GOT 711 Exegesis and Exposition of I & II Samuel

Maranatha Baptist Seminary Dr. Preston Mayes Watertown, WI Spring 2017 GOT 711 Exegesis and Exposition of I & II Samuel Instructor Information Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30, TTh 3:00-4:00 (Central time). Office Location: OM 301 Phone Numbers: Office (920) 206-2361 Cell (920) 285-6485 Required Textbooks Robert D. Bergen. 1, 2 Samuel. The New American Commentary, vol. 7. N.c.: Broadman & Holman, 1996. Shimon Bar-Efrat. Narrative Art in the Bible. London: T & T Clark, 1987. Recommended Books Bill T. Arnold. 1, 2 Samuel. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. [a very good commentary on Samuel that majors on application recommended as the second commentary you should buy after Bergen s] Robert P. Gordon. I & II Samuel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. [another good commentary on Samuel more technical than Arnold] R. F. Youngblood. 1, 2 Samuel. Expositor s Bible Commentary, vol. 3. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992): 3: 553-1104 [another excellent commentary from a conservative perspective]. Robert Alter. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 1981. Adele Berlin. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1994. Robert B. Chisholm. Jr. Interpreting the Historical Books. Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. Meir Sternberg. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987. Course description: A study of the books of I, II Samuel with additional attention given to interpreting Old Testament Narrative texts. Course is open to all Graduate students and to senior Biblical Studies majors. 1

Institutional Objectives: This course addresses the following institutional objectives: 1. Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate competence in written, oral, and aesthetic communication. 2. Critical Thinking: Students will apply a framework for logical decision-making in various contexts. 6. Biblical Knowledge: Students will acquire skills related to biblical study methods, interpretation, and doctrine. 7. Biblical World View: students will articulate a world view that will tie all fields of study to the Scriptures to the praise of His glory. 8. Biblical Application: Students will use discernment in moral situations by applying biblical precepts and principles to contemporary issues and lifestyle choices. Course Goals 1. To learn the basic principles for interpreting Old Testament narrative texts. 2. To appreciate the extremely high literary quality of Old Testament narrative. 3. To learn the basic themes/purposes of the books of I, II Samuel. 4. To know and be able to apply the basic content of the books of I, II Samuel. 5. To increase the student s ability to research and express clearly the findings of that research in written form. Course Objectives 1. Students should be able to define the terms characterization, plot, subplot, narrator, and setting. Students should also be able to identify the different types of plots and characters present in narratives. 2. Students should be able to identify the elements listed above for any given narrative text. 3. Students should be able to take any of the major themes of I & II Samuel and trace their development throughout the books in a well-developed essay. 4. Students should be able to articulate the differences between the roles of judge, prophet, priest, and king. 5. Students should be able to move from the Old Testament text to a sermon in a dispensationally appropriate manner. Course Requirements Assignments 1. Required Course Reading: 2

Shimon Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible: (pages 7-282) Robert Bergen, I & II Samuel: Read in its entirety (p. 17-480) in conjunction with the course lectures. Joe Linares, Proclaiming God s Stories (Greenville: BJU Press, 2009), 81-137 Additional Reading: During the course, you should read an additional 20 pages in each of the following books. SUGGESTION: Try to do as much of the reading as feasible in conjunction with the exegetical paper. 1. Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative. 2. Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narratives. 3. Meir Sternberg, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative. 4. Bill Arnold, I, II Samuel (NIVAC) 5. Robert Gordon, I, II Samuel 6. R. Youngblood, I, II Samuel (Expositor s). 7. David Firth, 1 & 2 Samuel 2. Translation in Block Diagram format. Assigned Translations should be done as block diagrams according to the methodology outlined in class. All verbs should be parsed and uses identified. 3. Research Paper Interpreting Narratives in Samuel: This assignment will employ the methodology taught in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis with some special modifications for exegesis of narrative texts. Paper Content: Deal with a complete episode in the narrative of either I or II Samuel. The ideal length is probably 20-25 verses. NOTE: do not do a paper focusing on the poetry sections in Samuel (I Sam 2:1-10; II Sam 1:17-27, 22:1-23:7). You may do your study on one of the passages you were required to block diagram, but may not choose I Sam 1:9-20. For more in-depth instructions for the paper, see the course notes on interpreting narratives. The paper must include the following sections: 1. Context Study. Remember, your goal is to discuss anything in the historical/social context (history and customs) or literary context (preceding chapters) necessary to understand the passage. a. Historical Context b. Literary context c. Translation and block diagram. 2. Text Criticism 3. Word Study: Pick five words for purposes of a word study. They may be nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or verbs. Do word possibilities and word choice using the methodology learned in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. 3

