Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Steve Miller" <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net>]

Karl Randolph wrote:
> B-Hebrew haberim:
> 
> 1 Samuel 8:18 has puzzled me for years, as it seems
> to say that David, a man after God's own heart, was
> violating God's command that the priesthood be
> limited to the descendants of Aaron and conferring
> it to his sons. Even the pointing indicates that
> reading.
> 
> I don't think this reading is right.
> 
> The LXX gives a reading that, from parsing the
> word, seems to say that David's sons were in charge
> of accounting or something like that.
> 
> Are there any variant readings that would indicate
> a different meaning?

The DSS does not have 2 Sam 8:18, but the 1 & 2 Samuel that DSS does have,
which is substantial, agrees more with the LXX than the MT. (The Dead Sea
Scrolls Bible - Abegg, Flint, Ulrich - preface on Samuel)

> 
> Could a different set of dots give the meaning that
> David's sons became as those in charge of the
> resources, i.e. accounting the wealth of the booty
> and country?
> 
> Any thoughts?

Samuel was not born a priest, but became a priest by being dedicated to the
Lord as a Nazarite. (1 Sam. 1:1; 2:35)
Verse 17 says that Zadok & Ahimelech *were* priests, without using a Hebrew
word for "were", which is normal.
Verse 18 uses the Hebrew verb hayoo, which indicates a process by which,
Benaiah, the Cherethites, the Pelethites and David's sons *became* priests.
They were not high priests because those were Zadok & Ahimelech. Perhaps
they ministered to the Lord before Zadok & Ahimelech like Samuel did before
Eli. (1 Sam 2:11)

-Steve Miller
Detroit