The Redemption of Yhwh: a Literary Critical Function of the Songs of Hannah and David

AbstractThe Songs of Hannah and David have been noted to function as hermeneutical frames for the book of Samuel, serving the purpose of guiding the reader's interpretation of the history of Israel presented in the rest of the book. This article, while agreeing with the framing principle, argues that these pieces of poetry serve the function of presenting a theologically orthodox picture of Yhwh, which attempts to offset the depiction of Yhwh found in the narrative sections of the book. The argument is developed by performing a character analysis of Yhwh, as suggested by the contours of the narrative. Specifically the article looks at two aspects of the narrative: the choices of leaders made by Yhwh and the speeches and actions of Yhwh. In addition, there is a focus on what the writer of the book of Samuel is telling the exiles in Babylon about their deity by presenting them with such stories in the structured arrangement of the final form of the book.