WORD

BIBLICAL

COMMENTARY

VOLUME 10

1 Samuel

RALPH W. KLEIN

General Editors

Bruce M. Metzger

David A. Hubbard†

Glenn W. Barker†

Old Testament Editor

John D. W. Watts

New Testament Editor

Ralph P. Martin

WORD BOOKS, PUBLISHER • DALLAS, TEXAS

Word Biblical Commentary:

1 Samuel

Copyright © 1983 by Word, Incorporated

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Main entry under title:

Word biblical commentary.

Includes bibliographies.

1. Bible—Commentaries—Collected works.

BS491.2.W67 220.7´7 81-71768

ISBN 0-8499-0209-6 (v. 10) AACR2

Scripture quotations in the body of the commentary marked rsv are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946 (renewed 1973), 1956, and © 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and are used by permission. Those marked NIV are from the New International Version of the Bible, copyright © 1973 by New York Bible Society International. The author’s own translation of the text appears in italic type under the heading “Translation.”

To the memory of my parents

George and Pauline Klein

who served as my Lois and Eunice

Table of Contents

Editorial Preface

Abbreviations

Main Bibliography

I. Commentaries

II. General Studies on Samuel

Introduction

I. The Book Called 1 Samuel

II. The Text of Samuel

Bibliography

The Biblical Text

III. Literary Origins

IV. The Shape of This Commentary

The Birth of Samuel 1:1–28

The Song of Hannah 2:1–10

Good Son/Bad Sons 2:11–36

Samuel and the Word of Yahweh 3:1–21 (4:1a)

The Ark Goes into Exile 4:1b–22

The Victorious Hand of Yahweh 5:1–12

The victorious Ark Comes Home 6:1–7:1

The Rise of Kingship 7–15

Bibliography

Samuel Judges Israel 7:2–17

The Rights of the King 8:1–22

Asses Sought, a Kingdom Found 9:1–10:16

The King Whom Yahweh Has Chosen 10:17–27a

Saul Proclaimed King 10:27b–11:15

Kingship: Right or Wrong? 12:1–25

No Dynasty for Saul 13:1–23

Military Exploits of Saul and Jonathan 14:1–52

Saul Rejected As King 15:1–35

Samuel Anoints David 16:1–13

The History of David’s Rise (HDR) 1 Samuel 16:14–2 Samuel 5:10

Bibliography

David Comes to the Royal Court 16:14–23

David Defeats the Philistine 17:1–18:5

Saul’s Jealousy and David’s Success 18:6–30

Four Escapes 19:1–24

Bilateral Loyalty 20:1–21:1

A Priest Favors David 21:2–10 (EVV 1–9)

David, the Madman 21:11 (EVV. 10–15)

Abiathar Joins David in Flight 22:1–23

Yahweh Does Not Surrender David 23:1–24:1 (EVV 23:29)

David Refuses to Kill Yahweh’s Anointed 24:2–23 (EVV 1–22)

David and Abigail 25:1–44

Reprise: David Refuses to Kill Yahweh’s Anointed 26:1–25

David As Double Agent 27:1–28:2

Bad News at En-Dor 28:3–25

A Narrow Escape 29:1–11

A Kinglike Hero 30:1–31

The Death and Burial of Saul 31:1–13

Indexes