4. Significance and Synthesis: Again, use the same methodology that was used in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. In this case, however, you will need to adjust the way you formulate significance statements for genre. 5. Application 6. Sermon Outline 4. Exam The will be three exams/longer quizzes. Each covers the content of Samuel. Grading A 94 B+ 88 C+ 79 D 64 A- 91 B 85 C 76 F 0-64 B- 82 C- 73 Reading 10% Block Diagrams 20% Exams 30% Exegetical paper 40% 1. On the grading scale: A indicates that the work was superior in comparison with the general seminary and graduate school population. B indicates that the work was good work, on par with that done by the average seminary student. C generally indicates that the student grasped the essential concepts vital for the completion of the assignment, but that the work was lacking in some area. D and F indicate that the student did not complete the assignment at an adequate level. 2. Program Grade Requirements: In order to graduate, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (including a maximum of two Cs) in any MA program, or a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the MDiv program. 3. Makeup Work: a. THE GENERAL LATE POLICY: You are now studying at a graduate level; expectations are, therefore, high. The Seminary expects you to perform your academic work in a timely fashion. The development of time management skills while in Seminary will greatly benefit you in the future, both in your personal life and in your ministry. Ministry involves managing numerous activities at one time. You are preparing for a life ministry which will focus primarily on serving people. This demands a serious consideration of your own schedule and the schedules of those whom you serve. To encourage you in the development and strengthening of your time management skills, the Seminary has established a Late Academic Work Policy. This policy is the minimum penalty for work not turned in on time. The professor may impose a greater penalty, but not a lesser. Work not turned in on the day it is due will have its grade reduced 4% for each calendar day that it is late. The Seminary realizes that serious extenuating 4

circumstances, such as a lengthy illness or a death in the family, may prevent some students from completing class projects on time. Requests for appropriate extensions for these types of serious circumstances may be made to the Seminary Academic Senate, via a written petition submitted to the Seminary Office. Extensions will only be given for valid excuses. Everyone is busy; therefore, being busy is not an excuse for an extension. Projects turned in under an allowed extension will not be graded higher than a B. b. LATE TRANSLATION WORK: Since homework is frequently covered in class the day it is due, late homework will be penalized 10%. 4. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity a. Research papers must be completely new papers written by the student for this course (you may not turn in a reworked paper from another class). Turning in a paper written by someone else is adequate grounds for dismissal from the seminary. b. Students may not use or consult papers written by students in previous or present Exegesis of 1 and 2 Samuel classes. c. Students should also be careful to guard against other forms of plagiarism. These include (but are not limited to) failure to use quotation marks around quoted material and the use of incomplete paraphrases. If you paraphrase an author, you may not use either language or sentence structure of the original source. d. Students should do their own preparation for tests and quizzes. It is acceptable to engage in group study efforts, but only after you have done your own initial work by filling out study guides, preparing you own essay responses, etc. e. The use of notes, books or other materials during tests is generally not allowed unless specified in the assignment. f. Failure to observe good academic ethics may jeopardize your enrollment in the seminary. Available Services ADA Policy- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the law requires that all students with disabilities be given a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Student Success Center director at learning.assistance@mbu.edu. Technical Support: If you need technical support due to problems with virtual class software or the MyMaranatha site, email support@mbu.edu or call 920-206-2322. Library Resources: By clicking on Library from within the course website, you gain access to the MBU Library. It includes full text articles from most of the best theological journals and over 100,000 ebooks. 5

Course Schedule (Tentative) Date Material Covered Assignments Due Jan. 10 Syllabus Jan. 12 Interpreting Narratives Bar-Efrat, 9-46 Jan. 17 Bar-Efrat, 47-92 Jan. 19 Bar-Efrat, 93-140 Jan. 24 Bar-Efrat, 141-96 Jan. 26 Bar-Efrat, 197-223 Jan. 31 Linares, 81-137 Feb. 2 Block Diagram 1 I Sam 1:9-20 Feb. 7 Feb. 9 Feb. 14 Block Diagram 2 I Sam 8 Feb. 16 Feb. 21 Exam 1 I Sam 1-15 Feb. 23 Block Diagram 3 I Sam 16 Feb. 28 March 2 Block Diagram 4 I Sam 24:1-22 March 7 March 9 Block Diagram 5 II Sam 7 March 14 March 16 Exam 2 I Sam 16 II Sam 9 March 21 March 23 Spring Break Spring Break March 28 Block Diagram 6 II Sam 10:1-14, 11:1-13 March 30 Context Study / block diagram April 4 Bar-Efrat, 239-82 (no journal) April 6 Word Study April 11 April 13 Significance & Synthesis April 18 Block Diagram 7 II Sam 17:1-23 Bar-Efrat, 223-37 (no journal) April 20 Application & Sermon Outline April 25 April 27 Exam 3 II Sam 10-24 Tuesday, May 2, 10:00 am Final Exegetical Paper Due 6

Bibliography >> Indicates the work is recommended by The Detroit Seminary list of best books, but that it contains some theological errors and must be used with discernment. ++Indicates a work that I have used which is very helpful, but also contains some theological/ philosophical errors. These books must also be used with discernment. As always, inclusion on any list does not indicate unqualified endorsement of a book. The lack of the ++ notation merely indicates that the work is an available source. Commentaries ++Anderson, A.A. 2 Samuel. WBC 11. Dallas: Word, 1989. Arnold, Bill T. 1 & 2 Samuel. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. Baldwin, Joyce. 1 and 2 Samuel. TOTC. Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1988. Bergen, Robert D. 1, 2 Samuel. NAC 7. N.c.: Broadman & Holman, 1996. Brueggeman, W. First and Second Samuel. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990. Chafin, Kenneth L. 1, 2 Samuel. The Communicator's Commentary, vol. 8. Dallas: Word Books, 1989. Davis, Dale Ralph. 1st Samuel. Focus on the Bible. Fearn, TAIN, U.K.: Christian Focus.. 2nd Samuel. Focus on the Bible. Fearn, TAIN, U.K.: Christian Focus. Gordon, Robert P. 1 & 2 Samuel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Hertzberg, Hans Wilhelm. I & II Samuel. The Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964. Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch. Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. Trans. James Martin. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1950. >>Klein, Ralph W. 1 Samuel. WBC 10. Dallas: Word, 1983. Laney, J. Carl. First and Second Samuel. Chicago: Moody Press, 1982. 7

>>McCarter, P. Kyle. I Samuel. Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1980. >>. II Samuel. Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1984. Tsumura, David Toshio. The First Book of Samuel. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007. Youngblood, Ronald F. 1, 2 Samuel. Expositor s Bible Commentary, vol. 3. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992. General Works Davis, John J. and John C. Whitcomb. A History of Israel: From Conquest to Exile. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980. Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman III, eds. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. Edersheim, Alfred. Bible History, Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975. ++Halpern, Baruch. David s Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. Hill, A.E. and J.H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991. Hindson, Edward E. The Philistines and the Old Testament. Baker Studies in Biblical Archaeology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1971. Ishida, Tomoo, ed. Studies in the Period of David and Solomon: Papers Read at the International Symposium for Biblical Studies, Tokyo, 5-7 December 1979. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1982.. The Royal Dynasties in Ancient Israel. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1977. McLain, Charles. An Investigation of Psalm 78 as Political Accession Justification for the Davidic Dynasty. Ph.D. diss., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1996. Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987. Wood, Leon J. A Survey of Israel s History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970.. Israel s United Monarchy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979. 8

Zuck, Roy B., et. al., eds. A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991. Journal Articles/other studies NOTE: most of the dissertations and theses are available in the MBU library. Ackerman, James S. Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Analysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and 1 Kings 1-2. Journal of Biblical Literature. 109:1 (1990): 41-64. Alt, Albrecht. The Formation of the Israelite State in Palestine. Chap. in Essays on Old Testament History and Religion. Trans. R.A. Wilson. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1966. Brueggeman, Walter. 2 Sam 21-24: An Appendix of Deconstruction? The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50 (3, 1988): 383-97. Cheung, Mei-Mei. The Characterization and Significance of Hannah. Th.M. Thesis: Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. Does God Deceive? Bibliotheca Sacra 155 (January-March 1998): 11-28. Derby, Josiah. David s Conquest of Jerusalem. Jewish Bible Quarterly 25 (January-March 1997): 35-9. Dumbrell, William J. The Content and Significance of the Books of Samuel: Their Place and Purpose Within the Former Prophets. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 33:1 (March 1990): 49-62. Flannagan, James W. The Relocation of the Davidic Capital. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 47 (June 1979): 223-44. Gordon, Robert P. David s Rise and Saul s Demise. Tyndale Bulletin 31 (1980): 37-64. Gunn, David. The Story of King David. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series, no. 6. Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1982. Hansen, K.C. When the King Crosses the Line: Royal Deviance and Restitution in Levantine Ideologies. Biblical Theology Bulletin 26 (Spring 1996): 11-25. Hauer, Christian Ewing. Jerusalem, the Stronghold and Rephaim. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 32 (October 1970): 571-8. Herbert, Edward D. 2 Samuel v 6: An Interpretive Crux Reconsidered I the Light of 4QSama. Vetus Testamentum 44 (July 1994): 340-8. 9

