Cat and Mouse

I Samuel Chapter 19, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 24

Is It Read At Synagogue?: No.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: I don’t know how famous it is today, but the end of the chapter introduces a phrase that, it claims, is a familiar phrase in ancient times: “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

Basic Plot: Saul wants David dead. Or does he? It seems to depend on the moment. Jonathan warns David that Saul is out to get him, so David flees and Jonathan tries to get his father to see reason. Saul relents, and David is allowed to return to the king’s service.

Then, David wins another battle against the Philistines, and once again, Saul goes into a murderous rage, going after David with a spear. Michal — Saul’s daughter and David’s wife — enables David to sneak out their window, then puts an idolatrous statue in her bed and tells others that it’s an ill David.

David flees with Samuel to Ramah, and when Saul sends messengers to pursue them, God’s spirit causes the messengers to speak in ecstasy (more on that in a moment). Saul sends two more groups of soldiers, and the same thing happens. Finally, Saul goes himself, and he removes his clothes and speaks in ecstasy in front of Samuel.

What’s Strange: What does it mean to “speak in ecstasy”? It’s not entirely clear, but according to Robert R. Wilson in his book Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, it’s nothing complimentary. “The exact nature of the prophetic behavior … incapacitated the messengers and physically prevented them from reaching David,” Wilson writes. “This seems to suggest that the author of the story considered prophetic behavior to be a form of uncontrolled trance.” Prophecy, Wilson argues, is depicted in this text as being possessed by a spirit, far away from the realities of typical understanding.

What’s Spectacular: David seems awfully lucky that Saul’s progeny have divided loyalties; were Jonathan or Michal to have followed their father’s wishes, David would be dead by now. But this already seems to be a running theme in David’s life: wherever he goes, he inspires loyalty and devotion. The Israelites love his courage on the battlefield (not to mention the results), Jonathan and Michal both love him, and even Saul sometimes appreciates David’s talents (when he doesn’t want him dead, of course). And as readers of the text, it’s easy to root for David as well. After all, what has he done to deserve to be Saul’s target? Has he not been a good soldier, both literally and figuratively?

It will take a little while before we discover the other side of David’s character. But suffice it to say for now that David understands how to inspire not only loyalty, but also sympathy. We can’t help but feel bad that David has to be on the run right now. This kind of sympathy will win David a lot of points during his life, and perhaps even more after his life ends.

Shabbat Shalom!