A Deep Bench

II Samuel Chapter 8, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 18

Is It Read At Synagogue?: No.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: Maybe it’s not all that famous, but Verse 15 offers an example of how highly the the text thinks of David: “David reigned over all Israel, and David executed true justice among all his people.”

Basic Plot: This is mainly a description of some of David’s military conquests. He achieves victories over the Philistines, Moabites, and Edomites. He also defeats King Hadadezer of Zobah as well as the Arameans who try to defend Hadadezer. After this latter triumph, he is sent gifts by one of Hadadezer’s adversaries, King Toi of Hamath. By this point, David has collected vast amounts of gold, silver, and copper, all of which he dedicates to God.

The chapter concludes with a brief naming of David’s main officers, with one surprising note: his sons are described as kohanim, even though they are not themselves descendants of priestly families. More on that in a moment.

What’s Strange: To borrow a phrase from the Roman Empire, the time period in this chapter is the launch of “Pax Davida”— a rare moment in history when Israel rules itself as well as other peoples. Steven Grosby explains in his book Biblical Ideas of Nationality Ancient and Modern, “For no more than the brief period of 80 years, northern Israel and southern Judah were ‘united’ under David and Solomon into an imperial monarchy containing numerous peoples, each worshiping its own deities.” Even though David’s and Solomon’s reigns contain plenty of stressful moments, the relative tranquility of this period stands out.

What’s Spectacular: Why are David’s sons allowed to be kohanim? Commentators like Moses Nahmanides (Ramban) argue that the term “kohanim” does not necessarily mean someone who takes part in sacrificial ritual. “The truth of the matter is that the term k’hunah means ministry, but not to the Deity alone,” Nahmanides writes. Samuel ben Meir (better known as Rashbam) cites this distinction to claim that God’s promise in Exodus 19 that the Israelites would become a “kingdom of priests” means that all of the children of Israel would serve God, not necessarily in the same ritual way.

Really, then, David’s sons are considered important ministers in David’s kingdom. In this way, David is adding foundations to a house — not the house he wishes to build in the previous chapter (i.e. a Temple), but an experienced family who can one day take the mantle of leadership from David. It’s usually a good idea to build a family or a community to the point in which there is a “deep bench” of leaders beyond those currently in charge. In David’s case, though, some of those sitting on the bench will get uncomfortable with their seats.

Shabbat Shalom!