COVENANT RENEWAL

AT GILGAL

A Study of I Samuel 11:14-12:25

J. ROBERT VANNOY

MACK PUBLISHING COMPANY

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Digitized by Ted Hildebrandt in appreciation to author, who, as my former

professor, opened my understanding to the Old Testament.

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory

for ever. Amen. Romans 11:36

To my mother

Margaret B. Vannoy

In memory of my father

Wesley G. Vannoy

February 28, 1900—September 3, 1976

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGM NTS xi

INTRODUCTION 1

PART I

TRANSLATION WITH EXEGESIS OF I SAMUEL 11:14-12:25

WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON

JURIDICAL AND COVENANT TERMINOLOGY AND CONCEPTS

I. TRANSLATION AND EXEGESIS OF I SAMUEL 12:1-25 9

II. TRANSLATION AND EXEGESIS OF I SAMUEL 11:14-15 61

PART II

LITERARY CRITICAL AND GENRE-HISTORICAL

ANALYSIS OF I SAMUEL 11:14-12:25

III. I SAMUEL 11: 4-12:25 AS A COMPOSITE UNIT 95

Section 1. A Survey of the Literary Criticism of I Samuel

11:14-12:2 95

A. I Samuel 12:1-25 96

1. I Samuel 12 as an original unity 98

a. I Samuel 12 as a reliable historical record 98

1) Representatives of "conservative biblical

scholarship" 98

2) E. Robertson 99

b. Samuel 12 as the composition of a "deutero-

omistic historian" 100

1) J. Wellhausen 100

2) H. P. Smith 100

3) M. Noth (H. J. Boecker) 101

4) R. H. Pfeiffer 102

c. Samuel 12 as an independent tradition unit 103

1) H. Gressman 103

2) A. Weiser 103

2. I Samuel 12 as an original unit modified by

redactional reworking 104

a. K. Budde 104

b. S. R. Driver 105

c. O. Eissfeldt 106

d. G. B. Caird 106

e. M. Buber 106

f. G. Wallis 108

g. B. C. Birch 109

h. N. Gottwald 110

i. H. J. Stoebe 111

3. I Samuel 12 as a composite of disparate material 112

a. I. Hylander 112

vi Table of Contents

b. H. Seebass 113

4. Provisional conclusion 114

B. I SAMUEL 11:14-15 114

1. I Samuel 11:14 as a redactional introduction to I

Samuel 11:14 115

a. Entirety of I Samuel 11:12-14 as redactional 115

1) J. Welihausen 115

2) H. P. Smith 115

3) H. Gressman 116

4) H. Wildberger 117

5) G. Wallis 118

b. The phrase ''renew the kingdom" (v. 14) as

redactional 119

1) S. R. Driver 119

2) R. Press 119

3) K. Möhlenbrink 119

4) M. Noth 120

5) A. Weiser 120

6) H. W. Hertzberg 121

2. I Samuel 11:12-14 (15) as a part of an originally

separate tradition 121

a. Th. C. Vriezim 121

b. H. Seebass 122

c N. Gottwald 123

d. H. J. Stoebe 124

e. E. Robertson 125

3. Provisional conclusion 126

Section 2. The Structure of I Samuel 11:14-12:25 127

A. The Relationship of I Samuel 11:14-15 to I Samuel

12:1-25 127

B. Structural Elements of I Samuel 12:1-25 131

IV. THE COVENANT FORM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND

I SAMUEL 11:14-12:25 132

Section 1. The Covenant Form in the Old Testament 132

A. The Covenant-Treaty Analogy 132

B. Characteristic Features of the Old Testament

Covenant Form 138

C. Extent and Variety of Utilization of the Old

Testament Covenant Form 142

D. Sitz im Leben of the Old Testament Covenant

Form; Historical Implications of Its Presence 144

1. The nature of the covenant form and its

origin—cultic or historical? 146

2. The evolution of the treaty form and its

implications for the date of the book of

Deuteronomy 150

Table of Contents vii

a. The vassal treaties of Esarhaddon compared

with the Hittite suzerainty treaties 151

1) Absence of a historical prologue 151

2) Absence of a Grundsatzerklarung 152

3) Absence of blessings 153

4) Conclusion 153

b. The Aramaic treaties from Sefire compared

with the vassal treaties of Esarhaddon and

with the Hittite suzerainty treaties 154

1) Similarities of the Sefire treaties to the

Assyrian treaties 154

2) Similarities of the Sefire treaties to the

Hittite treaties 155

3) Conclusion 156

c. Implications of the treaty-covenant analogy 156

for the date of Deuteronomy

Section 2. The Covenant Form in I Samuel 11:14-12:25

A. Characteristic Features of the Covenant Form in

I Samuel 11:14-12:25 160

1. Appeal to antecedent history (I Sam. 12:6-12) 161

2. The challenge to the basic covenantal obligation

of undivided allegiance to Yahweh introduced by

the transitional "and now" (I Sam. 12:13a, 14a,

15a, 20-21, 24) 164

3. Blessing and curse sanctions (I Sam. 12:14b, 15b,

25) 167

4. Theophanic sign (I Sam. 12:16-18a) 168

B. Implications of the Covenant Form in I Samuel

11:1 -12:25 for its Interpretation and Unity 169

1. Implications for its Interpretation 169

a. Elucidation of the covenantal character and

purposes of the Gilgal assembly 170

b. Elucidation of the covenantal background for

various statements and terms occurring in

I Samuel 11:14-12:25 179

1) "Renew the kingdom" (I Sam. 11:14) 179

2) Israel's wickedness in asking for a king

(I Sam. 12:17, 20) 179

3) "Peace offerings" (I Sam. 11:15);

