The David Story by Robert Alter
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| Author | Robert Alter |
| Title | The David Story |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate
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| BTR Rating | Great!
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| BTR Review (summary) | A ‘translation & commentary’. Offers a literal translation, drawing out nuances of the Hebrew (with comments). Written from a liberal, Jewish perspective. Very strong on narrative elements of the text. |
| Format | commentary, book |
| Subject | 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel |
BTR Review
A �translation & commentary�. This work is essentially a literal - and literary - annotated translation of 1 & 2 Samuel. Alter makes particular effort to draw out nuances of the Hebrew both in the main text, and in his comments. His comments are also excellent at highlighting the narrative techniques employed in 1 & 2 Samuel.
Alter writes from a liberal, Jewish perspective. He makes no attempt to draw out theological significance from the text, nor does he make any New Testament connections. He has written this book because he thinks 1 & 2 Samuel is a great story, and so he treats it just like a story. He views the book as “an imagining of history that is analogous to what Shakespeare did with his historical figures and events in his historical plays.”
But what he does, he does very well - namely, attention to the Hebrew and narrative effects.
Other Online Reviews
1) Appreciative review by Walter Brueggemann (Christian Century, Nov 1999)
2) Appreciative review by David Gelernter (National Review, Sept 1999)
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