Jonathan H. Walton, «A King Like The Nations: 1 Samuel 8 in Its Cultural Context.» biblica, Vol. 96 (2015) 179-200 page 197

Vol 96 (2015)

Jonathan H. Walton, «A King Like The Nations: 1 Samuel 8 in Its Cultural Context.», Vol. 96 (2015) 179-200

Commentators on 1 Samuel 8 offer a variety of interpretations about what the requested king is expected to replace: judgeship, YHWH himself, or Israel's covenant identity. This article demonstrates that none of these proposals account for the Biblical text adequately. It is proposed instead that the king is intended to replace the Ark of the Covenant. The king will then manipulate YHWH into leading in battle. This is what ancient Near Eastern kings were able to do with their gods, and what the ark failed to do in 1 Samuel 4.

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02_Walton_179_200_179_200 10/07/15 11:58 Pagina 197 197 A KING LIKE THE NATIONS: 1 SAMUEL 8 IN ITS CULTURAL CONTEXT 197 fire flashed in her face, and she went raging away, directing her anger against Teumman, king of Elam, who had made her furious 79. Or they will give the king carte blanche to do as he wishes, with their support: Marduk, the king of gods, is reconciled with the king my lord. He does whatever the king my lord says. Sitting on your throne, you will vanquish your enemies, conquer your foes and plunder the enemy. Bel has said, “may Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, be seated on his throne […]. I will deliver the countries into his hands!” The king may happily do as he deems best 80. But in either case they will help him to do what he wants: Tukulti-Ninurta, king of the universe, king of Assyria […] the king whom the gods have helped to obtain his desired victories 81. At that time Ashurnasirpal […] whose desires the God Enlil helped him obtain so that his great hand conquered all princes insubmissive to him 82 Incidentally, this is probably what Saul is trying to do in 13,9- 12 (and perhaps again in 15,15): demonstrate royal piety to ensure divine cooperation/favor 83. In any other nation this would have worked, but in Israel it costs him his dynasty. Only one Israelite leader ever got away with taking initiative over YHWH: “Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel” (Josh 10,12). Joshua gives in- structions to YHWH, which YHWH follows: “There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being” (10,14). Why Joshua is allowed to get away with this is not explained, but the text notes explicitly that this is a unique 79 Excerpted from “101 Ashurbanipal Prism B”, in M. NISSINEN, Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East (SBLWAW; Atlanta, GA 2003) 146-148. 80 Excerpted from “106 Bel-ušezib to Esarhaddon”, in NISSINEN, Prophets, 157. 81 Tukulti-Ninurta 1 A.0.78.5 1-10, in A.K. GRAYSON, Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millennium (RIMA 1; Toronto 1987) 244. 82 Ashurnasirpal II A.0.101.1 38-40, in GRAYSON, Assyrian Rulers, 196. 83 Gunn in particular notes that pinpointing the actual offense of Saul is very difficult in light of Saul’s apparent diligence and piety (GUNN, Saul, 38).