The Changing Dynamics between the Characters (2Sam 14) (original) (raw)
The Changing Dynamics between the Characters (2Sam 14)
Daewook Kim
1. Introduction
The narrative of 2Sam 14 describes the reconciliation between Absalom and David. Joab sends the woman of Tekoa to David after instructing her about what to say (v.2-3). She recounts her terrible story to David: it is a parable. One of her two sons killed the other, and her family demands the life of her living son as blood revenge for the fratricide (v.5-7). This parable recalls Absalom’s killing of Amnon and his current situation. According to 2Sam 13, Absalom murders his half-brother Amnon to avenge his sister Tamar’s rape. He then flees to Geshur. Joab’s scheming and Absalom’s artifice (2Sam 14) finally permit the latter to return to Jerusalem (v.21) and see David’s face (v.33).
There are several obstacles to our understanding of the narrative. Scholars have long attempted to identify the purpose of the parable. 1{ }^{1} Her utterances including the parable may be even more puzzled by v.15-17 that apparently disrupt the narrative flow. Some scholars transpose v.15-17 after v. 7 to ensure a smooth movement of the story, 2{ }^{2} but other researchers accept the current positioning. 3{ }^{3} Additionally, many commentators regard v.25-27 as secondary, 4{ }^{4} but some researchers demonstrate connections with other texts to indicate the necessity of the verses in narratives concerning Absalom. 5{ }^{5}
- An earlier version of this paper was presented at the SBL international meeting in Salzburg 2022. I would like to express my gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions. Any errors that it may contain are, of course, my responsibility. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2021S1A5B5A16075803).
1 See, e.g., Willey, Woman, 115-131; Miller, King, 57-73.
2 E.g., Ackroyd, Book, 131-132; McCarter, Samuel, 335-352; Anderson, Samuel, 182191; Brueggemann, Samuel, 294.
3 E.g., Hertzberg, Samuelbücher, 273-274; Hoftijzer, David, 429, 438-439; Stoebe, Buch, 346; Lyke, David, 182-183; Schipper, Parables, 69-70; Auld, Samuel, 490-494; Morrison, Samuel, 185-189; Tsumura, Book, 215.
4 See bibliography in McCarter, Samuel, 349.
5 E.g., Fokkelman, Art, 149-150; McCarter, Samuel, 349-350, 352; Sasson, Daughter, 179-196; Morrison, Samuel, 191-193; Tsumura, Book, 227. ↩︎
- An earlier version of this paper was presented at the SBL international meeting in Salzburg 2022. I would like to express my gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions. Any errors that it may contain are, of course, my responsibility. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2021S1A5B5A16075803).
Summary
The narrative of 2Sam 14 shapes changing dynamics between the characters, disseminating the theme of equality to the audience.
Zusammenfassung
Die Erzählung von 2Sam 14, die formt wechselnde Dynamiken zwischen den Charakteren, vermittelt dem Publikum das Thema der Gleichberechtigung.
Bibliography
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