I have found David the son of Jesse (1Sam 16)
So in chapter 16, God says it's time to move on, and look for the new king. Samuel is nervous, because he thinks Saul will attack him if he tries to choose a new king, which was probably an accurate...
View ArticleA Bethlehemite slew Goliath the Gittite (1Sam 17)
So here in chapter 17, we come to the infamous story of the giant Goliath. The Philistines and the Israelites are camped on opposite sides of the valley of Elah, and out comes Goliath, a man about ten...
View ArticleThy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women (1Sam 18)
In 1Samuel 18, we are finally introduced to the close relationship between David and Jonathan. The SAB takes the approach that so many do, assuming the implication that Jonathan and David were lovers....
View ArticleIt hath been already of old time, which was before us. (1Sam 19)
There's not much new in chapter 19. We're really seeing the SAB pick up on issues that we've seen before in this book.Was Jonathan "totally gay" for David? Lacking better evidence for the claim, I say...
View ArticleThe nakedness of thy mother (1Sam 20)
Chapter 20 is sort of weird because it largely involves David trying to convince Jonathan that Saul hates his guts. The fact that Jonathan is unaware of this is more than a little strange, seeing the...
View ArticleIn the days of Abiathar the high priest (1Sam 21)
As we move into the final part of Saul's story here in chapter 21, the part of Saul's life where he spent much of his time chasing David around, we're going to come across a handful of related...
View ArticleWhen Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul (1Sam 22)
So David and his family flee to Moab, and after David sees to it that his family is taken care of, he returns to the land of his tribe, Judah, now with a small army to protect him.Saul meanwhile is...
View ArticleThe ruler of the half part of Keilah (1Sam 23)
Chapter 23 is pretty standard fare for the most part. David has decided to do something about the invading Philistines, despite the fact that he's more or less in hiding from Saul. This of course leads...
View ArticleThen Saul said to David, Blessed be thou (1Sam 24)
Chapter 24 has no notes from the SAB, but it's an interesting little story. In the midst of Saul and his men hunting for David, Saul happens to corner David in a cave, but doesn't realize he's done...
View ArticleAbigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife (1Sam 25)
Here in chapter 25, Samuel dies, but for some reason, we're only given a short note on the matter.So then we come to the matter of Nabal and Abigail. Nabal is sort of an odd character, mostly because...
View ArticleAnd David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly (1Sam 26)
Chapter 26 has no notes from the SAB, but perhaps it's a good time to pause for a moment and consider a few points that could have been brought up in earlier chapters, but I didn't yet bother with....
View ArticleThe Philistine of Gath (1Sam 27)
In chapter 27, David flees to Gath, figuring that if he goes among the Philistines, Saul will not follow. Indeed, it is noted here that Saul gives up.While in this area, he and his men make some raids,...
View ArticleAsking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit (1Sam 28)
There's an interesting point to bring up about the story in chapter 28 and the nature of figurative speech. In verse 3, it says, "And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards,...
View ArticleAnd said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan (1Sam 29)
Back to David in chapter 29, we find him in the uncomfortable situation of marching to war with the Philistines against his own country. Some of the leaders of the Philistines aren't happy and insist...
View ArticleAnd two hundred abode by the stuff (1Sam 30)
Amalekites, don't they ever quit? Apparently not in chapter 30. Now I'll say that I'm fine with standing on what I had said before, but here there may be yet another possibility as to what's going on....
View ArticleSo Saul died for his transgression (1Sam 31)
Here in the final chapter of this book, the SAB has only one question: "How did Saul die?" The page pointing out the apparent inconsistency gives four possible answers. Now while one can easily dismiss...
View ArticleSaying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings (2Sam 1)
As 2Samuel (which, as I think I said earlier, was not really a separate book originally) begins, we have yet another story about Amalekites. An Amalekite comes to David and claims that he has killed...
View ArticleAnd all his house died together (2Sam 2)
So in chapter 2, David finally becomes king officially. However, at apparently around the same time, Abner decides to declare Saul's son Ishbosheth the king. No doubt Abner, being a close relative of...
View ArticleNow these were the sons of David (2Sam 3)
In chapter 3, David gets busy being king and having lots of kids. David has six sons, each by a different wife, and for some reason the retelling of David's family in 1Chronicles 3 gives one name...
View ArticleSmote him there under the fifth rib, that he died (2Sam 4)
In chapter 4, we learn of the odd story of how Ishbosheth becomes worried and weakened when he hears that Abner is dead, and so two of his captains come into his house when he's resting in the middle...
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