한국침례신학대학교 도서관

The faces of David

초록/해제: 요약 : This study examines, within their narrative setting, three poems attributed to David: A Lament (2 Sam 1:17-27), a Song (2 Samuel 22) and the pseudo-prophetic Last Words of David (2 Sam 23:1-7). The question addressed is the following: In what ways do these three poems contribute to the characterization of David? The author concludes that each of the three poems serves a multifaceted purpose in the context of the story. For the narrator of the story, these soliloquies offer insight into David's selflessness, piety and chosen status before Yahweh. At another level of reading (which could be labelled the level of the implied author), one can discern that each poem betrays David's inner conflicts and self-doubts. The book of Samuel presents several faces of David, giving him a more complex characterization than might have been achieved had he been presented from only one narrational perspective. This research is synchronic-literary, and its ultimate purpose is two-fold: First, the reading offered, though not the only possible interpretation of Samuel, suggests that, whatever the book's redactional history, Samuel can be viewed as a fully integrated literary masterpiece. Second, it is hoped that synchronic studies such as this one will contribute to more cautious use of ancient narratives by modern historians.