Conclusion

Abstract In this concluding chapter, the problem of innocent blood in David’s rise, reign, and succession is summarized before some final reflections are offered on the nature and pervasiveness of the theme. To these are added some tentative suggestions regarding how it relates to the wider history and who might be responsible for its presence in the David story. It is argued that ‘innocent blood’ is not to be understood categorically but is better interpreted as blood shed without sufficient cause and hence illegitimate or unauthorized bloodshed. It is suggested that various unwelcome consequences are understood to arise from this kind of behaviour, including but not limited to the incurring of guilt. Whether construed in terms of vengeance, redemption, or expiation, the remedying of unwarranted bloodshed in David’s story invariably involves the shedding of further blood. It is argued that the narrator sees the Davidic problem of ‘bloods’ as solved by Solomon’s actions in 1 Kings 2. However, his failure to endorse Solomon’s view that this will ensure ‘peace forever’ for David’s dynasty reflects both the curse of the sword forever, and a likely awareness that the problem of innocent blood recurs at the end of the history (2 Kgs 21, 24) and leads to the exile. This might suggest the hypothesis that those who attributed the violent fall of David’s dynasty to the problem of ‘innocent blood’ may have found and traced the beginning of this problem in David’s own story.