Difference between revisions of "Two Accounts of Shaul's Death/2"
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Version as of 11:30, 27 November 2016
Did the Amalekite Kill Shaul?
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
The Amalekite Killed Shaul
Who killed Shaul – Shaul originally asked his arms bearer to kill him, who refused, so then he tried to fall on his sword unsuccessfully, and only died after the Amalekite killed him completely. According to this approach the Amalekite didn't lie rather actually killed Shaul, just the story in Shemuel I 31 omitted that part of the story.
הַחֶרֶב and חֲנִיתוֹ
הַמּוֹרִים and הָרֶכֶב וּבַעֲלֵי הַפָּרָשִׁים
Why two stories – Why didn't it say in Shemuel I 31, that the Amalekite finished the killing.
David's double question
"כִּי אֲחָזַנִי הַשָּׁבָץ" – Ralbag says this verse explains why Shaul didn't totally die when he fell on his sword, because the cloths he was wearing were משובץ, meaning strong so a sword can't go through easily.
Why kill the Amalekite – It is obvious following this reading, that David ordered the killing of the Amalekite because he actually killed Shaul and was "לֹא יָרֵאתָ לִשְׁלֹחַ יָדְךָ לְשַׁחֵת אֶת מְשִׁיחַ ה'". Ralbag asks why the Amalekite deserved to be killed, if he did his action fulfilling Shaul's command, and answers that David did this temporarily so people won't easily go and kill the king.
Purpose of the story
Shaul Killed Himself
Sources: Second option in Radak, First option in Ralbag, First option in Abarbanel, Prof. Moshe Tzvi Segal, Prof. Yehuda Elitzur, Dr. Yechiel Tzvi Moshkovitz
Who killed Shaul – Shaul killed himself, and the Amalekite lied saying that he killed Shaul to find favor in the eyes of David.
Why kill the Amalekite
- He deserved death (being a rebel) even just for lying
- David killed him because he was an Amalekite
Differences
David's double question
No mention of the lie
The נֵּזֶר and אֶצְעָדָה – If the Amalekite didn't kill Shaul, so how was he able to bring the נזר and אצעדה back to David? Unless he was totally lying and didn't even arrive at the place of the battle, then he was there to collect the spoils from the war (before the Pelishtim came to do so), and he found on Shaul his נזר and אצעדה.
Purpose of the story – Dr. Moshkovitz writes that Shemuel II 1 is coming to emphasize David's reaction to Shaul's death that he was upset about it and did not rejoice.
הַמּוֹרִים and הָרֶכֶב וּבַעֲלֵי הַפָּרָשִׁים – How does the Amalekite know the בעלי הפרשים caught up to him if he was not there?
