Source and Revision in the Narratives of David's Transfer of the Ark: Text, Language, and Story in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16

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This book evaluates the relationship between Samuel and Chronicles in a single synoptic story: David's transfer of Israel's sacred ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16. Chapter 1 establishes the framework of the investigation. In this chapter Rezetko surveys three areas of research related to Samuel and Chronicles, including views on the composition of these books on the whole, the story of David's ark transfer in particular, and the characteristics of the textual witnesses to these books. Chapter 2 introduces the methodology of the study. In this chapter Rezetko surveys issues related to synchronic and diachronic approaches to Samuel and Chronicles. Specifically, he suggests that the standoff between alternative approaches to these books may be bridged by taking a textual-exegetical approach, that is, by combining textual and literary criticism in an analysis of their stories. Chapters 3-6 are a close examination of textual, linguistic, and literary facets of 2 Samuel 6 and the synoptic portions of 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16. On the basis of parallel aligned Hebrew and Greek texts of these passages, Rezetko studies in varying degrees of detail the ancient texts of David's ark transfer story in order to understand better its different formulation and shape in the received Hebrew texts of Samuel and Chronicles in their Masoretic dress (MT) in particular.

Reviews

...it is a high quality work of careful scholarship, with a bold hypothesis that runs counter to the prevailing consensus...I fear that my short summary of Rezetko's book is an inadequate tribute to the enormity of his research. He provides a fine synthesis of scholarship and excellent bibliography (with meticulous documentation from start to finish). A great positive is that one does not necessarily have to agree with Rezetko's results in order to profit from his study...Overall anyone undertaking serious study of these passages will have to reckon with Rezetko's analysis, and those interested in the broader questions of textcritical controls as a means for determining earlier and later stages in a text's editorial history will need to consult this very readable book. -- Keith Bodner, Atlantic Baptist University * Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 8 (2008) *
... there is a mass of carefully presented and argued detail here for which we should be grateful. -- D. G. Firth * Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 32.5 (2008) *

Author Bio

Robert Rezetko is an independent scholar.