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jackalackin's review against another edition
5.0
I will turn to this book in my study of David and 1/2 Samuel again and again, and as an introduction to Alter's work, this was amazing.
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really fantastic literary commentary on the Books of Samuel. Over the past several years, I've grown to really appreciate literary-focused looks at the Scripture which pull out the beautiful gems hidden in the book that purely-doctrinal looks will often fail to pull out. Scripture isn't just true--it also features powerful writing & storytelling, and Alter did a fantastic job pulling out the various gems that are contained in the books of Samuel. I learned a bunch about the way that Hebrew literature works (such as the importance of someone's first recorded words as a means of characterizing them), saw many things in the books of Samuel that I hadn't noticed before, and really enjoyed the process of reading through this book.
I should note that for theological conservatives like myself, there are differences between how Alter approaches the text and how I would. Alter gives more weight to higher criticism than I do, and I don't think he really believes in the inerrancy of Scripture (although it is hard to judge from this work alone since it's unclear how much of what he says he says because he's writing to a secular audience). Folks in a similar boat as myself will want to keep this in mind.
I also don't know that I agreed with Alter on all of his interpretations. He tends to be rather cynical about pretty much everyone in the book, and while certain individuals deserve that cynicism about their actions, I didn't buy his arguments that Samuel was trying to sabotage Saul early on in Saul's reign or that Abigail was timing her reveal to Nabal at a point where she hoped it would lead him to have a stroke. At points he seems to be reading too much into the text.
Taken as a whole, then, this is an excellent literary commentary that does a great job of helping readers enjoy and appreciate the artistry of the books of Samuel, even if not all insights are well-supported by the text. I would love to see theological commentaries that worked more with these literary insights to create powerful applications and insights for modern Christians since there's a big need for the blending of theological and literary insights for narratives such as these. Definitely recommended for readers who want to see what makes the Books of Samuel such an enjoyable narrative.
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars (Excellent).
I should note that for theological conservatives like myself, there are differences between how Alter approaches the text and how I would. Alter gives more weight to higher criticism than I do, and I don't think he really believes in the inerrancy of Scripture (although it is hard to judge from this work alone since it's unclear how much of what he says he says because he's writing to a secular audience). Folks in a similar boat as myself will want to keep this in mind.
I also don't know that I agreed with Alter on all of his interpretations. He tends to be rather cynical about pretty much everyone in the book, and while certain individuals deserve that cynicism about their actions, I didn't buy his arguments that Samuel was trying to sabotage Saul early on in Saul's reign or that Abigail was timing her reveal to Nabal at a point where she hoped it would lead him to have a stroke. At points he seems to be reading too much into the text.
Taken as a whole, then, this is an excellent literary commentary that does a great job of helping readers enjoy and appreciate the artistry of the books of Samuel, even if not all insights are well-supported by the text. I would love to see theological commentaries that worked more with these literary insights to create powerful applications and insights for modern Christians since there's a big need for the blending of theological and literary insights for narratives such as these. Definitely recommended for readers who want to see what makes the Books of Samuel such an enjoyable narrative.
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars (Excellent).
mdewit's review against another edition
2.0
The purpose of this book is to provide a literary translation that restores the one cohesive narrative from the birth of Samuel to the death of David, exposing the “comprehensive literary structure”, and the “fine and complex interconnections among various phases of [the] story”. The accompanying commentary is made subject to this purpose, with the aim to “serve the story [and] to highlight its literary force”.
The book is written in reaction to the ideas of a Deuternomistic editor and two so-called independent Ark and Succession narratives in the books. Alter rejects both these scholarly positions with his realistic, literary analysis that reveals the human, often abusive, worldly realities of the story. The author’s approach leads him to reject any ”simple promotion of prophetic ideology” and he settles for an imperfect humanity with “man as a political animal in all his contradictions and venality”. Alter takes the position that the original author wanted to write a true historical account, and his own exposition attempts to highlight the shrewdness of politics and human nature in the story of David. As the title indicates, the books of Samuel, as well as the first section of the book of Kings, are the story of David, although initially deeply interlocked with that of Samuel and Saul.
