"But He Could Not Warm Himself": Sexual Innuendo and the Place of 1 Kgs 1,1-4
Springing off recent articles by Richard Hess and Russell Meek, this essay argues for the collaboration of vv. 1b and 4 to suggest that 1 Kgs 1,1-4 is concerned with discussing David's impotency. In light of this physiological development, David's attendants embarked on a search for a virg...
| Published in: | Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2018]
|
| In: |
Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament
|
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
David, Israel, König
/ Abischag, Biblical person
/ Impotency
/ Folktale
/ Keret-Epos
/ Bible. Könige 1. 1,1-4
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament NCF Sexual ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
לאֹיִחַם לוֹ
|
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | Springing off recent articles by Richard Hess and Russell Meek, this essay argues for the collaboration of vv. 1b and 4 to suggest that 1 Kgs 1,1-4 is concerned with discussing David's impotency. In light of this physiological development, David's attendants embarked on a search for a virgin. The Sumerian folktale "The Old Man and the Young Girl" may provide illumination for such an endeavor as it testifies to a perception that young women could rejuvenate impotent men. As for Adonijah's pursuit of the throne, one can interpret a causative, albeit it implicit, relationship between 1,1-4 and vv. 5ff. David's impotence rendered him unable to fulfill certain diplomatic duties, which had been a hallmark of his reign and rise to power. Such a development cast a shadow over the future of the administration, and ultimately, these four verses establish a sense of irony that will be revisited periodically throughout the history. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1502-7244 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/09018328.2017.1376527 |