The First Book of SamuelDavid and Goliath, the call of Samuel, the witch of Endor, David and Bathsheba — such biblical stories are well known. But the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, where they are recorded, are among the most difficult books in the Bible. The Hebrew text is widely considered corrupt and sometimes even unintelligible. The social and religious customs are strange and seem to diverge from the tradition of Moses. In this first part of an ambitious two-volume commentary on the books of Samuel, David Toshio Tsumura sheds considerable light on the background of 1 Samuel, looking carefully at the Philistine and Canaanite cultures, as he untangles the difficult Hebrew text. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
TEXT | 2 |
DATE AND AUTHORSHIP | 11 |
HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND | 33 |
GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX | 46 |
DISCOURSE ANALYSIS | 49 |
PROSE AND POETRY | 55 |
LITERARY STRUCTURE AND THEMES | 65 |
PURPOSE OF 1 SAMUEL | 73 |
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY | 81 |
STORY OF SAMUEL WITH THE EMBEDDED | 103 |
11535 | 262 |
13113 | 412 |
657 | |
668 | |
THEOLOGY OF 1 SAMUEL | 69 |
Common terms and phrases
According Ancient Ancient Near East anointed appears asked battle become beginning Bible Biblical Books called chapter clause command context contrast covenant David dead death discourse divine early enemies episode EVENT evil example explains expression eyes fact father give God’s hand Hannah Hebrew hence History Interpretation Introduction Israel Israelite Jerusalem Jonathan Judah Judg kill king kingship land later literary Lord McCarter means mentioned narrative NASB Note NRSV offering Old Testament original pattern person Philistines phrase present Press priest probably prophet R. P. Gordon reading refers Samuel Saul Saul’s saying Scholars seems servant SETTING Sheffield similar sons spirit story structure Studies suggests taken term thinks tion Tradition translated Ugaritic verb verse wayqtl Yahweh