The structure of the book is easy to follow. The book translates the two books of Samuel as well as the first section of 1 Kings up to chapter 2, verse 45 with an accompanying commentary. The chapter and verse delineation follows that of modern-day English translations.
Measured against the goals the author has set for himself the book has achieved its purposes very well. As far as I can evaluate with my limited background in Hebrew, his translation is done with high regard to the original texts and with a great command of the Hebrew language. The commentary focuses on the real, human element of the main characters in the narrative, showing all their sinful failures and political shrewdness. Samuel is portrayed as being “rather unattractive”. Likewise, David is characterized as “the first Machiavellian prince in Western Literature”. As intended, the realistic human traits are exposed in their full colours.
While reading this book one will experience the feeling to be in hands of a knowledgeable scholar. It instills confidence that Alter is consistent in his approach of using the Masoretic Text as long as it makes sense. The high degree of “rigorously precise vocabulary” makes the translation a valuable companion to biblical study. A few examples would have to suffice here: Alter clarifies the strange word “champion” attributed to Goliath as literally meaning “the man between”. Using multiple sources he further concluded that Absalom literally “dangled” in mid-air with his head caught in the terebinth. He also picks up on wordplays in Hebrew such as David’s inquiry whether all is “shalom” with “Avshalom?” In summary, the strength of the book is its literal translation and insights stemming from a thorough command of the Hebrew language.
A commitment to “literary” analysis does not necessarily have to come with a commentary biased towards human realism though. The story of David is part of the living Word of God. The predetermined boundaries of human realism in the commentary do portray man as a political animal and reject the prophetic and the divine. With regard to the former, the commentary carries in it a significant bias towards Saul as a “tragic hero” and a suspicion towards David as a manipulative schemer. David’s anointment is seen as “clandestine”, he is portrayed as “wary and calculating”, against Jonathan being “well meaning and naïve”, he is seen as “politically self-interested” and committing a “cruel act” in the hamstrung of horses. In the latter case Alter misses David’s obedience to God’s command not to rely on chariots and horses. Alter does not mention David as being the LORD’s anointed, His chosen one.
The rejection of the prophetic and the divine is also clear in the commentary. For example, when Samuel rebukes Saul (1 Sam 13), Alter comments that “Samuel flatly assumes that his own commands and the commandments of the LORD are entirely equivalent” and that one “suspects that Samuel has set up Saul for this “failure”, and that he would have been content only with a puppet king”. When Jonathan attacks a Philistine garrison his faith is not commented on as a sign of divination, but of military pragmatism. When it is said that God is working against the Philistines by sending terror, Alter reduces the divine by commenting that the translation of elohim “serves as an intensifier”. When Samuel is said to mourn over Saul, without any substantial argument Alter raises suspicions on his motives by asking the question whether he rather mourns “over the fact that he made the mistake of first choosing Saul”. The anti-prophetic/divine refrain continues even when God’s own words, through Samuel, are at stake. Alter comments that the theme of God requiring obedience (1 Sam 15:22) is common among later prophets where it means “refraining from acts of exploitation rather than carrying out a program of extermination”. Alter does not consider God’s character of being faithful and seeking justice in instructing Saul to totally destroy the Amelikites (1 Sam 15:3, cf. Exod 17:14); he rather introduces a “margin of ambiguity” that the real source of these words is not from God, but from Samuel himself. What is further disappointing is the meager commentary on the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:1-16). That David’s house and kingdom “shall be steadfast forever” (2 Sam 7:16 Alter), seen by some biblical scholars as the apex of the Old Testament, is something the author choose not to comment on. In fact, at the end of his commentary Alter portrays God himself as having “the look of acting arbitrarily, exacting terrible human costs in order to be placated”. Commenting on David’s census, Alter writes that the real villain is not David, but God: “David confesses deep contrition, yet he has, after all, been manipulated by God.”
