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Chapter 7 - Yahweh Who Watches a King (2 Samuel 11:1–24:25)
John Goldingay, Fuller Theological Seminary, California
Book:

The Theology of the Book of Samuel

Published online:

08 May 2024

Print publication:

09 May 2024, pp 178-213
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Summary

Chapter 7 covers David’s moral downfall and the disastrous implications for his family, including the rape of Tamar and the rebellion of Absalom. The closing pages of 2 Samuel look back and raise further questions about who David was and the kind of God who was involved with him.

John Goldingay
Published online:

08 May 2024

Print publication:

09 May 2024
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The Old Testament book of Samuel is an intriguing narrative that offers an account of the origin of the monarchy in Israel. It also deals at length with the fascinating stories of Saul and David. In this volume, John Goldingay works through the book, exploring the main theological ideas as they emerge in the narratives about Samuel, Saul, and David, as well as in the stories of characters such as Hannah, Michal, Bathsheba, and Tamar. Goldingay brings out the key ideas about God and God's involvement in the lives of people, and their involvement with him through prayer and worship. He also delves into the mystery and complexity of human persons and their roles in events. Goldingay's study traces how God pursues his purpose for Israel and, ultimately, for the world in these narratives. It shows how this pursuit is interwoven with the realities of family, monarchy, war, love, ambition, loss, failure, and politics.

9 - Rahab’s Courage and the Gibeonites’ Cowardice
from Part III - Rahab: An Archetypal Outsider
Jacob L. Wright, Emory University, Atlanta
Book:

War, Memory, and National Identity in the Hebrew Bible

Published online:

27 July 2020

Print publication:

23 July 2020, pp 148-166
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Summary

This third chapter of Part III examines the case of another population in the book of Joshua. The preceding chapter established that Rahab’s story grew to its present proportions as later writers expanded it both to teach the nation lessons of courage and to address issues posed by contested populations. The Gibeonites were one such contested population. Instead of defending this population by commemorating their loyalty and bravery in wartime, the biblical scribes challenged their belonging and privileges by creating a memory of unheroic conduct. The chapter looks at a number of texts, as well as archeological evidence, to reveal what was at stake in their polemics against this group.