"righteous acts of Yahweh" (I Sam. 12:7);

"good and right way" (I Sam. 12:23) 182

2. Implications of the covenant form of I Samuel

11:14-12:25 for its unity 184

a. Clarification of the relationship between

I Sam. 11:14-15 and I Sam. 12:1-15 184

b. The covenant form and the structural integrity

of I Samuel 12 185

viii Table of Contents

1) Implications of the covenant form for

viewing I Samuel 12 as an original unity

modified by redactional reworking 185

2) Implications of the covenant form for

viewing I Samuel 12 as a composite of

disparate material 188

3) Implications of the covenant form for

viewing I Samuel 12 as an independent

tradition unit 188

4) Implications of the covenant form for

viewing I Samuel 12 as the composition of

a "deuteronomistic historian" 189

APPENDIX 192

V. THE LITERARY CRITICISM OF I SAMUEL 8-12 IN THE

LIGHT OF THE COVENANTAL CHARACTER OF

I SAMUEL 11:14-12:25 197

Section 1. A Survey of the History of Criticism of I Samuel

8-12 198

A. The Documentary-Source Approach 198

1. J. Wellhausen 198

2. K. Budde 199

3. H. P. Smith 200

4. S. R. Driver 201

5. O. Eissfeldt 201

B. The Fragmentary Approach 203

1. H. Gressmann 203

2. M. Noth 205

3. H. J. Boecker 207

C. The Tradition-History Approach 209

1. W. Caspari 209

2. Th. C. Vriezen 210

3. A. Weiser 211

4. B. C. Birch 216

5. H. J. Stoebe 217

6. D. J. McCarthy 219

D. The Approach of "Conservative Biblical Scholarship" 223

Section 2. An Assessment of the Criticism of I Samuel 8-12

in the Light of the Covenantal Character of I Samuel

11:14-12:25 225

A. The Ambivalent Attitude Toward Kingship in the

Narratives of I Samuel 8-12 in the Light of the

Covenantal Character of I Samuel 11:14-12:25 227

B. The Narrative Sequence of I Samuel 8-12 in the Light

of the Covenantal Character of I Samuel 11:14-12:25 232

Table of Contents ix

C. "Deuteronomic Influence" in the Narratives of

I Samuel 8-12 in the Light of the Covenantal

Character of I Samuel 11:14-12:25 235

D. Concluding Remarks 239

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS 241

BIBLIOGRAPHY 245

SUMMARY 259

TRANSLATIONS 262

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is with praise to God for his enablement and thanks to

many individuals for their encouragement and assistance that

this study is published.

The writer is particularly grateful to Prof. Dr. Nic. H.

Ridderbos for his example of careful scholarship, and the

readiness with which he gave generously of his time and

expertise in the supervision of the writing of this dissertation.

This writer has benefited in more ways than can be enumer-

ated here from the tutelage of Prof. Ridderbos. I also express

my appreciation to Dr. Allan A. MacRae, President and Prof.

of Old Testament at Biblical School of Theology, Hatfield,

Pa., for the inspiration and encouragement which he has been

to me in biblical studies, initially as one of his students and in

more recent years as a colleague and friend.

Thanks is also extended to the trustees of Biblical School

of Theology whose grant of a sabbatical leave during the

1973-1974 school year enabled significant progress to be

made in the research and writing of this work. Particular

acknowledgment is due Prof. Thomas V. Taylor of Biblical

School of Theology for his cheerful assumption of additional

teaching responsibilities during my absence.

Many others have helped with this effort in a variety of

ways contributing significantly to its completion. Thanks are

extended to Mrs. William Taylor, typing; Dr. Perry Phillips,

proof reading, checking citations; Mrs. James Pakala, proof

reading; Mrs. Blair Ribeca, proof reading; my wife, Kathe,

proof reading.

Finally, I express appreciation to my family for their

encouragement, patience, and assistance during the time of

the preparation of this study. It is not possible to convey in a

xi

xii Acknowledgments

few words the deep debt which I owe to my parents for their

support through many years of educational pursuits and for

their godly life and example. To my wife, Kathe, and our

children, Anna, Robert, Mark, and Jonathan, I express my

appreciation for their patience during the many hours that

this study took from other activities in which they could also

be actively involved.

I Chronicles 29:11-13

INTRODUCTION

There are few sections in the Old Tes