In conclusion, in a strict “literary” sense Alter has produced a masterpiece; a double tragedy where one manipulative schemer is manipulated by a larger, more powerful one. In the sense of the faithful God who has made a covenant with a repenting sinner and who has fulfilled his promises by establishing a Davidic king forever, of that God as revealed in all of Scripture, Alter does not speak.
The book is written in reaction to the ideas of a Deuternomistic editor and two so-called independent Ark and Succession narratives in the books. Alter rejects both these scholarly positions with his realistic, literary analysis that reveals the human, often abusive, worldly realities of the story. The author’s approach leads him to reject any ”simple promotion of prophetic ideology” and he settles for an imperfect humanity with “man as a political animal in all his contradictions and venality”. Alter takes the position that the original author wanted to write a true historical account, and his own exposition attempts to highlight the shrewdness of politics and human nature in the story of David. As the title indicates, the books of Samuel, as well as the first section of the book of Kings, are the story of David, although initially deeply interlocked with that of Samuel and Saul.
The structure of the book is easy to follow. The book translates the two books of Samuel as well as the first section of 1 Kings up to chapter 2, verse 45 with an accompanying commentary. The chapter and verse delineation follows that of modern-day English translations.
Measured against the goals the author has set for himself the book has achieved its purposes very well. As far as I can evaluate with my limited background in Hebrew, his translation is done with high regard to the original texts and with a great command of the Hebrew language. The commentary focuses on the real, human element of the main characters in the narrative, showing all their sinful failures and political shrewdness. Samuel is portrayed as being “rather unattractive”. Likewise, David is characterized as “the first Machiavellian prince in Western Literature”. As intended, the realistic human traits are exposed in their full colours.
While reading this book one will experience the feeling to be in hands of a knowledgeable scholar. It instills confidence that Alter is consistent in his approach of using the Masoretic Text as long as it makes sense. The high degree of “rigorously precise vocabulary” makes the translation a valuable companion to biblical study. A few examples would have to suffice here: Alter clarifies the strange word “champion” attributed to Goliath as literally meaning “the man between”. Using multiple sources he further concluded that Absalom literally “dangled” in mid-air with his head caught in the terebinth. He also picks up on wordplays in Hebrew such as David’s inquiry whether all is “shalom” with “Avshalom?” In summary, the strength of the book is its literal translation and insights stemming from a thorough command of the Hebrew language.
A commitment to “literary” analysis does not necessarily have to come with a commentary biased towards human realism though. The story of David is part of the living Word of God. The predetermined boundaries of human realism in the commentary do portray man as a political animal and reject the prophetic and the divine. With regard to the former, the commentary carries in it a significant bias towards Saul as a “tragic hero” and a suspicion towards David as a manipulative schemer. David’s anointment is seen as “clandestine”, he is portrayed as “wary and calculating”, against Jonathan being “well meaning and naïve”, he is seen as “politically self-interested” and committing a “cruel act” in the hamstrung of horses. In the latter case Alter misses David’s obedience to God’s command not to rely on chariots and horses. Alter does not mention David as being the LORD’s anointed, His chosen one.