Hirayama, Paul E. A Textual and Literary Critical Examination of 1 Samuel 16-18. Th.M. Thesis: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1998. Howard, David M., Jr. The Transfer of Power From Saul to David in 1 Sam 16:13-14. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 32:4 (December 1989): 473-483. Kleven, Terrence. The Use of snr in Ugaritic and 2 Samuel v 8: Hebrew Usage and Comparative Philology. Vetus Testamentum 44 (April 1994): 195-204.. Up the Waterspout: How David s General Joab got Inside Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 20 (July-August 1994): 34-5. Lemche, Niels Peter. David s Rise. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 10 (November 1978): 2-25. Levinson, Jon D. and Baruch Halpern. The Political Import of David s Marriages. Journal of Biblical Literature 99 (December 1980): 507-518. Long, Burke O. A Darkness Between Brothers: Solomon and Adonijah. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 19 (February 1981): 79-94. Martin, John A. Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel Part 1: The Structure of 1 and 2 Samuel. Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (January-March 1984): 28-42.. Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel Part 2: The Literary Quality of 1 and 2 Samuel. Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (April-June 1984): 131-145.. Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel Part 3: The Text of Samuel. Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (July-September 1984): 207-222.. Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel Part 4: The Theology of Samuel. Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (October-December 1984): 303-314. Mayes, Preston. Historical Geographical Study of Jerusalem: David s Capital City. Calvary Baptist Theological Journal 14 (Fall 1998): 42-64. Mazar, Benjamin. David s Reign in Hebron and the Conquest of Jerusalem. In In the Time of Harvest: Essays in Honor of Abba Hillel Silver, ed. Daviel Jeremy Silver, 235-44. New York: Macmillan, 1963.. Jerusalem in Biblical Times. In The Jerusalem Cathedra: Studies in the History, Archaeology, Geography, and Ethnography of the Land of Israel, vol. 2, ed. L.I. Levine, 1-24. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1982. 10

McCarter, P. Kyle. The Apology of David. Journal of Biblical Literature 99 (December): 489-504.. The Historical David. Interpretation 40 (April 1986): 117-129. O Brien, David. David the Hebrew. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 23 (September 1980): 193-206. Rosenbloom, Joseph R. Social Science Concepts of Modernization and Biblical History: The Development of the Israelite Monarchy. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 40 (December 1972): 437-44. Routledge, Robin. An Evil Spirit from the Lord Demonic Influence or Divine Instrument? Evangelical Quarterly 70:1 (October 1998): 3-22. Stern, Ephraim. The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. S.v. Jerusalem: The Early Periods and the First Temple Period, by Benjamin Mazar, Hillel Geva, Yigal Shiloh, and Nahman Avigad. Walvoord, John F. The Fulfillment of the David Covenant. Bibliotheca Sacra 102 (April- June 1945): 153-166. Watson, Wilfred. David Ousts the City Ruler of Jebus. Vetus Testamentum 20 (October 1970): 501-2. Whitlam, Keith W. The Defense of David. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 29 (June 1984): 61-87. Whybray, R.N. The Succession Narrative. Studies In Biblical Theology, Second Series, vol. 9. Naperville, IL: Alec R. Allenson: 1968. Wilson, Brooks. David s Character Crisis: A Literary Look at David in Nob (1 Samuel 21-22). Th.M. Thesis: Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. Devotional Studies on David Blaikie, William G. David, King of Israel. Minneapolis: Klock and Klock Christian Publishers (reprint), 1981. Getz, Gene A. David: Seeking God Faithfully. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995. Kaynor, Keith. When God Chooses: The Life of David. Schaumberg, IL: Regular Baptist Press, 11

1989. Krummacher, Frederick W. David, The King of Israel. Minneapolis: Klock and Klock (reprint), 1983. Maclaren, Alexander. The Life of David as Reflected in His Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1955. Pink, Arthur W. The Life of David. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981. Redpath, Alan. The Making of a Man of God: Studies in the Life of David. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1962. Swindoll, Charles R. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny. Dallas: Word, 1997. Works on Biblical Narrative/History Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 1981. ++Berlin, Adele. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. N.p.: The Almond Press, 1983; reprint, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994. Fee, Gordan D. and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All It s Worth, 2 nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. Greidanus, Sidney. The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Gros Louis, K.R.R., ed. Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives. Nashville: Abingdon, 1982. Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. Narrative. In Cracking Old Testament Codes, eds. D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr., 69-88. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995. Long, V. Philips. The Art of Biblical History. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation, vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. Ryken, Leland. How to Read the Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.. How Bible Stories Work. Wooster, OH: Weaver, 2015. Ryken, Leland and Tremper Longman III, eds. A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. Wenham, Gordon. Story as Torah. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000. 12