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Son of Jesse? Son of Saul?: 1 Samuel 17:55-58 in a Conflict Narrative of Saul and David(1 Sam 16-26)

Yoo,YoonJong 1

1평택대학교

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ABSTRACT

It has well been known that 1 Samuel 17:55-58 are treated as one of the most difficult verses in the Bible, because the verses contradict with earlier verses(16:14-23; 17:15, 31-40) and later verses(24:11, 16; 26:17, 21, 25). There have been many solutions maintained, but they are far from satisfactory. Among many scholarly solutions, I will develop the interpretation of Polzin, Lawton, and Jae Gu Kim. They argue that Saul’s question ‘Whose son is’ expresses Saul’s wishing to take David as his son and David’s rejecting answer that ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem’ functions a trigger of conflict between Saul and David. In this paper, I pursue to solve the contradictory matter contained in 1 Samuel 17:55-58 with illustrating the role of the verses by narrative criticism. In 1 Samuel 16-26, Saul’s promise of reward(17:25) to the man who kills Goliath plays a role of foreshadowing of conflict between Saul and David. Saul did not keep the promise, but everything that he promised is achieved. Saul’s frequent uses of ‘Son of Jesse’(20:27, 30, 31; 22:7, 8; 22:9) instead of ‘David’ reflect Saul’s taunting attitude to David’s confession of ‘son of Jesse.’ In final section of Saul and David’s conflict, David calls Saul as ‘my father’(24:11). In reply, Saul calls David ‘my son David’(24:16; 26:17, 21, 25). I analyzed the plot of conflict narrative of Saul and David as five stages: introduction(ch 16), struggle(17:55-58), development(chs 18-23), climax(24:1-26:25a), denouement(26:25b). This paper argues that the conflict formed in 17:55-58 has been dissolved in chapter 24 and 26 by David’s calling ‘my father’ and Saul’s calling ‘my son David.’ It is also noteworthy that Jonathan and Michal play an important role as mediators trying to soften Saul’s hostility to David. It would be said that David could confess Saul as ‘my father’ through Jonathan and Michal’s favor and love to David. In this narrative, the motif of ‘knowing who David is’ are very crucial in interpreting who YHWH approves. Saul do not know who David is at the beginning, but he could dissolve the conflict after knowing who David is and approving that YHWH is with David. While dissolving the conflict between Saul and David, it is revealed that David was supported by YHWH and David tries to keep ‘the principle of YHWH’s anointed as inviolate.’ In sum, it is notable that by YHWH’s support and David’s innocence to Saul’s death, David’s legitimacy to kingship could be vindicated.

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