#. (7.0)
The life of Solomon is recounted in which two of the following biblical
sources (check correct answers):
_____ (a) 2 Samuel
____ (b) 1 Kings 1-11
_____
(c) 1 Chronicles 10-29 ____ (d) 2 Chronicles 1-9
#. (7.1.1) Identify the difference between the following two accounts of Saul’s death, then suggest an explanation of this difference.
1 Sam. 31:3-6. “31:3 The battle pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them. 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised may not come and thrust me through, and make sport of me. But his armor-bearer was unwilling; for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 31:5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 31:6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the same day.”2 Sam. 1:2-10 “1:2 On the third day, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance. 1:3 David said to him, Where have you come from? He said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. 1:4 David said to him, How did things go? Tell me! He answered, The army fled from the battle, but also many of the army fell and died; and Saul and his son Jonathan also died. 1:5 Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died? 1:6 The young man reporting to him said, I happened to be on Mount Gilboa; and there was Saul leaning on his spear, while the chariots and the horsemen drew close to him. 1:7 When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, `Here sir.’ 1:8 And he said to me, `Who are you?’ I answered him, `I am an Amalekite.’ 1:9 He said to me, `Come, stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 1:10 So I stood over him, and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
(1) The difference:__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(2) The reason for the difference:_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
#.
(7.1.1)
Summarize David’s reaction to the news of Saul’s death as described in
2 Sam.1:11-15.
1:11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did the same. 1:12 They mourned and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 1:13 David said to the young man who had reported to him, Where do you come from? He answered, I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite. 1:14 David said to him, Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed? 1:15 Then David called one of the young men and said, Come here and strike him down. So he struck him down and he died. 1:16 David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’#. (7.1.1) Compare the following two accounts of Saul’s death by checking the correct statements from the list below:________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
1 Sam. 31:1-7. “31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and many fellF152 on Mount Gilboa. 31:2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 31:3 The battle pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them. 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised may not come and thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer was unwilling; for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 31:5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 31:6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the same day. 31:7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their towns and fled; and the Philistines came and occupied them.”1 Chron. 10:1-7. “10:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 10:2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, sons of Saul. 10:3 The battle pressed hard on Saul; and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. 10:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised may not come and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer was unwilling, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 10:5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 10:6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. 10:7 When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the armyF59 had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled; and the Philistines came and occupied them.
--------------------------
FOOTNOTES:
F59: Heb [they]
F152: Heb [and they fell slain]
____ a) The
two accounts are very different and thus have no literary connection to
one another.
____ b) The two accounts are almost identical.
____ c) A strong literary connection exists between the two accounts.
____ d) 1 Samuel copied the account from 1 Chronicles.
____ e) 1 Chronicles copied the account from 1 Samuel.
____ f) 1 Chronicles 10:5 deviates slightly in wording from the parallel in 1 Samuel 31:5.
____ g) 1 Chronicles 10:6 adds to 1 Samuel 31:6 that they all died on the same day.
_____h) 1 Chronicles 10:6 leave off the statement that they all died on the same day which 1 Samuel 31:6 claims.
_____i) The Israelites who fled from the Philistines were 'on the other side of the valley' in 1 Samuel 31:7, but 'in the valley'in 1 Chronicles 10:7.
____ #. (7.1.2) Once Samuel had anointed David to be the new king, he immediately took power and control over the nation away from Saul.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.1.2) David took control
over the nation as king ____ the death of Saul.
| a) before | b) after | c) during |
____ #. (7.1.2) David was anointed
by the people first as king over Judah, and only later as king over the
entire nation.
| a) True | b) False |
#. (7.1.2)
Explain who Abner was, and what he did in relation to David being Saul’s
successor to the kingship.
____ #. (7.1.2.3) According to 2 Sam. 3:22-39, Abner murdered Joab.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.1.2.4) David reacted
with the same severe command for execution to the news of the death of
Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, as he had earlier to the news of Saul’s death.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.2.1) David first
ruled over the entire nation from Hebron, then from Jerusalem.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.2.1) One way David
gained popular support from the people in general was by having brought
about the execution of Saul and his successor son Ishbosheth.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.2.1) Jerusalem as
the new capital was a good choice because it was a neutral city, whereas
Hebron was aligned with Judah and would have been rejected as the national
capital.
| a) True | b) False |
#. (7.2.3)
Once David had captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and set up his capital
there, what major action did he take next that would have long-term religious
importance for the nation?
#. (7.2.3) Identify Michal, her background and actions from the description in 2 Sam. 6:16, 20-23.
6:16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart....
6:20 David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself! 6:21 David said to Michal, It was before the LORD, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD, that I have danced before the LORD. 6:22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor. 6:23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
____ #. (7.3.3) David’s taking of Bathsheba after having her husband Urriah killed was considered entirely proper behavior everywhere in the ancient world except in Israel.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.3.3) The prophet
Nathan was the divine spokesman who rebuked David for his immoral actions
against both Urriah and Bathsheba.
| a) True | b) False |
#. (7.3.3)
Identify the wrongful actions of David against Urriah and Bathsheba:
| 1) Against Batheshba: | 2) Against Urriah: |
____ #. (7.3.3) The long-term
consequences of David’s affair with Bathsheba was to
a) stabilize his control over the kingship, since Bathsheba’s son Solomon succeeded David.
b) create the atmosphere for family intrigue and murder the rest of David’s life.
c) establish Bathsheba at the head of David’s harem, and insure the preeminent position of any of her children.
____ #. (7.3.6) Which one of
David’s 19 sons plotted to kill his father and take over the kingship?
| a) Absalom | b) Ibhar | c) Solomon |
#. (7.3.8)
Identify Joab and his relationship to David.
____ #. (7.3.12) How did David indicate that Solomon was his choice to succeed him as king insteadof Adonijah?
a) As the next oldest after Absalom, Solomon was naturally next in line over the younger Adonijah.
b) Adonijah’s plotting to succeed his father was defeated by the superior tricks of Solomon and his mother Bathsheba to get David’s blessing.
c) Solomon was the only son above reproach who could succeed his father.
____ #. (7.3.13) The evil schemes
of David’s sons to succeed him in his old age reflects the same evil ways
that David had connived to succeed Saul as king.
| a) True | b) False |
#. (7.3.13)
List the three major areas of lasting contribution by David beyond the
united monarchy to the heritage of the Israelite people.
(1)(2)
(3)
____ #. (7.3.13) Israelite kingship
was significantly different from that of other Near Eastern societies,
especially in regard to the attitude toward the king and his relation to
deity.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.4.1) In Solomon’s
systematic elimination of all rivals to power at the beginning of his reign
he reflected an attitude that was
a) very much like that of his father David at the beginning of his reign.
b) unique to Solomon’s pattern of kingship among all the kings of Israel.
c) much more like the pattern of other Eastern monarchs, than the legacy of Saul and David.
____ #. (7.4.1) Although David
had feared the old general Joab he wasn’t able to rid himself of him. In
contrast, Solomon quickly had Joab murdered, even while clinging to the
horns of the altar in a sacred shrine.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.4.2) The level of
Solomon’s spiritual life rose much higher than that of his father David.
| a) True | b) False |
____ #. (7.4.2) While David’s
religious legacy is found in the Psalms, Solomon’s is found in the Proverbs.
| a) True | b) False |
#. (7.4.4)
What religious institution is Solomon best remembered for building?
#. (7.4.4.5) How did Solomon pay for his extensive and expensive building projects?
____ #. (7.4.5) Solomon’s
reign was so successful and productive that his death did not bring the
future of a united monarchy under a cloud.
| a) True | b) False |