Berit Olam: Studies in Hebrew Narrative & Poetry: 1 Samuel

by David Jobling

Publisher:

Liturgical Press

, 1998

ISBN: 0814650473

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Overview

First Samuel is a national autobiography of the Hebrew people. David Jobling reads 1 Samuel as a story that is complete in itself, although it is part of a much larger narrative. He examines it as a historical document in a double sense: firstly, as a document originating from ancient Israel, and, secondly, as a telling of the past. Organizing the text through the three interlocking themes of class, race, and gender, Jobling asks how this historical—and canonical—story relates to a modern world in which these themes continue to be of crucial importance.

While drawing on the resources of biblical “narratology,” Jobling deviates from mainstream methodology. He adopts a “critical narratology” informed by such cultural practices as feminism and psychoanalysis. He follows a structuralist tradition which finds meaning more in the text’s large-scale mythic patterns than in close reading of particular passages, and seeks methods specific to 1 Samuel rather than ones applicable to biblical narrative in general.

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Reads 1 Samuel as a story that is complete in itself
Asks how this historical—and canonical—story relates to a modern world
Deviates from mainstream methodology

Top Highlights

“James Ackerman says, ‘God seems to be waiting for a human initiative.’⁶ All that follows as a result of this story, all that Samuel will achieve—whether the resolution of existing problems or the opening up of future possibilities—is the result of Hannah’s vow and would not have occurred without her.” (Page 136)

“Even more, by presenting her as one of Israel’s poets and singers he puts her in the company of Miriam and Deborah, women who also sang triumph-songs and were leaders in Israel (Exodus 15, Judges 5)—as if her dedication of Samuel were an act of leadership on a par with the defeat of the Canaanites or even with the crossing of the Sea!” (Page 136)

“Seeking a judgment on an important matter (the fate of Saul’s opponents), the people turn to Samuel, but it is Saul who renders the judgment. His words are those of a king who has taken power. Kingship is already breaking free of the unnatural theological constraints imposed on it, and will continue to do so as we read beyond ch. 12.” (Page 68)

“Samuel accepts Saul as king and sometimes shows a real enthusiasm for him (9:22–24; 10:7, 23–24; 11:14). A rather different note is struck when Samuel assumes authority over the newly anointed king, especially in 10:8. This begins a narrative line that continues beyond ch. 12, and I shall explore it in the next chapter.” (Page 60)

“Israel’s history can be made coherent only on the assumption that Yhwh gave permission for a form of government of which he disapproved. But this does not make theological sense.” (Page 62)

Powerfully written, emotionally charged, and abounding in daring, unconventional interpretations, it is both captivating and rewarding. Many of Jobling’s hypotheses are unlikely to change very many minds outside his interpretive community, but even struggling with them can prove a fascinating experience.

—Serge Frolov, Claremont Graduate University

In this contribution to a fascinating commentary series, Jobling examines 1 Samuel according to T. Eagleton’s triptych of class, race, and gender. It explores the tension between 1 Samuel as a book in itself and as a part of a larger whole. Jobling’s approach to 1 Samuel as Israel’s national autobiography is a summation of the course of his own academic career. The 1970s saw him engage structuralism and feminism, while poststructuralism and ideological criticism marked his career in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he turned to new historicism and psychoanalysis. All of these methods come together in an analysis that affords Jobling personal reflection on his own career in a seminary with a high percentage of female students.

—James R. Linville, post-doctoral research fellow, University of Alberta

David Jobling is a professor of Old Testament language and literature at St. Andrews College in Saskatoon. He is a co-chair of the Ideological Criticism section of the Society of Biblical Literature and a member of The Bible and Culture Collective.