2 Samuel 1-10 Analysis

1 Samuel 31, 2 Samuel 1-10 – First Samuel ends with Saul’s death. Rather than facing the torment of the Philistines, he falls on his own sword, but the first chapter of 2 Samuel gives a different account. An Amalekite reports to David that he killed Saul after Saul asked him to run him through with the sword. Either way, Saul is now dead, and David is made king of Judah, while Ishbaal (Saul’s son) supposedly reigns over the rest of Israel. Abner supports Ishbaal at first, but after having been accused of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines, Abner turns to support David. Before he can do anything to help David’s conquest, Abner is killed by Joab (commander of David’s forces) for killing Joab’s brother Asahel. Ishbaal is also assassinated by Rechab and Baanah, who are apparently motivated by the thought of reward from David for their service, but they are killed by David as a result. With no other leader to turn to, the rest of Israel accepts David as their king at Hebron. After that, David enjoys much military success against the enemies of Israel (Philistines, Moabites, Edomites,
On a positive note, David and his forces were able to take control of Jerusalem, which was a major stronghold that withstood multiple attempts of siege. However, opposition came from within the Israelite nation on multiple fronts. The execution of Saul’s descendants and the rebellion of both Absalom and Sheba all demonstrate how David did not necessarily have the support of all of Israel. Gunn, “Narrative Criticism” – Narrative criticism, championed by those like Robert Alter, is a relatively recent technique that focuses on plot, character, point of view, and dialogue. More specifically, it strives to get into the heart of the characters in order to discern what the characters’ motives and desires are and how that affects the