The rejection of the prophetic and the divine is also clear in the commentary. For example, when Samuel rebukes Saul (1 Sam 13), Alter comments that “Samuel flatly assumes that his own commands and the commandments of the LORD are entirely equivalent” and that one “suspects that Samuel has set up Saul for this “failure”, and that he would have been content only with a puppet king”. When Jonathan attacks a Philistine garrison his faith is not commented on as a sign of divination, but of military pragmatism. When it is said that God is working against the Philistines by sending terror, Alter reduces the divine by commenting that the translation of elohim “serves as an intensifier”. When Samuel is said to mourn over Saul, without any substantial argument Alter raises suspicions on his motives by asking the question whether he rather mourns “over the fact that he made the mistake of first choosing Saul”. The anti-prophetic/divine refrain continues even when God’s own words, through Samuel, are at stake. Alter comments that the theme of God requiring obedience (1 Sam 15:22) is common among later prophets where it means “refraining from acts of exploitation rather than carrying out a program of extermination”. Alter does not consider God’s character of being faithful and seeking justice in instructing Saul to totally destroy the Amelikites (1 Sam 15:3, cf. Exod 17:14); he rather introduces a “margin of ambiguity” that the real source of these words is not from God, but from Samuel himself. What is further disappointing is the meager commentary on the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:1-16). That David’s house and kingdom “shall be steadfast forever” (2 Sam 7:16 Alter), seen by some biblical scholars as the apex of the Old Testament, is something the author choose not to comment on. In fact, at the end of his commentary Alter portrays God himself as having “the look of acting arbitrarily, exacting terrible human costs in order to be placated”. Commenting on David’s census, Alter writes that the real villain is not David, but God: “David confesses deep contrition, yet he has, after all, been manipulated by God.”
In conclusion, in a strict “literary” sense Alter has produced a masterpiece; a double tragedy where one manipulative schemer is manipulated by a larger, more powerful one. In the sense of the faithful God who has made a covenant with a repenting sinner and who has fulfilled his promises by establishing a Davidic king forever, of that God as revealed in all of Scripture, Alter does not speak.
maxgardner's review against another edition
2.0
Although the translation was easy to understand, the story was a bit boring to me and overall it was a process to finish it. It had some interesting parts, and I like that it really made me further question my beliefs based on the actions "God" took in it, but I would not really recommend it to anyone.
rivkah_the_magnificent's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a big fan of Robert Alter's work and this is a part of my yearly bible study, so I'm biased. However, here is what was most captivating for me in picking up this book to read for the story (from the intro):
"The narrative nevertheless has many signs of what we would call fictional shaping--interior monologues, dialogues between the historical personages in circumstances where there could have been no witnesses to what was said, pointed allusions in the turns of dialogue as well as in the narrative details to Genesis, Joshua, Judges. What we have in this great story, as I have proposed elsewhere, is not merely a report of history but an imagining of history that is analogous to what Shakespeare did with historical figures and events in his history plays. [...] The writer does all this not to fabricate history but to understand it."
The turns of narrative and the style in which this story is written makes a difference in the message. Style and content, people.
There's a lot of stuff in the Hebrew, too, that I wouldn't have caught. I like other commentaries, but they often focus too much on context and not on literary style. I appreciate the love of story that Robert Alter brings to this commentary. Read it. You'll understand the story in a way you never have before.
"The narrative nevertheless has many signs of what we would call fictional shaping--interior monologues, dialogues between the historical personages in circumstances where there could have been no witnesses to what was said, pointed allusions in the turns of dialogue as well as in the narrative details to Genesis, Joshua, Judges. What we have in this great story, as I have proposed elsewhere, is not merely a report of history but an imagining of history that is analogous to what Shakespeare did with historical figures and events in his history plays. [...] The writer does all this not to fabricate history but to understand it."
The turns of narrative and the style in which this story is written makes a difference in the message. Style and content, people.
There's a lot of stuff in the Hebrew, too, that I wouldn't have caught. I like other commentaries, but they often focus too much on context and not on literary style. I appreciate the love of story that Robert Alter brings to this commentary. Read it. You'll understand the story in a way you never have before.
crystalisreading's review against another edition
4.0
This book was required for my class on I & II Samuel. the class was interesting, and so was the book. It's definitely not a devotional, though, so don't buy it on that assumption. Some of Alter's theories about the story of David were unappealing to me, not to mention offensive occasionally. as a scholar, sometimes people become divorced from their belief in what they study. But there were still many insights in this that were of use. Just read carefully, and take only what is good.
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