David, Saul, and God

Rediscovering an Ancient Story

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Bible & Bible Studies, Bibles
Cover of the book David, Saul, and God by Paul Borgman, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Paul Borgman ISBN: 9780199887125
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: April 16, 2008
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Paul Borgman
ISBN: 9780199887125
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: April 16, 2008
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The biblical story of King David and his conflict with King Saul (1 and 2 Samuel) is one of the most colorful and perennially popular in the Hebrew Bible. In recent years, this story has attracted a great deal of scholarly attention, much of it devoted to showing that David was a far less heroic character than appears on the surface. Indeed, more than one has painted David as a despicable tyrant. Paul Borgman provides a counter-reading to these studies, through an attentive reading of the narrative patterns of the text. He focuses on one of the key features of ancient Hebrew narrative poetics -- repeated patterns -- taking special note of even the small variations each time a pattern recurs. He argues that such "hearing cues" would have alerted an ancient audience to the answers to such questions as "Who is David?" and "What is so wrong with Saul?" The narrative insists on such questions, says Borgman, slowly disclosing answers through patterns of repeated scenarios and dominant motifs that yield, finally, the supreme work of storytelling in ancient literature. Borgman concludes with a comparison with Homer's storytelling technique, demontrating that the David story is indeed a masterpiece and David (as Baruch Halpern has said) "the first truly modern human."

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The biblical story of King David and his conflict with King Saul (1 and 2 Samuel) is one of the most colorful and perennially popular in the Hebrew Bible. In recent years, this story has attracted a great deal of scholarly attention, much of it devoted to showing that David was a far less heroic character than appears on the surface. Indeed, more than one has painted David as a despicable tyrant. Paul Borgman provides a counter-reading to these studies, through an attentive reading of the narrative patterns of the text. He focuses on one of the key features of ancient Hebrew narrative poetics -- repeated patterns -- taking special note of even the small variations each time a pattern recurs. He argues that such "hearing cues" would have alerted an ancient audience to the answers to such questions as "Who is David?" and "What is so wrong with Saul?" The narrative insists on such questions, says Borgman, slowly disclosing answers through patterns of repeated scenarios and dominant motifs that yield, finally, the supreme work of storytelling in ancient literature. Borgman concludes with a comparison with Homer's storytelling technique, demontrating that the David story is indeed a masterpiece and David (as Baruch Halpern has said) "the first truly modern human."

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Turkey by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Andrew Jackson by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Inhospitable World by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book ADHD by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Choral Pedagogy by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Ethics of War by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Foundations of Health Psychology by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Afghanistan from the Cold War through the War on Terror by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book The Enlightenment of Sympathy by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book The Future of Foreign Intelligence by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Early Christianity: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Jerome of Prague and the Foundations of the Hussite Movement by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Blogwars by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book Capitalism by Paul Borgman
Cover of the book The Devil's Long Tail by Paul Borgman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy