2.3.5. The Story of David, Nabal and Abigail in Historical and Literary Context

Sa mu el 170 about Philistine invasions from the west, the king tries repeatedly to lead his special elite force of three thousand troops in pursuit of David . Based on intelligence and help provided by David’s rivals, the the king pursues David and his Calebite clan of the Tribe of Judah ; 48 battalion several times in order to suppress what he regards as David’s insurgency supported by other Judahite clans and towns ( 24 : 23 ; . ) 31 – 26 : 30 The incident under discussion is embedded as a partition between two parallel stories depicting how Saul and his troops are chasing David and his battalion in the southeastern region of Mount Hebron . As we discussed above, in both instances David finds himself in an advantageous position where he can kill his pursuer—King Saul . Yet, David spares the king’s life, and Saul admits David’s ethical superiority . The embedded episode raises a new conflict with new figures and it provokes a new appreciation of David’s character . A close reading of...  אל הספר
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