I SAMUEL 23

Most readers and commentators of the Bible do so by starting at the beginning of a book or chapter and treating the verses in order. This is of course the way we are taught to read most any written work, whether it is a novel, an autobiography, a history, or a poem. And there is nothing at all wrong with approaching the Scripture in the same manner.

But in addition, where the Bible is concerned one can also get some valuable insights into the author's plan in writing by diagramming the overall organization of a discrete passage, identifying smaller units within it and lining them up with similar or contrasting units also in that passage. As an example, consider first I Samuel 23-28, which describes an important time in the life of David when he was out of favor with Saul and on the run for his life.

                                                    Figure I: Organization of I Samuel 23-28

                        I. David’s successes in battle (I Sam. 23)

A. David inquires of the Lord twice

B. escapes when Saul is distracted by Philistines

                                                        II. David shames Saul; Saul calls David “my son” (I Sam. 24)

                                                                    III. David and Abigail (I Sam. 25)

                                                        II'. David shames Saul; Saul calls David “my son” (I Sam. 26)

I'. David’s successes in battle (I Sam. 27-28)

B. Saul is afraid of the Philistines

A. Saul inquires of a witch

Both I and I' demonstrate clearly how God was with David, guiding him to success in various battles with the enemies of Israel. But at the same time, God had turned away from Saul for his disobedience and refused to give him any guidance at all, to the point where Saul resorted to consulting with a witch in an attempt to get the answers he desired. The contrast between IB and I'B also points out how even the feared Philistines are used by God on David's behalf.

Two almost identical instances of David sparing Saul's life appear in II and II'. In both, Saul is apparently humbled by David's actions and words, and yet the king can not help reverting to his bloodthirsty plan after David has left.

You can also see from Figure 1 that the central point of emphasis appears in chapter 25 where the foolish landowner Nabal insults David and it takes all of Abigail's diplomatic skills to keep David from killing him. Nabal dies anyway (probably by divine intervention) and his widow becomes one of David's wives.

You might ask yourself why that particular episode should be considered so important. I think the answer is that it highlights the vast difference between the “natural” David who is quick to fly off the handle and willing to resort to violence to satisfy his momentary passion and the “spiritual” David who refuses to lay a hand on Saul because he is God's anointed.

In this way, the whole of I Samuel 23-28 prepares us for the story of David and Bathsheba in which David also takes a wife from a dead man. However, in this case David is the one who has killed him.

Zeroing in on I Samuel itself, we can see that it is similarly arranged in a set of parallel literary units:

                                                 Figure 2: Organization of I Samuel 23

1. God aids David – Involvement with the Philistines (vv. 1-5)

                                    2. Abiathar joins David (vv. 6-11)

                                            3. Men of Keilah will help Saul (vv. 12)

                                                    4. David is in the Wilderness of Ziph (vv. 13-14a)

                                                            5. Saul seeks out David (14b)

                                    2'. Jonathan joins David (vv. 15-18)

                                            3'. Ziphites help Saul (vv. 19-24a)

                                                    4'. David is in the Wilderness of Maon (v. 24b)

                                                            5'. Saul seeks out David (vv. 25-26)

1'. God aids David – Involvement with the Philistines (vv. 27-29)

What can we learn from the way this chapter is organized? In the parallel sections 2 and 2' we see two key people who leave Saul's camp to join their fates with that of David. By contrast, in 3 and 3' we are told of two groups who inform against David by telling Saul where he is. We are not so surprised that the Ziphites would side with King Saul, but it is a little unusual that the men of Keilah would do the same thing right after David had just rescued them from the Philistines. This latter incident prepares us somewhat for a later time when David's own son Absalom turns against him unexpectedly.

That David is a man in “no man's land” is stressed by the two times he is specifically said to be hiding in the “wilderness” (Episodes 4 and 4'). But in each case, Saul is unable to find him (5 and 5').

There is no true center to the above ABBA organization, meaning that we should look to the outer elements (units 1 and 1') for the major theme of the chapter. It starts in the first five verses by narrating how David consulted God several times before making any moves against the Philistines and how in turn God preserved David's life during this crucial time. Thus, at the end of the chapter when the Philistines pop up again, we are prepared for God's supernatural aid again, and we get it from the “coincidence” that Saul is diverted from immanently capturing or killing David by an attack by the Philistines. So paradoxically, the expected enemies in Section 1 become, with God's leading, the unexpected saviors of David in 1'. In a way, this is the reverse of the case of the men of Keilah who start out as David's allies in 1 and then turn against him in 3.

So you can see that what on the surface appears to be a simple chronological report of historical events is at the very same time constructed so that key themes are highlighted and unexpected nuances are seen to be present in the account as well as the raw facts.