originally,
these two books were only one book. They were divided (in the Greek Translation
of the Old Testament, the Septuagint) into two as a means of accommodating the
length of scrolls which could not contain the whole book as one. However, note that, although one book, the
division point is consistent with the internal character of the book itself –
divided by the death of Saul and assumption of power by David. In fact, there
is good reason to believe that the book was not written all at once by only one
author, but rather was written during the successive reigns of Saul and David; first
by Samuel, then by Gad and Nathan.
Note
that some (or perhaps even most) modern Jewish Bibles still keep 1 and 2 Samuel
as one book.
B. In
the Latin Vulgate, this book is called Liber Primus (Secundus) Samuelis,
quem nos Primum (Secundum) Regum dicimus – “The First/Second Book of
Samuel, which we call First Kings”. In many traditional Catholic Bibles, 1 and
2 Samuel are called 1 and 2 Kings; while 1 and 2 Kings are called 3 and 4
Kings. While the original title of 1 and 2 Samuel was simply “Samuel” (as one
book), at the time of the division into two in the Septuagint, Kings was also
divided in two; and all (now four) books were collectively called the “Books of
the Kingdoms.”
C.
Although there were some who believed that 1 and 2 Samuel as well as 1 and 2
Kings all together formed one complete work – there are good reasons to
maintain that the two works Samuel and Kings are separate and were composed
independently. We will consider this more when we discuss 1 and 2 Kings.
D. The
Jewish tradition (for example in the Talmud) maintains that Samuel is the
author of the whole of 1 and 2 Samuel, and this was adopted by St Gregory the
Great and others after him. However, this does not seem to have been held prior
to St Gregory, nor need it be maintained today. It seems better to concluded
that Samuel wrote those portions which correspond to his life, while the
prophets Gad and Nathan contributed writings which were later incorporated by a
final editor to make the complete book of Samuel. All of these authors, and the
editor, would have worked under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 1 Chronicles 29:29: “Now the acts of King
David first and last are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the
book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer.”
However,
we note that there are others who attribute Samuel to various others,
including: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Ezra.
The
date of composition is obviously related to the question of authorship. While
it is fairly widely accepted that the book of Judges was written in the
early-middle of Saul’s reign, it is not so clear with Samuel. However, if we
hold to Samuel, Gad, and Nathan as authors, then the book would have been
written at a time contemporaneous to the events recorded – and then edited into
a unified book at a later date (which seems to have been sometime after the
split into the Divided Kingdoms and prior to the reign of King Josiah in 621 BC
– because there are references to the Kings of Judah [implying the division
between Judah and Israel] and also casual reference to various sacrifices which
would have been strictly forbidden after the reforms of Josiah and would not
have been passed over without censure after that time).
E.
Lastly, we must note that Samuel is a prophet and the book of Samuel is
classically considered as a “Prophetic Book.”
In fact, this book is listed among the Prophets in the Hebrew Bible – recognizing
it as belonging to the Former Prophets (also called the earlier prophets or the
anterior prophets). In the Christian
tradition, the book is considered as part of the Historical Books.
II.
Overview and Structure of the Book(s) of Samuel
A. The
Books of Samuel focus on three figures who lead the nation of Israel in
succession but also overlap one another – Samuel the Judge and Prophet, Saul
the King, and David the King. After the introduction with Samuel, there is the
story of the rise of Saul and then of his fall which corresponds to the rise of
David, then comes the fall of David followed by an Epilogue.
B. It
is generally agreed that there are five (or six) main sections/division of the
Books of Samuel. We present two ways of dividing the books.
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(1) 1
Sam 1:1 – 7:17, The History of Samuel (2) 1
Sam 8:1 – 15:35, Samuel and Saul (3) 1
Sam 16:1 – 2 Sam 1:27, Saul and David (4) 2
Sam 2:1 – 8:18, David the King (5) 2
Sam 9:1 – 20:26, The Succession to David (6) 2
Sam 21:1 – 24:25, Epilogue
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Another
way of dividing the books is: (1) 1
Sam 1 – 7, History of Samuel (2) 1
Sam 8 – 15, Saul’s governing (3) 1
Sam 16 – 31, Saul and David (4) 2
Sam 1 – 20, The reign of David (5) 2
Sam 21 – 24, Appendix
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A
summary of each of these sections
History
of Samuel:
Samuel’s
birth and consecration to the Lord (ch 1). The sins of the sons of the priest
Eli, and the prediction of the downfall of his house (ch 2). Samuel’s call to
the prophetic office, and the prophetic vision of the destruction of the house
of Eli (ch 3). The Israelites defeated by the Philistines with Eli’s sons slain
and the ark taken; the death of Eli (ch 4). The punishments and plagues among
the Philistines for possessing the ark, and the return of the ark to Israel (ch
5-7). Samuel as judge, and a victorious battle against the Philistines (ch 7).
History
of Saul:
The
people demand a king and Samuel reluctantly grants their request (ch 8). Saul
is privately anointed by Samuel as king (ch 9-10). Samuel gathers the people of
Israel to elect a king and the lot falls to Saul who is acknowledged by most
but not all as king (ch 10). Saul defeats the Ammonite king and now all Israel
supports him (ch 11). Samuel’s farewell address to the people (ch 12). In a war
against the Philistines, Saul is disobedient to the Lord’s command and Samuel
announces that God has rejected Saul (ch 13). Stories related to Jonathan who
is loved by the people (ch 14). Summary of Saul’s wars etc (ch 14). War against
Amalek, Saul’s second act of disobedience and final rejection (ch 15).
Saul
and David:
Samuel
anoints David as king at Bethlehem (ch 16). He
is called to serve in Saul’s court and also to be Saul’s armor bearer
(ch 16). David defeats Goliath (ch 17). Saul’s jealousy and hatred of David,
while Jonathan is loyal to David – David escapes from Saul and flees (ch
18-21). David as leader of a band of outlaws and living in hiding at times –
David spares Saul’s life multiple times [in this time, Samuel also dies] (ch
22-27). A new war erupts with the
Philistines and David desires to join the Philistines but they doubt his loyalty,
Saul’s episode with the witch of Endor, David loses his wife Abigail to the
Amalekites and recovers her, at the Battle of Gilboa both Saul and Jonathan die
(ch 28-31).
History
of David as King:
We know
come to 2 Samuel. After David laments over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2
Samuel 1), he is anointed as King of Judah at Hebron (ch 2). David wars with
the son of Saul Isboseth and is ultimately recognized by all the tribes as king
(ch 2-5). David conquers the city of
Jebus which is held by the Canaanite tribe the Jebusites, the city is renamed
Jerusalem and is established as David’s Capital City (ch 5). David wars with
the Philistines and regains the Ark which is brought to Zion/Jerusalem (ch 6).
David thinks of building a Temple for the Lord (ch 7).
Summary
of various wars and doings of King David (ch 9-10). David’s adultery with
Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (ch 11), followed by his conviction by the
prophet Nathan and his repentance (ch 12). Birth of Solomon (ch 12). Amnon’s
rape of Tamar (sister of Absalom), the conflict in David’s home and the
rebellion of Absalom with the flight of David (ch 13-17). Absalom is defeated and
slain by Joab, David is much grieved (ch 18-19). Jealousies between Israel and
Judah lead to a small revolt which is quelled (ch 20).
Epilogue:
The
execution of Saul’s descendants (ch 21). Various successes against the
Philistines (ch 21). A psalm of thanksgiving which is almost identical to Psalm
17 [18] (ch 22). David’s “last words” (ch 23). The sin of the census and the
pestilence which followed as punishment, Gad sent as prophet and David’s
repentance (ch 24).
III.
Questions arising from the Books of Samuel
A. Why
was Saul rejected?
1) Saul
made the sacrificial offering without Samuel present (1 Samuel 13)
2) Saul
spared king Agag of the Amalekites, as well as some of the animals (1 Samuel
15).
3)
Later, Saul goes to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28). [further questions about the séance]
Additionally,
Saul was jealous of David.
B. Was
it sinful for David to have multiple wives?
While
David’s adultery with Bathsheba was sinful, his repentance shows that he was
not lustful in his relations with his other wives (see St Augustine’s
commentary in City of God). Further,
David’s wives did not lead him into the worship of false gods.
C. What
was the sin of David in calling the census?
The
census is a mysterious sin, one that is not clearly explained in the Bible.
Note that 1 Chronicles 21:1 indicates that it was Satan who incited David to
take the census.
Perhaps
the numbering of the people was a way of “claiming” them for himself, when
Israel truly belongs only to the Lord. Further, this could be an act of pride –
seeking to number his greatness.
Finally,
note that the angel indicates the place where the Temple will ultimately be
built.
IV.
Study of particular passages
(as
time allows)
A.
Compare the prayer of Hannah (1 Samuel 2) with the Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1)
B. The
taking of the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6) compared to the Visitation of Mary
(Luke 1)
From “The Virgin Mary Compared to the Air We Breathe” by Fr
Gerard Manley Hopkins
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Whereas
did air not make This
bath of blue and slake His
fire, the sun would shake, A
blear and blinding ball With
blackness bound, and all The
thick stars round him roll Flashing
like flecks of coal, Quartz-fret,
or sparks of salt, In
grimy vasty vault. So
God was god of old: A
mother came to mould |
Those
limbs like ours which are What
must make our daystar Much
dearer to mankind; Whose
glory bare would blind Or
less would win man’s mind. Through
her we may see him Made
sweeter, not made dim, And
her hand leaves his light Sifted
to suit our sight.
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C. The
rebuke/correction of the prophet Nathan to David (2 Samuel 12)
