Reading Questions for 3/2 - 2 Samuel

Posted on January 15, 2006

The reading for this week is the second book of Samuel, a book that (together with 1Samuel) is arguably the most profoundly imagined, the most compelling narrative in the Hebrew Bible. Here are some questions and guidelines that should help focus your reading and the discussion this week.

(For those of you not in class this past Thursday--a lot of you!--there is a handout that you can pick up in the bin outside my office door--432 Old Mill--and e-reserve reading as well, a translation by Robert Alter of Chapter 11 of 2Samuel; ou'll find it under "David Story" on e-reserve.)

The first few chapters of 2 Samuel are rather confusing: basically David is working to consolidate the kingdom, which is divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel (ruled by Ishbaal) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (now ruled by David). Pay close attention to what happens in chapters 1-4. Who are the key players? Pay particular attention to the role of Joab (David's right-hand man, who will be enormously important throughout the book).

Chapter 6 contains a brilliant display of the way that dialogue can work in the text--what do you make of the events leading to, and the dialogue itself between David and Michal?

Read Chapter 11--the Bathsheba chapter--in the e-reserve "David Story"--it's Robert Alter's translation of this chapter and it also contains some wonderful commentary.

Remember the way that Alter talked about David in the passages from the Art of Biblical Narrative dealing with the dual introduction of David--the public David and the private David. How do you see that borne out by the events in this book, particularly the events following the Bathsheba incident (and extending into the rest of the book). Pay particular attention to David's relationship with his son, Absalom. How would you characterize that relationship? How does Joab figure into these events, particularly the events with Absalom?

Think, too, about David's relationship with Mephibosheth (and think about how you would pronounce that name!). It is a strand that runs through most of the book--what do you make of it?

Can you discover what it is about the census at the end of 2Samuel that gets David into trouble? Why would taking a census be such a sin?