The Book of Samuel: Its Composition, Structure and Significance as ...

40 JOURNAL OF HEBREW SCRIPTURES
glance, these appear to be materials that were gathered without a
chronological order. Two units deal with David’s warriors, two are
David’s hymns, and two episodes recount events of famine and
pestilence, neither favorable to David. In the first, he allowed the
Gibeonites to impale the late King Saul’s descendants (21:1–14); in
the second, he made a severe mistake in ordering a census (ch. 24).
Furthermore, in these added chapters, the second author partly
restored Joab’s and Abishai’s dignity and military honor, which
were taken from them in the early version, where they were denounced
for their killings of innocent commanders, and Joab had
eventually been executed. Here, at the conclusion of the second
stage of the book’s compilation, the second author implied that
Joab was the chief commander of the elite unit named “the warriors
of David” (23:8–39). 134 He appears as a good counselor who
tried to discourage David from carrying out the census (24:1–4). As
for his brother Abishai, the second author described how he saved
David’s life when a giant Philistine was about to kill him (21:15).
The author also recounts that Abishai was the commander of the
team of petty officers in the elite unit of “the warriors of King
David.” Abishai led his team to the mission to draw water for King
David from the cistern next to the gate of Bethlehem, while the
area was guarded by a Philistine garrison (23:13–19). 135 These small
bits of information about the two brothers’ good services contain
indirect and subtle criticism of King Solomon for executing Joab.
Furthermore, the omission of the story of David’s old age
conceals an important chapter in Nathan’s efforts in favor of Solomon’s
enthronement. By the same token, the second author introduced
the stories about Samuel, and made a point of concentrating
on his speeches denouncing the “manner of the king” (1 Samuel
8) and his farewell speech in which he indicated that he preferred
the rule of the judges over the reign of a monarchy (ch. 12).
While in the earlier version of the first author, the prophecy of
Nathan regarded David’s future son (to be known later on as King
Solomon) as God’s adopted son (2 Sam 7:11–15), Samuel’s speech
about the manner of the king denounces the future kings in general.
The sophisticated reader may compare Samuel’s speech with
King Solomon’s activity and find unflattering analogies to the latter.
Nonetheless, the second author, as mentioned earlier, was very
careful not to express explicitly his criticism against King Solomon.
134 For a discussion of Joab’s command on this elite unit, see Garsiel,
The Rise of the Monarchy in Israel, vol. 3, 139–147.
135 For comprehensive discussion of this exploit, see Garsiel, “David’s
Warfare,” 150–164.