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Text- and Source-Criticism of 1 Samuel 17–18: A Complete Account


This article contributes to the debate about the two versions of 1 Samuel 17–18, the shorter one in the Greek Bible and the longer one in the Hebrew. The majority opinion holds that Vaticanus represents the earlier stage and the MT pluses comprise a second version of the main episode, along with harmonizations and additional material. Several of the pluses in chapter 18, however, have been overlooked in previous studies. Accounting for each plus through the end of chapter 18, this study recovers a complete and independent second story that concludes with David’s successful marriage to Saul’s daughter as the reward promised; it identifies and explains all harmonizing additions; and it categorizes an unusual set of unnecessary interpolations made to enrich the story. The study confirms that parallel stories existed and circulated in written form outside “biblical” scrolls; that scribes meticulously spliced written sources to incorporate perceived parallels; and that scribes inserted material to enrich plot-lines, apart from solving narrative problems.