Losing the Kingship Twice/2
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Losing the Kingship Twice?
Exegetical Approaches
Given a Second Chance
After Shaul's original failure in Gilgal, he repented and was given a second chance. Only after repeating his mistake did he lose the kingship for good.
Sources:Radak # 1
When did Hashem retract His decree?
- Radak might suggest that even though there is no explicit evidence in the text of Shaul's repentance and Hashem's subsequent annulling of the punishment, it can be assumed to have occurred sometime in between the events of Chapters 14 and 15.
- Alternatively, it is possible that the text hints to a renewal of the kingship in Chapter 11, when Shemuel says, "לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה הַגִּלְגָּל וּנְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם הַמְּלוּכָה". If so, Shaul's actions in the war against Amon constituted a correction of his original mistake in Gilgal, leading to an overturning of the decree. This approach, however, must posit that the stories are written out of order. See below for elaboration.
Signs of achronology – Several factors might suggest that the events of Chapters 13-14 preceded those of Chapter 11 and immediately followed the original coronation described in Chapter 10:
- In Chapter 10 Shemuel tells Shaul to wait for him for seven days in Gilgal, which he first does in Chapter 13-14. It is difficult to see how the events of Chapter 11 could have fit in the interim, suggesting that they are out of place, and that the war against the Philistines really did occur immediately after the coronation.
- In Chapters 13-14, Shaul fights the Philistines with just a small, local force in the manner of the judges, while in Chapter 11 he mobilizes the entire country to fight Amon, amassing an army of 300,000. The latter would seem to be a later stage in the building up of his military, and, moreover, would appear to be possible only after the Philistine threat was removed.
The Sin of Chapters 13-14 – Shaul's sin at Gilgal related to his lack of recognition that victory in war is in Hashem's hands. He did not wait for Shemuel, assuming that if he did, he would lose the momentum of battle. In this, he forgot that his own personal might was less crucial to victory that Hashem's aid. See Shaul's Sin in Gilgal for elaboration.
The Corrective of Chapter 11 – In his battle against Amon Shaul reveals that he has changed and learned to attribute success to God, as he says to the nation, "הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה י"י תְּשׁוּעָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל".1 It is immediately after these words that Shemuel calls for a second coronation.
Repeat of Sin in Chapter 15 – In Chapter 15, Shaul reverts to his old attitude that victory is in the hands of man. By not consecrating the spoils of battle to Hashem, Shaul suggested that the nation did not need Hashem, and that he was the true victor. [See Shaul Loses the Kingship for details.] Once this problematic flaw in his thinking resurfaced, he once again lost the kingship.
Reason for achronology – According to this approach, once the monarchy was torn away from Shaul, the prophet decided to discuss all his failures together, rather than alternating between his high and low points as king. As such, the opening chapters portray a Shaul who is full of potential, making his later fall all the more devastating.2
Two Stages
In Chapter 13, Shaul lost the possibility of forming a dynasty, whereas in Chapter 15 his own kingship was cut short.
"עַתָּה הֵכִין י"י אֶת מַמְלַכְתְּךָ אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד עוֹלָם." – In Chapter 13 Shemuel speaks about losing the possibility of "eternal kingship" (עַד עוֹלָם), suggesting that he was not speaking of Shaul's personal reign but many generations worth of rulers.
"וַיִּמְאָסְךָ י"י מִהְיוֹת מֶלֶךְ " – In Chapter 15, Shemuel says to Shaul that Hashem has rejected him ("וַיִּמְאָסְךָ") from being king, focusing on the individual Shaul, rather than his dynasty
"וַיִּקְרַע י"י אֶת הַמַּמְלָכָה מִיָּדֶךָ" – Radak brings further support for this position from Shemuel's rebuke in Chapter 28,3 where he points to Shaul's action in Amalek specifically as having caused Hashem to tear the kingship away from him and transfer it to David. The wording, "וַיִּקְרַע י"י אֶת הַמַּמְלָכָה מִיָּדֶךָ", and the context of Shaul's imminent death, emphasize that the sin in the war with Amalek caused Shaul's personal loss rather than that of his descendants.
Relationship between the two sins
