Biblical Theology: Past, Present, and Future (I)
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 55, No. 2 – Spring 2013
Managing Editor: Terry L. Wilder
By A. Graeme Auld. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. 686 Pages. Hardcover. $75.
One can turn to most any page at random in Graeme Auld’s voluminous commentary on the books of First and Second Samuel and immediately discover that the strength of this work is its exegetical excellence. Through profuse interaction with the Hebrew text and thorough analysis, Auld has significantly advanced the study of these books revealing them as vital to the understanding of David, the monarchy, the Old Testament, and indeed, the rest of Scripture.
From the first words of the Introduction, the author makes it clear that the books of Samuel are about David. They present the key figures that prepare the reader for the life of David and help us “know him better” (2), intricately detail his life, and then reveal the monumental impact of his life on subsequent generations. One of the uniquenesses of Auld’s approach to the understanding of the books of Samuel is his thesis that the books are read from beginning to end, but were written from end to beginning (9-14), with the book of first Samuel serving as a prequel to the story of David (12). Though the reference in the very first sentence of the Introduction to David as the “first king of Israel” (1) is curious and perhaps misplaced, the author advocates him as the most significant Old Testament figure.
The outline of the text is simple and clear. The author begins each section with his own translation and critical notes, followed by an explanation of the text. The selected bibliography at the beginning of the work reveals the sources on which the author relied in the composition of the commentary.
Throughout the book, Auld gives careful attention to textual criticism and also reveals the relationship of the books of Samuel to the rest of Scripture. The Index of Scripture and other Ancient Sources (631-62) demonstrates the meticulous interaction with the Hebrew Bible; though much more could have been said about the relationship of the books of Samuel with the New Testament. In spite of the book’s depth, the significant text of Yahweh’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 receives comparatively slight attention with oddly no reference to its Messianic implications (420-26).
Critical to the author’s explanation of the book, and the reader’s understanding of it, is Auld’s theory of what he calls, “the Book of Two Houses (BTH).” With only a brief definition of it, Auld explains BTH as a hypothetical source which comprises the entire story of David and the “house of Yahweh from the death of Saul till the fall of Jerusalem” (10). Throughout the remainder of the commentary, Auld frequently refers to the work and believes it to have been the common source of information for both the authors of First and Second Samuel and the Chronicler (cf. 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, 27-28, 29-30, etc).
Other useful features to the work include the Introduction and the Excurses. The Introduction outlines the book, analyzes the available manuscript texts for the books of Samuel, explains the author’s translation, as well as discussing the question of authorship, the relationship of the books of Samuel to Chronicles, and the place of I and II Samuel in the Old Testament Historical Books. The excurses generally serve as after-works of key sections. The final and most helpful of which delineates the key themes and characters in the books of Samuel (622-30). Although it might have been clearer if it had been divided into two different excurses with one related to the people and another related to the themes, the section serves as a valuable discussion of seven important characters in the book and eight key themes, while also functioning as something of a conclusion to the work.
While the book will serve as a helpful resource for students, pastors, and scholars, it does presume a certain level of familiarity with the Hebrew text. Users will find it invaluable in exegesis, though less in application. In the end, anyone interested in a thorough, academic, and clear exegesis of the books of I and II Samuel will find this commentary an excellent addition to his or her library.
